BIG Understanding the Implications

for Social Recruiting & Referrals

DATA

In November 2012 analyst Josh Bersin,

of Bersin Deloitte wrote:

It is essential to adopt a targeted approach;

big data projects should begin with

objectives and a desired outcome.

“Start with the problem, not the data”

“We are all flooded with data:

employee data, location data,

social data, compensation data,

and much more.”

In the case of employee referrals, we want to

achieve certain clear objectives.

These can be broken into:

TARGETS

5

KEY

Understand what

‘good’ looks like

to determine the candidate profile

The Candidate Profile 1 #

- Who are the best performers?

- Who are the best performers in the industry?

- What did their background look like?

- What data trends connect them?

Once the best candidate profile has been identified, we want to know who fits the profile internally, or if internal mobility is actually the best option.

The principle source of hire in the USA is internal hiring,

of job openings are filled by

internal candidates

-CareerXroads Source of

Hire Survey for 2013

Internal Mobility 2 #

42%

Next, identify who fits the profile externally and how are you connected to them?

The best candidate may have already applied and could be hidden in the ATS, talent network or connected with the company in some other way, for example, as a fan of the company page on Facebook or a follower on LinkedIn.

Alternatively, they may well be connected via social networks or e-mail with existing employees.

External Candidates 3 #

When we have targets, we want to

understand the best way to reach

them so that we can personalize

the message whilst determining

the best method of delivery and

the best time to get a response.

Personalize 4 #

It’s important to understand the recruitment

process so that we can identify any blockage

in order to reduce time and cost of hire.

Review 5 #

The point Bersin is making is an important one. Big data is, well, big. There is such a range of data

BIG DATA

BIG IS, WELL,

sources that is possible to just keep mining and never really achieve usable results. For your Employee Referral Program, begin with the end in mind. Understand the problem you are trying to solve and then apply data mining, collection and analytics to find a solution, or at least to understand why the problem exists.

Big data projects should begin with objectives and a desired outcome.