Employers are failing to boost the attraction and retention of key talent through the benefits of Web 2.0.
These are the findings of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) recruitment, retention and turnover survey.
According to the results, 80% of organisations do not currently use Web 2.0 online methods to attract or recruit employees, with only 8% planning to start using the technology in the next year.
Yet over half of respondents believe that social networking sites are useful for engaging potential job seekers and 52% welcome its ability to shed light on how they are perceived in the marketplace. The majority (62%) are concerned, however, that damaging comments about their organisation might be posted.
Encouragingly, 85% of organisations that do use social networking do not use it as a tool to vet candidates during the recruitment process.
Deborah Fernon, organisation and resourcing adviser, CIPD said: “Through the richness of multimedia and connectivity, Web 2.0 technology provides an opportunity to bring the employer brand to life and create experiences online that allow potential employees to experience what it is like to work within the organisation. Using technology like Facebook or Second Life, an employer brand can have a global impact.”
Of the 54 respondent organisations that use social networking sites to attract or recruit employees, the favoured sites include LinkedIn (62%), Facebook (58%) and MySpace (11%).
