“Social media will never make a hire,” argued Matt Charney (@mattcharney), Senior Manager, Social Media and Online Branding for Cornerstone OnDemand. At the 2012 SHRM National Conference in Atlanta (#SHRM12), Charney and I talked about the hanging belief that the purpose of social media for recruiters is to push candidates through the hiring process. “The big disconnect is from creating these platforms and channels into actually creating a candidate, and hopefully the end of the day a hire,” said Charney. “Social media can’t do that. It’s up to a recruiter and it’s up to a company and the benefits they actually offer offline.” Charney argued that there still hangs this “Field of Dreams” phenomenon – if you build it, they will come. That’s not necessarily the case. In actuality, social recruiters are using the tools to create a brand channel and build awareness of what’s it’s like to work there. Having a presence on these social platforms has become as important as including an email address and phone number. The purpose of social media for recruiters, said Charney, is to create that sort of stickiness where you can engage in a real life conversation. Then you can bring it offline and see the candidate as an actual person, rather than a Twitter handle, avatar, or Facebook profile. You still have to drive people to your career site, said Charney. Social media helps you develop a rapport and comfort level with potential candidates. Once that happens, you move from being just a brand to being an employer.