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LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, with more than 238 million members worldwide and over nine million in the MENA region, today released results of its third annual global recruiting trend survey. Surveying over 3,300 HR professionals around the world, the study reveals challenges that talent acquisition leaders are facing in building world class organizations as well as recruitment trends and priorities. The top five most important long term recruiting trends emerging from across the world were:
Companies are increasingly using professional social networks to find and hire the best talent.
2. Upgrading employer branding (30%)
In a competitive talent market, a company’s employer brand is an essential element in attracting the best candidates, and can half the cost-per-hire.
3. Finding better ways to source passive candidates (29%)
At any one time, only 20 percent of professionals are actively looking for a new role. The vast majority are passive candidates which, thanks to social media, can now be discovered by recruiters.
4. Being a strategic talent advisor to the business (24%)
HR has finally earned its seat in the boardroom with access to new data and insights that can inform strategic decisions of the business.
5. Boosting referral programs (21%)
Referrals are still the best sources of hires for a lot of companies, and social media insights are powering new tools that can help businesses increase the talent they have access to. Ali Matar, Head of Talent Solutions, LinkedIn MENA, comments, "The way in which companies identify and hire the best talent has changed, and this new data reveals that social media is the biggest driving force behind this change. Online networking continues to be a strong influence in career opportunities for professionals around the world.” “Masoud Golshani-Shirazi, Vice-President of Human Resources, at Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company commented, “Social media, and LinkedIn in particular, is now a central part of our recruiting strategy, allowing us to discover and approach great candidates. A quarter of our senior hires came through LinkedIn in 2013 and our average cost-per-hire has been slashed by a fifth.’ LinkedIn Talent Solutions enable recruiters to build identify and manage talent and also improve their employer brand. Across the MENA region, companies like Saudi Telecom Company, Etisalat, and Emirates Airlines use LinkedIn to manage their talent acquisition requirements. Headquartered in Dubai Internet City, LinkedIn opened its MENA office in October 2012 and has over one million members each in the UAE and KSA.
