REPORT

IMPACT OF SOCIAL HIRING ON

TALENT ACQUISITION STRATEGY IN
2019
©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved.
 EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY 03

METHODOLOGY 04

CONTENTS
KEY FINDINGS 05

SOCIAL HIRING
CHALLENGES 12

BENEFITS OF
SOCIAL HIRING 19

RECOMMENDATIONS 21

CONCLUSION 22
EXECUTIVE
” SUMMARY

In the last few years, social media has emerged as the new town center of the online
world where people visit, interact and engage, o en. With more and more tech-
YOU CAN’T savvy millennials and Gen-Z employees joining the workforce, social hiring has
flourished as the most prominent, probably the only, preferred employment
TEACH pla orm. TopCHRO conducted a survey to know the extent, impact and modes of
EMPLOYEES this pla orm.
TO SMILE. THEY The survey was designed to get maximum diverse views and was floated across a
HAVE TO SMILE range of industries and regions. Its interpreta on in this report is limited to
BEFORE YOU prominent observa ons and major devia ons. The results have been approximated
HIRE THEM. and should not be taken as exact numbers. To get the exact picture, numbers and
understanding of the method, a detailed and broad study is advised.

”
©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 03
METHODOLOGY

The Social Hiring Survey Report 2019 has been

compiled on the basis of feedbacks collected from
3128 HR professionals. These professionals represent
various na onali es, industries, demography,
organiza on sizes and come from mid-level to senior
HR roles in their respec ve organiza ons. The
respondents were given a primary survey
ques onnaire to fill and their responses were strictly
kept individual to avoid any kind of bias or influence.
Sample size and structure of the survey was restricted
keeping in view the me availability and diverse
responses were collected to understand varied
perspec ves. Respondents from the US, Africa, EMEA
and APAC regions par cipated in the survey. The
authen city and validity of samples and their
responses were pre-confirmed in separate
communica on with their respec ve organiza ons. All
par cipants were above 18 years of age as on June
2019. Experience level more than 4 years

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 04

KEY FINDINGS

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved.

KEY FINDINGS
CURRENT USE OF SOCIAL HIRING

Importance of Social Hiring

5.14%
Not so
Important
Social hiring is a must for 66.09% of the
11.64% respondents and is well-integrated in the systems:
Most
Important
Use and effec veness of social hiring are
54.45%
indisputable. 11.64% of the organiza ons say social
Very hiring is most important for them and 54.45% say
Important
social hiring is very important for them. Though
most organiza ons use social hiring, there is a
28.77% striking ambiguity in its use and different
Moderately
Important
organiza ons are using it differently and for
different purposes.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 06

KEY FINDINGS

PREFERRED APPLICATION METHODS FOR EMPLOYERS

By asking them to
fill social media forms 12.3% Big Companies Are Making Bigger
Investments in Social Hiring:
By asking them to upload
resume directly through 39.4% A notable shi is building in large
social media
organiza ons. Only 53.9% of organiza ons are
By redirec ng to the now redirec ng applicants to their career site.
company’s career site 53.9% 12.3% have adopted social media forms. They
are now turning to social hiring for a rac ng
By asking candidates to talent and popularizing their company culture.
mail their resume 52.6%
The bigger chunk of small and mid-size
organiza ons pie is invested in recruitment.
By asking candidates to
message on social media 25.5% Small and mid-level organiza ons need to
explore more poten al uses of social hiring
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 like branding and job adver sing.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 07

KEY FINDINGS

Industries That Are Using Social

Hiring Most:
Human Resources 100.00%
Healthcare 100.00% About all respondents from
Sales/ Marke ng 100.00%
different industries rated social
hiring from being important to
IT/ Telecom 97.40% most important. 100%
Business/ Consul ng 96.15% respondents from Human
Educa on 92.86% Resources, Healthcare and, Sales
and Marke ng sectors said they
Retail/ CPG 90.24%
are using social hiring for talent
Manufacture/ Construc on/ Automobile 90.00% acquisi on. It is also being used
Banking/ Finance 90.00% extensively by IT/Telecom,
Others 88.89% Educa on, CPG, Automobile/
construc on, Banking/Finance and
0 20 40 60 80 100 Consul ng industries. Its poten al
in other industries needs to be
explored.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 08

KEY FINDINGS

POPULAR SOCIAL HIRING MECHANISMS

Though many hiring mechanisms are available, not all of them are uniformly used. While social media and group pos ngs are widely used,
others not so much despite their ease and efficiency.

