3 Recruiting Tricks with Facebook Social Graph Search

Job seekers are spending ridiculous amounts of time on Facebook and by ridiculous, I mean upwards for 400 minutes a month poking, sharing and commenting among their most trusted friends and brands. So how do recruiters fit into this picture? Up until recently, Facebook’s search made it difficult, lessening Facebook’s worth as a candidate mining database. Then Facebook’s Social Graph entered the picture.

Facebook’s Social Graph makes sense because the job search is becoming way more casual. Job seekers quickly move from passive to active and back to passive again. We continuously fall in and out of love with our work but spending time on Facebook, that remains the same. The social network is the wild west for recruiters. Facebook Social Graph Search opened the doors for recruiters by allowing improved search of friends’s data and better access to public information.. There’s lots of open air, not much recruiting competition, and the smell of opportunity.

Social Graph Search by Name, Company & Location

I can easily search by job title, company name and location for friends and those connected around me. For example, a graph search of my friends using, “My friends who work at Geico” provided me two results. I can message my potential candidates immediately or ask for position referrals immediately. Imagine the possibilities.

As a recruiter, I can target my specific network by location. I can look for geo location check ins and search for potential candidates by city in a cleaner and more visual way.

Social Graph Search by Photos

One of the major enhancements to search is the use of the social graph for photos sorting through tags, locations, and other important information. This is a powerful addition to the recruiter’s social recruiting tool belt especially since 1.1 billion photos were uploaded to Facebook on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day just this year. Imagine the possibilities.

Quickly searching on Facebook’s new Social Graph Search, I entered in the keywords, “Photos of SourceCon” which is a popular recruiting and internet sourcing conference held twice a year. Thousands of photos immediately popped up on my screen for me to choose from. Look who’s there! And remember to pin down your search by adding a location or year to narrow your search results.

Social Graph Search by Brands We Like

Tap into events and brand pages that can help you better understand where engagement and opportunities lie. A search of “My friends who like SXSW” provided a list of interesting results where I can tap into my network especially if they are a fan of a brand or a competitor company who is hiring. To really take your social graph search to the next level, try to search for “My friends of friends who like SXSW” and see your results.

While still in it’s infancy, Facebook’s Social Graph Search provides recruiters some interesting insights into their potential candidates. I like where it is heading. The key for companies who are hiring and recruiting on Facebook is to create a formalized process to source talent in a smart and fair manner.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. Photo Credit Jessica Miller-Merrell.