Abstract

The case discusses the social recruiting strategies of the world’s largest package delivery company, United Parcel Service (UPS). With a presence in more than 220 countries and territories across the globe, UPS’s hiring requirement was always huge; it required part-time and full-time employees, especially during the holiday season. This need led to its adopting recruiting strategies which could target a wider pool of candidates but at a lower cost. In this direction, UPS shifted its recruitment strategies to focus mainly on social media since 2009. Through various programs and campaigns on social media, the company started addressing and attracting fresh talent. However, there are certain drawbacks associated with social recruiting. UPS should be careful about managing the risks associated with violating data protection laws or other legislation when using social media in the recruitment process. Also, while social media can be helpful, it should not replace personal contact, interviews, and other established recruitment practices that employers use to assess candidates. Excessive reliance on social media could lead to overlooking or deterring potential job seekers, leading to the overall detriment of the business. It remains to be seen how UPS will tackle the challenges that could come its way along with meeting its objective to scale up social media hiring.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand social recruiting and its importance for an organization like UPS
• Understand the difference between traditional and social media recruitment
• Analyze the factors which led to the success of UPS’s social media recruitment strategy
• Examine the key challenges facing social recruiters like UPS. Explore ways by which UPS can meet the challenges of social recruitment and retention.

Keywords

Social Media recruitment; Traditional Recruitment; Social Media hiring; Talent Acquisition ; Talent attraction