Popular Social Hiring Pla orms Used:

Social media:
LinkedIn 94.88% Instagram 17.75%
Facebook helps in targe ng demography, interest
and, skills and, LinkedIn validates the candidate’s
Facebook 51.54% Whatsapp experience and skills. Twi er is being used to
4.78%
target candidates based on their interest. 94.88%
of respondents are using LinkedIn which makes it
the most popular hiring pla orm.
Twi er 21.16% Myspace 3.07%

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 09

KEY FINDINGS
USE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SOCIAL HIRING
Employers Perspec ve: Are Chatbots Beneficial?
No 29.11%
Yes 69.86%
Chatbots: 69.86% of respondents find
chatbots useful. Only 16.10% of organiza ons
have included chatbots in their website’s
career sec on. But the ones that have used
chatbots have found them effec ve.
©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved.
Employers Perspec ve: Should ATS be integrated
with social pla orms?
No 43.80%
Yes 56.30%
ATS: 56.30% of respondents say ATS should
be integrated with social pla orms for
effec ve social hiring. Respondents find
linking ATS with social pla orms effec ve yet
cumbersome since it is to be done manually.
10
KEY FINDINGS

SOCIAL HIRING BEST PRACTICES

76.71% 65.41% 51.37% 60.62% 16.10% 64.73%

Post jobs for Create a job pos ng Ask internal Ask for Include Chat Send direct
specific roles in on the company’s employees to share referrals bots on the website’s messages to
relevant group page jobs in their profiles career sec on poten al candidates

The popularity of groups is rising. 76.71% of employers post jobs in relevant groups while 65.41% of post jobs on their
career page. Organiza ons that have used forms have found them to be effec ve. Budget limita on is restric ng
organiza ons from using social forms in their post and applica ons.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 11

SOCIAL HIRING
STRATEGY
PERCEIVED IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL HIRING FOR EMPLOYER BRANDING

1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+

100 100

80 80

60 60

34.62% Social Hiring Strategy:

40 40 32.88% 32.94% 28.40%
20 9.41% 15.38% 20 The preferred choice for
6.85% 4.94% employer branding:
0 0
Least Important Somewhat Important
Social hiring has emerged as a
one-stop bouquet for variety
1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ of uses. But, most of these
100 100 uses are in their nascent
80 80 stages and need to be
65.43% explored further. 100% of
60 60 57.53% 54.12% 50.00%
2.74% 2.35% 0.00% 1.23% respondents with 500-2000
40 40 employee base prefer social
20 20
hiring for branding.
0 0
Not Important Most Important

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 12

SOCIAL HIRING
STRATEGY

POPULAR USES OF SOCIAL HIRING

Leveraging social media pla orms

for adver sing job openings 46.13% 66.77% of respondents are using
social media pla orm for
Leveraging social media pla orms recrui ng candidates. Recruiters
for recrui ng candidates 66.77%
are also using social hiring for
Leveraging social media pla orms loca ng passive candidates. Social
for communica ng company culture 30.32% media has emerged as an excellent
tool for seeing the person as a
Leveraging social media pla orms for whole and making a be er
referrals and iden fying passive candidates 47.42% judgment.
0 20 40 60 80 100

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 13

SOCIAL HIRING
STRATEGY
EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE: DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET FOR SOCIAL HIRING?
5.81%

18.06%
Budget a Constraint:
25.16%
Organiza ons are exer ng themselves for
social hiring budget. Even the ones that
have not demarcated any budget for social
23.87% hiring priori ze it for finding passive
candidates and for employer branding.
New and mid-level organiza ons that have
lately taken it up seem to be struggling to
meet budget demands and only 23.87% of
organiza ons feel that social hiring cost is a
27.10% concern. These organiza ons have limited
Yes, but not much.
Yes, we have a sufficient budget. No, we don’t have a budget but definitely need one. their budget to target poten al candidate
We may have a budget by the next quarter. No, we don’t need a budget. and to reduce hiring cost.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 14

