Social HR: What is Social HR & Its Importance?

#DidYouKnow: 92% of recruiters use social media for hiring, and there are more than 100 portals serving as job boards.

#DidYouKnow: Over 87% of non-management and salaried employees were recruited through social media.

#DidYouKnow: Over 82% of management employees came from social media.

The above survey by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) gives some deep insights into the rising importance of social media in recruitment.

What is Social HR?

Social media has seen an unparalleled rise in the last few years and has redefined the way we use the internet.

It won’t be wrong if we say it has created a parallel ecosystem for individuals and businesses alike.

Now organizations, and even the government can no longer survive on bi-monthly newspaper advertisements or get away with mere yearly employee brochures.

They need to be active on social media to cater to employees, customers, and, sometimes, even business partners.

The challenge lies in not just finding the right talent through social media but also in nurturing it while ensuring enough privacy.

Often while dealing with talent challenges, HR is unable to draw the line between maintaining the traditions of the organization while doing away with the legacy model.

Especially, when it comes to tools like social media and individual freedom of speech for employees on online platforms.

Most of the concerns about being around the privacy or freedom of the candidates.

In an age where one negative feedback on an online portal can impact your prospects of getting the best candidates, it’s extremely important for Human Resource personnel to be conscious of the choices they make.

Here’s how you can use social media for your talent management purposes and how you can improve on Social HR.

How should human resource uses social media?

Social HR, what is social HR, Social HR for hiring

Source: Social talent

The best way to screen the finest talent

Check out this detailed video on social media for the Human resource by Kristy Bryant.

While social media is credited to be one of the reliable sources for garnering information about prospective employees, it’s also accused of revealing information like religion, caste, color, political affiliation, gender, marital status, etc.

These are the usual parameters of discrimination that work against diversity initiatives. Hence, it’s important for HR personnel to devise methods to screen talent smartly.

As Allyson Willoughby, former General Counsel and SVP of People (HR) Glassdoor, say on the use of social media in the screening process,

“Don’t do anything different with social media than you would do with a face-to-face interview.”

According to experts, the best way to deploy social media accounts in hiring processes is to involve a third party who does the screening for you.

People who do the screening need to be educated about the exact requirements for the designation they are shortlisting the candidates for.

This serves as a firewall between the employer and the candidate and ensures an unbiased approach.

When they (HR) do the background check of the candidate through social media as part of the screening process, it’s important for them to keep a check on the legal implications of the process.

Use of pre-assessment tools, like Hackerearth Recruit, can also be a great idea for HR managers looking for zero human interference in their recruitment processes.

Like the US, India also has laws against discrimination against minoritiesin recruitment, so it’s important for the organization to adhere to the terms and conditions of these policies.

How should Social Human Resource use online properties wisely

One of the key challenges that have surfaced with the deployment of social media channels for recruitment purposes is that they don’t represent the global candidate pool.

According to a recent survey, LinkedIn and Facebook have shown a smaller user base of minority communities in comparison to the general population.

Hence, diversity initiatives take a hit in situations like these.

Thus, the HR person needs to resort to traditional recruitment routes of job boards, advertisements in dailies, and mention it clearly on their website that they believe in equal opportunity.

You can even encourage your current employees to recommend their friends from minority communities and attach a greater referral bonus to such initiatives to boost your diversity efforts.

How can Social HR ensure positive image on social media

Recently, a few incidences surfaced where organizations faced the brunt of negative feedback from estranged employees.

Situations like these put the HR personnel in a tight spot as they don’t have much control over employees who have left the job and even if they do have, through some legal clauses, it’s not financially feasible for them to pursue the case against a single or a bunch of employees.

Moreover, it dampens the morale of current employees.

The bigger issue with sites such as Glassdoor or other job portals is that they don’t really delete the comments sent by the reviewers.

The question is, how does HR counter the negativity against the brand?

The wiser thing to do here would be to involve your social media managers or Online Reputation Management experts at the right time as larger organizations receive dozens of such negative comments on a monthly basis and that too on multiple portals.

Usually, digital marketing teams are equipped with tools that help you track down multiple websites in the shortest time.

Identification of negative comments sooner helps counter them faster.

