A blog was recently posted on Fast Company by a job recruiting expert/ Internet skeptic, titled “Can Facebook Really Replace Employment Firms?”   

Well, did Match.com or eHarmony replace your best friend trying to set you up with “someone that would be perrrrrfect!?”  No.

BUT what match.com and eHarmony did do was give us singles a little hope that there is a vast supply of people out there looking for relationships.  Sometimes Internet dating works.  Sometimes it doesn’t.  Most importantly here though is that no commitment is made off of an Internet profile.  Until a social ceremonial site is launched whereby two computer-savvy individuals can walk their alter-egos down a virtual aisle while guests can click on a link to watch the e-wedding, we still have to meet the person who’s behind the screen and go through the process of dating.

It’s the same with employment firms.  Even if Mark Zuckerberg created the SUPER-POKING-JOB-SEEKING-WALL application for Facebook, eventually the candidate has to go into the office and go through the process of applying for the job. 

So shouldn’t we view social networking as a gift to employment firms? Not a threat!  Decision makers who are hiring at non-recruiting companies don’t really want to design their profiles to appease the 20-something job seeker anyway.   They’re more interested in posting pictures of their kids for their long lost friends that they just reconnected with, on Facebook nonetheless, to see.

Employment firms have an opportunity now to explore these Internet tools to better their jobs so that they can better the jobs of their clients and their candidates. 

So far, it’s working for us at EntreQuest.  Our networks on Facebook and LinkedIn have brought in outstanding Truby candidates for our clients. 

No comment on the dating candidates the Internet is bringing us singles though…

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Inspired by “Can Facebook Really Replace Employment Firms?”  By Tom Stern.  Fast Company.  FastCompany.com.