SOCIAL HIRING
STRATEGY
SOCIAL HIRING BUDGET ALLOCATION

1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+

100 100

80 80

60 60
34.62%
40 18.60% 38.27% 40 29.07%
26.92%
17.81% 21.92% 20.99%
20 20

0 0
Though organiza ons concur social
Yes, we have a sufficient budget Yes, but not much hiring is a cost-effec ve op on for
hiring and brand building, they are
yet to calibrate a suitable budget for
1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ it. 26.03% of respondents from small
100 100
organiza ons said that they don’t
80 80 have a budget for social hiring but
60 60 they need one. Convincing the board
40 40
would be another challenge that HR
26.03%
22.09%
27.40% 26.74%
21.15%
professionals have to take. A cost-
13.46% 20.99%
20
12.35% 20
benefit model could help.
0 0

No, we don’t have a budget but No, we don’t need a budget.

definitely need one.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 15

SOCIAL HIRING
STRATEGY
Somewhat Effec ve
PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF HIRING MEDIUMS

Somewhat Effec ve

Somewhat Effec ve

Somewhat Effec ve

Somewhat Effec ve
Least Effec ve

Least Effec ve

Least Effec ve

Least Effec ve

Least Effec ve
Most Effec ve

Most Effec ve

Most Effec ve

Most Effec ve

Most Effec ve
100
Social Hiring Has Heavily Impacted Other
90 Hiring Methods:
80

52.94%
51.05%

50.00%
70

42.21%
46.67%

Fewer organiza ons are relying on their

41.32%
44.91%

37.15%
60

33.45%
50 career pages and job portals. Five
25.52%

21.53%
23.08%

mediums came out as the most preferred

16.55%
40
10.18%

30 methods of social hiring. 52.94% of

4.50%

20
10
respondents find social media most
0 effec ve for hiring. Conven onally the
Outsourcing most preferred medium of hiring, cold
Job Portals to a Social Media Company
(Monster, recruitment (LinkedIn, Cold Calling website’s calling has declined in popularity and only
Indeed etc.) agency Facebook etc.) career sec on 22% find it effec ve.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 16

SOCIAL HIRING
CHALLENGES

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved.

SOCIAL HIRING
CHALLENGES
Employers Perspec ve: Is integra ng ATS to social hiring medium easy and effec ve?

1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+

100 100

80 80
Social hiring budget is an impediment
13.70% 22.09% 26.92% 23.46% 35.62% 27.91% 17.31% 7.41% and 52.26 % of respondents feel that
60 60
cost is not a limi ng factor.
40 40

20 20 Inadequate informa on from candidates

0 0
and sor ng applica ons/ iden fying
No, our system doesn’t have the feature We don’t use ATS quality candidates came out as the two
most challenging aspects of social hiring.
Respondents found linking social hiring
with their ATS difficult. LinkedIn stood out
1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+ 1-50 50-500 500-2000 2000+
100 100 as the easiest ATS integra on process.
80 80
While others including Facebook and
15.07% 19.77% 19.23% 24.69% 35.62% 30.23% 36.54% 44.44% Twi er were rated difficult. However,
60 60
given the effec veness of linking social
40 40 pla orms with ATS, it is recommended
20 20 that organiza ons move ahead with it or
0 0
find alterna ve solu ons to ease linking
Yes, but we add them manually Yes, it makes the work a lot easier issues.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 18

BENEFITS OF
SOCIAL HIRING

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved.