A positive or humble reply to the negative comment or trying to understand the problem of the commentator gives the brand a better image.

At the same time, you can ask your current employees to write about their experience and give ratings to your brand on social media.

This will help improve your ratings and thereby counter the negativity.

But while you fix these issues online, it’s important to sit back and consider why an employee is posting negative comments.

If this happens regularly, then it’s really time to reflect on the organizational culture and make changes for the better.

Social HR - Ensuring employee engagement and development

The rise of social media has given greater ideas to organizations.

Many big organizations have come up with their own internal networking platforms to boost connectivity and employment among employees.

For example, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) has its own portal, My 6E World, which offers employees opportunities to socialize with peers and access necessary documents like leave policies, etc.

Portals like these are a constructive platform for employees to vent their opinions in a controlled environment and at the same time make it easier for HR to understand the mindset and trends.

A few organizations are introducing learning courses for their organizations in their intra-networks while encouraging their employees to “compete” in a friendly way to boost employee engagement.

For example, you can give brownie points or perks for the highest scorers in the course. Some tech organizations are organizing hackathons to boost transparency in their appraisal or internal hiring processes.

Summing up, the presence of social media in recruitment or talent management initiatives cannot be denied.

Social media has penetrated deeply into the processes and is now bringing both opportunities and challenges to talent leaders everywhere.

As we said before, it’s more like a parallel ecosystem which thrives on data and information and needs equal attention, both from the employer and candidate.

People who understand its power, in the long run, will be clear winners of the Game of Talent.

The pros of using social Human Resource

Enhanced communication: Social HR tools facilitate immediate and open communication among employees, management, and HR teams. This transparency can lead to a more inclusive work environment and faster resolution of issues.
Improved employee engagement: By utilizing platforms that employees are familiar with and enjoy using, companies can boost engagement. Social HR can make it easier to recognize achievements, share successes, and foster a sense of community.
Efficient recruitment process: Social media and professional networks are powerful tools for identifying and attracting talent. Social HR practices enable organizations to reach a broader audience, showcase their culture, and engage with potential candidates in a more dynamic way.
Learning and development: Social HR facilitates continuous learning and development through easily accessible online training sessions, webinars, and shared resources. This encourages a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
Real-time feedback and performance management: Social HR allows for more immediate feedback and recognition, moving away from the traditional annual review process. This can help employees adjust their performance in real-time and feel more valued.

The cons of using social HR

Privacy concerns: The use of social media and digital platforms raises concerns about employee privacy. There is a risk of sensitive personal or company information being shared inappropriately.
Over-reliance on technology: Heavy reliance on digital communication can lead to a reduction in face-to-face interactions, potentially harming workplace relationships and collaboration.
Potential for misuse: Without proper guidelines and monitoring, the use of social media at work can lead to non-work-related activities consuming work time or the spread of inappropriate content.
Security risks: Integrating social media into HR processes increases the risk of cybersecurity threats. Companies must invest in securing their networks and training employees on safe practices.
Cultural resistance: Implementing Social HR requires a shift in company culture, which may be met with resistance from employees who are accustomed to traditional methods of communication and management.

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A New Era of Code

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From Machine Language to Natural Language

I recall the early days when every line of code was written manually. We progressed from machine language to high-level programming, and now we are beginning to interact with our tools using natural language. This development does not only increase speed but also changes how we approach problem solving. Product managers can now create working demos in hours instead of weeks, and founders have a clearer way of pitching their ideas with functional prototypes. It is important for us to rethink our role as developers and focus on architecture and system design rather than simply on typing c

The Promise and the Pitfalls

I have experienced both sides of vibe coding. In cases where the goal was to build a quick prototype or a simple internal tool, AI-generated code provided impressive results. Teams have been able to test new ideas and validate concepts much faster. However, when it comes to more complex systems that require careful planning and attention to detail, the output from AI can be problematic. I have seen situations where AI produces large volumes of code that become difficult to manage without significant human intervention.

