To build a good brand that has longevity you must develop relationships. It is the cornerstone of all great business. You must connect with people in a real way. I have been in the staffing industry long enough to remember when Monster and Dice were going to be the death of the recruiter. Then it was social media and now they say internet recruiting will soon be.
Great companies are built by great recruiters talking to the brightest and the talented and the majority of the time that is a passive candidate that cannot or will not be bothered by looking at social media.
In my opinion, it is better to have a candidate call me because I was recommended by someone than to have someone to find me through technology. The majority of the time the candidate calling us is a far better candidate than the one finding us through technology.
I’m not anti technology because it does have a role, but it is just another tool in the toolbox just like networking functions are tools. Technology helps with branding, it helps with getting your story out and heard, but it is not the one thing that builds great relationships or companies. People do. So to be a great recruiter you need to put the keyboard up, your smart phone down and start picking up your desk phone and create relationships that will last.
This article by Wharton speaks directly to creating brand loyalty which is no longer the consumers job but the companies just like it is no longer the candidates job to call the staffing company. To find quality you must call them.