BENEFITS OF
SOCIAL HIRING

THE SURVEY BROUGHT FORTH 6 MAJOR BENEFITS OF SOCIAL HIRING

Increased Improved Building Employee Employee Reduced

job visibility hire quality employee referrals engagement cost to hire
brand
awareness
With more tech- 59% of A whopping 78% Only 13% of Pos ng jobs on
savvy millennials respondents say of employers find employees are social pla orms
and Gen-Z in the that social hiring candidates this engaged in their costs much less
Social hiring is way. Employees workplaces. than pos ng on
recruitment gives be er linked to
pipeline, quality hires. can share links to Defining a social tradi onal job
strengthening jobs and can media policy and pla orms.
broadcas ng brand trust.
jobs on social encourage their nomina ng
media gets friends and peers employee
maximum to apply for champions can
a en on. This them. boost employee
also improves engagement
the chances of upto 58%.
finding be er
quality talent.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 20

RECOMMENDATIONS
Facebook helps in targe ng demography, interest and, skills and, LinkedIn validates the candidate’s
Social experience and skills. Twi er is being used to target candidates based on their interest.
media:

Mails and 54.11% of organiza ons ask candidates to mail their CVs and 53.08% of respondents direct candidates
career page: to their career pages.

ATS: Respondents find linking ATS with social pla orms effec ve but cumbersome since it is to be done
manually.

17.81% of organiza ons that are using chatbots on the career page of their websites have found them
effec ve. Respondents have said that chatbots are encouraging engagement among applicants.
Chatbots Closed-ended chat op ons ease the applica on process. However, its applica on will depend on
bring
Engagement: coopera on between the HR and the tech team. Support from stakeholders will be required. Integra on
of chatbots however, seems inevitable considering the popularity of AI, Machine Learning and NLP.
The integra on needs to be pondered upon.

Organiza ons that have used social forms found them easy and effec ve. But only a small percentage
Forms: of 13.02% of organiza ons, notably big organiza ons, are using them. Given the ease and effec veness
of social forms, these can be be er used.

Group 76.71% of respondents rated pos ng jobs for specific roles in the relevant group as the most important
pos ngs: social hiring prac ce.

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 21

CONCLUSION

The TopCHRO survey Social Hiring 2019 establishes social hiring as a prominent and popular hiring and brand building mechanism. It has
replaced, if not completely wiped out, tradi onal hiring, brand building and employee engagement methods and its benefits are
uncontestable.
Recent demands of disrup ve workforces and diversity challenge the HR managers to up their recruitment and employee engagement game.
The current and upcoming tech-savvy millennial and Gen-Z workforce is more or less oblivious to the tradi onal hiring mechanisms. They
cannot be used anymore either to a ract or to retain talent. Applicant preferences reinforce the use of social hiring.
With social hiring, both reach and impact can be exponen al. Its applicability is enormous and it seems we haven’t explored the complete
possibili es in social hiring and have restricted ourselves to few tried and tested uses.
To get maximum advantage, organiza ons must build and apply strategies that align social hiring with their goals. It is recommended that the
organiza ons use social hiring for iden fying the desired candidate, employer branding and talent acquisi on if they are medium or small in
size and, for brand building too if they are big. Integra ng interfaces like chatbots, ATS and forms are likely to increase the effec veness of
the social hiring process.
Bigger organiza ons are inves ng more on social hiring while medium and smaller organiza ons are trying to invest more in it. Its prevalence
and preference indicate that social hiring will con nue to be a preferred or probably the only hiring and engagement source for a long me
to come. Deligh ully so.
Our sincere thanks to all respondents who took out their valuable me and made efforts to respond to this survey. If you have an opinion or
a sugges on for us, please feel free to respond to us. We greatly appreciate your interest in the TopCHRO ini a ve.
Thank you!

©2019. TopCHRO. All Rights Reserved. 22

ABOUT TopCHROTM

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for the global HR community on new trends, perspec ves, discussions, developments, research and emerging best prac ces in human
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This report is a property of TopCHRO.com. The insights or the informa on cited in the report should be used for informa on purpose only. Facts and figures presented in this report are based on the primary research
conducted by TopCHRO & are subject to change, based on the dynamics of data at any me without any prior no fica on. Certain statements made in the report are based on the primary insights derived from the
survey responses conducted by TopCHRO. These carry risks and uncertain es and may differ from actual events.

TopCHRO™ does not guarantee applica on or validity of informa on and insights in this report and will not be responsible for any loss that may arise from use of the informa on or insight cited in the report. Readers
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