AI-powered coding tools like GitHub Copilot and AWS’s Q Developer have demonstrated significant productivity gains. For instance, at the National Australia Bank, it’s reported that half of the production code is generated by Q Developer, allowing developers to focus on higher-level problem-solving . Similarly, platforms like Lovable enable non-coders to build viable tech businesses using natural language prompts, contributing to a shift where AI-generated code reduces the need for large engineering teams. However, there are challenges. AI-generated code can sometimes be verbose or lack the architectural discipline required for complex systems. While AI can rapidly produce prototypes or simple utilities, building large-scale systems still necessitates experienced engineers to refine and optimize the code.

The Economic Impact

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What is Systems Design?

Systems Design is an all encompassing term which encapsulates both frontend and backend components harmonized to define the overall architecture of a product.

Designing robust and scalable systems requires a deep understanding of application, architecture and their underlying components like networks, data, interfaces and modules.

Systems Design, in its essence, is a blueprint of how software and applications should work to meet specific goals. The multi-dimensional nature of this discipline makes it open-ended – as there is no single one-size-fits-all solution to a system design problem.

What is a System Design Interview?

Conducting a System Design interview requires recruiters to take an unconventional approach and look beyond right or wrong answers. Recruiters should aim for evaluating a candidate’s ‘systemic thinking’ skills across three key aspects:

How they navigate technical complexity and navigate uncertainty
How they meet expectations of scale, security and speed
How they focus on the bigger picture without losing sight of details

This assessment of the end-to-end thought process and a holistic approach to problem-solving is what the interview should focus on.

What are some common topics for a System Design Interview

System design interview questions are free-form and exploratory in nature where there is no right or best answer to a specific problem statement. Here are some common questions:

How would you approach the design of a social media app or video app?

What are some ways to design a search engine or a ticketing system?

How would you design an API for a payment gateway?

What are some trade-offs and constraints you will consider while designing systems?

What is your rationale for taking a particular approach to problem solving?

Usually, interviewers base the questions depending on the organization, its goals, key competitors and a candidate’s experience level.

For senior roles, the questions tend to focus on assessing the computational thinking, decision making and reasoning ability of a candidate. For entry level job interviews, the questions are designed to test the hard skills required for building a system architecture.

The Difference between a System Design Interview and a Coding Interview

If a coding interview is like a map that takes you from point A to Z – a systems design interview is like a compass which gives you a sense of the right direction.

Here are three key difference between the two:

Coding challenges follow a linear interviewing experience i.e. candidates are given a problem and interaction with recruiters is limited. System design interviews are more lateral and conversational, requiring active participation from interviewers.

Coding interviews or challenges focus on evaluating the technical acumen of a candidate whereas systems design interviews are oriented to assess problem solving and interpersonal skills.

Coding interviews are based on a right/wrong approach with ideal answers to problem statements while a systems design interview focuses on assessing the thought process and the ability to reason from first principles.

How to Conduct an Effective System Design Interview

One common mistake recruiters make is that they approach a system design interview with the expectations and preparation of a typical coding interview.
Here is a four step framework technical recruiters can follow to ensure a seamless and productive interview experience:

Step 1: Understand the subject at hand

Develop an understanding of basics of system design and architecture
Familiarize yourself with commonly asked systems design interview questions
Read about system design case studies for popular applications
Structure the questions and problems by increasing magnitude of difficulty

Step 2: Prepare for the interview

Plan the extent of the topics and scope of discussion in advance
Clearly define the evaluation criteria and communicate expectations
Quantify constraints, inputs, boundaries and assumptions
Establish the broader context and a detailed scope of the exercise

Step 3: Stay actively involved

Ask follow-up questions to challenge a solution
Probe candidates to gauge real-time logical reasoning skills
Make it a conversation and take notes of important pointers and outcomes
Guide candidates with hints and suggestions to steer them in the right direction

Step 4: Be a collaborator

Encourage candidates to explore and consider alternative solutions
Work with the candidate to drill the problem into smaller tasks
Provide context and supporting details to help candidates stay on track
Ask follow-up questions to learn about the candidate’s experience

Technical recruiters and hiring managers should aim for providing an environment of positive reinforcement, actionable feedback and encouragement to candidates.

Evaluation Rubric for Candidates

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What is Social HR? - The new rule of talent acquisition