Question for Ask the Expert: "What do you see as the role, advantages, and limitations of social networks in health care recruiting?"

Response by Ken Levinson, President, Absolutely Health Care, the largest niche job board for health care and medical jobs, as well as Medical Mingle, the professional/social network for the health care and medical field.

Professional/Social networking sites are exploding. Just about everyone has heard of Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and Twitter. These types of sites can be fantastic for helping connect with friends classmates, neighbors, and acquaintances, including people from your past that you have completely lost touch with. These sites are also invaluable in assisting job seekers and employers to find each other.

I grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, but moved to Florida, and I had lost touch virtually everyone I used to know. After joining Facebook, I started looking up a few people from my past, and requested to become their friend. Once they accepted, and we caught up, I found other people I knew that they were friends with. By the time I got  done, I had recaptured my entire youth, reconnecting with many people that I would have never found otherwise. I've also met many wonderful new people both personally and professionally through Facebook. With my network, if I ever looked for a job, I'd have lots of friends and professional contacts to help me, both directly or through contacts that they could introduce me to.

Our company owns Absolutely Health Care, the largest niche job board on the Internet for health care and medical jobs. Almost two years ago, we started Medical Mingle, a professional social network for people interested in, working in, servicing, or studying to enter the health care and medical field. 

With a traditional job board like Absolutely Health Care used to be, everything is transactional. Companies can post jobs and look for resumes. Job seekers can post resumes, and look for jobs. There is no relationship building going on.

Professional/Social Networking sites like Medical Mingle are just the opposite. Medical Mingle is about long term relationship building and networking.

Julian Stopps of Broadcasting Online Recruitment News Limited made the following comment on Job Boarders which I think is right on target:

"Online social networks are certainly one tool in the recruitment toolbox, but I just can't see them replacing job boards completely, as they are very different offerings.
Job boards are primarily a tool for sourcing active job seekers (excluding CV databases from the equation). 

Social Networks are more suited to subtle employment branding and advertising to passive candidates. In many ways the strength of a social network, from an advertising perspective, is to prime passive and inactive candidates with knowledge about your employment brand. Then when they switch to being active candidates your service is the first one they consider.

Social networks should be seen as a longer-term, slow burner approach. Job boards are a "we have an unforeseen requirement for five people now" approach".

We started Medical Mingle to compliment Absolutely Health Care. Health care professionals used to only come to Absolutely Health Care when they were looking for a job. Now through links to Medical Mingle, health care professionals also come to Absolutely Health Care to make professional contacts and friends, find professional resources, blog, participate in forums, post and view pictures, post and view videos, receive recognition, and win prizes. It gives health care professionals many reasons to hang around Absolutely Health Care, even when they are not looking for a job.

On the flip side, if someone hangs around Medical Mingle directly, when a member becomes a job seeker, they can browse jobs and/or post their resume on Absolutely Health Care, right from the Medical Mingle site. They can also network with other Medical Mingle members.

Professional/Social Networking sites combined with job boards are the perfect recruiting compliment for both job seekers and employers.