December 1 , 2009

Expanding customers' reach with social media
Workoplis offers free job search tools

With the rise of social media, the channels through which employers can reach potential candidates are growing exponentially. The challenge can be learning to use these emerging tools effectively and in a coordinated fashion without creating additional work for the already overwhelmed recruiters. Workopolis is introducing expanded services and options for its customers to easily leverage the power of social media in order to connect with even more qualified candidates.

"We are committed to providing more value for the HR community who is looking for ways to demonstrate to the C-suite that they are navigating the new realities of the labour market," said Gabriel Bouchard, President and Chief Brand Officer, Workopolis. "Many people are looking at social media challenges as separate, self-contained vehicles. We are committed to offering tools and guidance to our customers on how they fit together and how to easily execute a more strategic approach to web sourcing."

This includes a newly launched Workopolis YouTube channel with content dedicated to Canadians considering a short or mid-term job transition and for employers looking to generate interest from qualified candidates. At launch, visitors to www.youtube.com/workopolis will be able to view more than 20 videos with new content being added all the time. Videos currently posted on the channel cover topics such as "Things to Consider When Making a Career Change" and "How to Write a Great Job Posting."

There is also job search functionality on the page, so casual job-seekers will be exposed to jobs posted on Workopolis right from the YouTube channel.

Canada ranks as a global leader in online video viewing. In fact, the average Canadian watches 10 hours of online video per month and there are over 17 million unique monthly users on YouTube according to a recent study by comScore. This makes it the perfect tool to get in front of passive candidates.

In addition to launching the new YouTube Channel, Workopolis is now syndicating job postings through Twitter. Workopolis was also the first job site in Canada to launch a mobile version in 2008, enabling job seekers to access job postings when, where and how they want to. Workopolis automatically includes job postings on Twitter and Workopolis Mobile; thereby giving employers greater access to hard-to-find candidates.

In particular, Workopolis seeks to broaden job posters' views of the potential candidate pool. Proprietary Workopolis research of the Canadian job market reveals there are two key variables to segment the market: employment status and interest in changing jobs.(xxx) Four in ten Canadians (43 per cent) classify themselves as employed, yet wanting to stay informed of other employment opportunities. They are not avidly job searching but they are keeping an eye on opportunities.

"We are embracing social media as a way to expand our customers' online presence beyond the confines of our website," said Bouchard. "In this way we can help employers establish conversations with those who, while not actively searching, may be open to new opportunities."