The age of the “worker bee” is over. Companies of all sizes and shapes are wisening up to the fact that employees aren’t just task-doers — they’re thinking, breathing humans with a penchant for creativity and teamwork. Cloud collaboration is the driving force behind these new workplace principles — and it’s affecting hiring in a big way.
In the age of social media, it doesn’t take a lot for companies to see the benefits of cloud collaboration for internal projects. Just take a look at the success of companies like Salesforce and SamePage — they’re driving online workplace collaboration in droves. Salesforce alone boasted 104,000 customers as of July 2011, and it pulled in $2.27 billion in 2012 revenue.
Still, too many employers believe cloud collaboration is only important for sales, internal projects and customer relationship efforts. But allowing employees to collaborate in the cloud isn’t just a benefit for internal workplace projects — it drives collaboration, creativity and engagement, leading to happier employees, a better company culture and yes, better hires.
For companies looking to give their quality of hires a boost, here are five ways cloud collaboration improves hiring.
Drives Community
Mobile devices and social media are allowing companies to foster talent communities that rev up hiring and access to quality candidates. In an online talent community (which often takes the form of an open Facebook group), employers and hiring managers post engaging content related to company culture such as polls, company videos, employee interviews and workplace photos. They invite current employees to jump in on the conversation and invite interested job candidates to join. Not only does this drive engagement between current employees, it fosters networking to reach both active and passive job candidates.
Defies Time and Space
Cloud collaboration allows employers to reach job candidates despite their geographical location or time zone. Skype interviews and video resumes are allowing employers to quickly and easily gain access to job candidates from all over the globe with just a few clicks. The recruiting process no longer has to be bound by travel expenses or lengthy in-person interviews — it can be done from the comfort of a job-seeker’s home, opening up a world of quality candidates for employers.
Fosters Tech-Savviness
Today, technology is at the forefront of many workplaces. Using online collaboration can help you determine just how comfortable a candidate is when it comes to properly navigating key software programs. For example, tasking job seekers with creating a video resume allows them to demonstrate their personality, problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
Allows Flexibility
Telecommuting is on the rise, with 83% of employees reporting they work remotely at least part of the day. Telecommuting options are attractive to job candidates, too — 79% of workers said they’d like to work from home part of the time. If your company allows this type of flexibility, you’ll be positioned as a much more attractive organization to work for.
Boosts Engagement
Not only do cloud collaboration tools make your business more efficient, they also boost employee happiness, leading to increased motivation and productivity overall. Many have attributed Google’s success to its employee-focused culture and workplace perks. Although your company may not be able to afford an employee gym or daily massages, a focus on cloud collaboration tools for hiring or project management can have the same positive effect on flexibility, teamwork, culture and engagement.
Michael Dennis is the CEO and founder of FindHire, an innovative sourcing, interviewing, and hiring software platform. Connect with Michael and the FindHire team on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
You can read this full article on mashable.com.