Seattle is a happening technology town, and if any city can be expected to learn to use RSS in recruiting, well,our bets are on you. In response to an earlier post on why recruiters should use RSS, I received an e-mail asking "how" recruiters should use RSS.
Here are those answers.
1) Targeted candidates: Rather than rail about the inadequacy of careers sites, let's focus on positive steps you can take to find the right people. You don't need more people, you need more of the right kinds of people. To do this, we're going to step inside your employment process to people who already have an interest in your company and those with whom you have already spoken or met. The goal is to build communities of interest around candidates with a specific set of skills you regularly look for.
2) Posting Jobs: Jobs should be organized into easily recognizable categories. Let's pick a few we know are important. ASP. Java. Business Analyst. Project Manager. Each of these categories should have an RSS feed that posts only those jobs, so that anyone you meet can be given the feed to know when you have an open position in their field.
Example: Your recruiter meets Jason the Java Developer, and although he's really good, the hiring manager chooses another candidate for the position. Jason had a good experience, and says to call him if another position opens up. Six months go by and a new job opens up. What happens if your recruiter is no longer with you? Or forgets Jason's name? Or if Jason changes his e-mail or phone number or has a spam filter or any other number of communication glitches?
With an RSS feed in place just for Java, you could give Jason this url and it will automatically provide him with the list of jobs that you have open in that field. Unobtrusive, updated automatically, and it does something very important. It reminds Jason of your company, which means when you call, he has had constant communication with you. You are fresh on his mind.
2) Passive Candidates: An RSS feed for job categories is also effective for passive candidates who might be looking for a job, but don't want to move just yet. With RSS enabled on your site, the candidate who was drawn to your careers site through an e-mail, or browsing, or from another posted job, can take the feed and put it in their reader, so that when a job comes up they do want to apply for, they are notified without having to go back to your site. As much as we would like to see it happen - good candidates aren't obsessively checking your site for open jobs. With a targeted job feed, you also skip the hassles of e-mail list management. You are in front of them daily - every time they open up their reader. For an example, check out Intronic Solutions.
3) Vertical Search = Free National Job Posting: An RSS feed properly configured can be uploaded into the vertical search engines Indeed, SimplyHired and Jobster for national posting of your jobs. Rather than using Job boards as an intermediary, you have direct access to free job posting in a forum where your company name is a far better brand than the job board. If you are a candidate, what do you want to click on - the job board posting, or the direct company posting? For an example, check out EliteItServices.
4) Building Community: This is a bit more complex than simply having an RSS feed, but using a blog, you can write about a subject and build a readership of experts in your city like New Equities does. Another example is Good Product Manager, a blog written by a product manager on good practices for, well, for product managers. If you are looking to hire, or want to work with, or need information about product management, you can read this blog on your RSS reader. Building community throudgh RSS allows you to broadcast information of interest to a targeted audience, and if that information is relevant, well-written, and updated regularly, you will not only have a readership of passive candidates - you'll show up well in the search engines.
RSS is a pull marketing tool you can use to broadcast information. Subscribing and Unsubscribing is very easy, which means that you have to work for your readers - but when they stay, you know they are interested. Can you say the same about your e-mail alerts? For more information on how to implement this for your recruiting department, contact info@durbinmedia.com with the subject, 'RSS for Recruiters."
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