For CML Recruitment, you can find us on most social media platforms – We love them! But are these media platforms pushing traditional recruitment aside?



At the start of our journey, CML learned to use social media platforms to help us recruit and find top candidates. LinkedIn is becoming one of the top ways for employers and job seekers to meet. While this method is simple for both the businesses and job seekers to get to know each other, are they disadvantaged by only using LinkedIn?

LinkedIn vs Traditional Recruitment

LinkedIn

Many businesses have turned to social media as an easy and cost-effective way to promote vacant jobs and find interested candidates. But, how does this compare to traditional recruitment marketing? While social media is cost-effective (and so is CML), many people disregard the importance of traditional recruitment. For job seekers, LinkedIn has made it incredibly easy to find vacant jobs that are within your interest and “easy apply” without even the need for a resume, and instead you can apply with your LinkedIn Profile.

The problem with this method can sometimes be that it’s almost too easy, meaning that anyone and everyone are shooting their shot and you’ve got hundreds of applicants to sort through. Is this effective for the business when multiple digital applications spam your inbox in record time?

On the other hand, LinkedIn can sometimes reach a wider audience than traditional recruitment can as that’s quite literally what it was made to do, so in that large pile of resumes you may find your diamond in the rough, especially when looking for a niche or specialist talent.

Traditional Recruitment

Traditional recruitment is becoming a thing of the past with the rise of social media, but there are some aspects that shouldn’t be overlooked. When working in a small employment market like the one in Cayman, it’s important to consider the tradition and time-tested methods that the community is used to.

• Print advertising – For decades, job seekers in Cayman have been taught to look in the classifieds of the local newspaper, it would be amiss to give up on that completely because there will be traditionalists who still look to the local Friday paper for their new job.

• Word of mouth & referrals – Word travels fast in Cayman on the ‘marl road’. In such a small community, there are major benefits of using this close-knit community to spread the word on positions and potential candidates who might be interested. This type of community support allows for personality in the recruitment process, something that social media cannot always portray so easily.

LinkedIn can make the process easier, but you need to take into consideration the way the community you’re recruiting in works, and in Cayman, especially when looking at the local market there will always be a place for traditional recruitment.

Which Method Should You Use?

None of this is to say that social media is an ineffective way to go when recruiting suitable candidates. If anything, LinkedIn plays a big role in specifically connecting with job seekers easily and finding available candidates. It all depends on how you do it!

So, which one should you choose? We say “Both” – a strategic partnership between technology and human input can be the most effective and holistic approach. Each recruitment method has advantages, but who says you cannot connect on LinkedIn and carry out the recruitment process in person to gain a sense of who your candidates are?

CML Recruitment is far from a traditional agency. Elevate your recruitment processes and discover effective ways to boost your company brand to attract more candidates by contacting us at info@cml.ky.