Work search and the power of networks Nate Williams March 14, 2016 1
My background Presidential Appointee and member of the Public Affairs team. Led 20+ CXO executive searches for the CEO / Board practice. Created Success operations to support 36,000+ talent acquisition customers. 2
The power of networks: what we can learn Network a group or system of interconnected people or things 1. Networks are at the center of the internet and technology. 2. The value of networks in job search is grounded in research 3. What a modern, network-based job search looks like 4. Pilot Brief. LinkedIn / Utah will partner to evaluate networkbased job search as a strategy for RESEA 3
1. Networks are at the center of the internet and technology. 2. The value of networks in job search is grounded in research 3. What a modern, network-based job search looks like 4. Pilot Brief. LinkedIn / Utah will partner to evaluate networkbased job search as a strategy for RESEA 4
Networks are at the center of the internet and technology (Metcalfe s Law) The value of a network is proportional to the square of its users (Metcalfe s Law). Two telephones can make only one connection, five can make 10 connections, and twelve can make 66 connections... 5
Networks are at the center of the internet and technology (Anyone want a backrub?) Backrub was the name of the first search engine Larry and Sergey built. It was named after the strategy of using backlinks (links between pages) to derive authority ( PageRank ) of web pages. It ranked pages using citation notation, meaning any mention of a website on another site would count as a vote of the website s authority. 6
Network-based models are re-inventing the economy Networks offer contextual information, resource proximity, and authority/trust Finance 1.0 2.0 Transportation Travel Non-profit Hospitality Job Search Flat list of jobs 7
1. Networks are at the center of the internet and technology. 2. The value of networks in job search is grounded in research 3. What a modern, network-based job search looks like 4. Pilot Brief. LinkedIn / Utah will partner to evaluate networkbased job search as a strategy for RESEA 8
The value of networks in job search is grounded in theory and research, primarily from the field of sociology. Mark Granovetter, Stanford School of Sociology The Strength of Weak Ties. This paper, and its follow up in 1983, was hugely influential in network theory. Individuals with few weak ties will be deprived of information from distant parts of the social system and will be confined to the provincial news and views of their close friends. This deprivation may put them in a disadvantaged position in the labor market, where advancement can depend on knowing about appropriate job openings at just the right time. Nan Lin, Duke School of Sociology Building a Network Theory of Social Capital. This paper established a definition and measurement of social capital. Social capital can be defined as resources embedded in a social structure which are accessed and/or mobilized in purposive actions. There is consistent and strong evidence that both network resources and contact resources positively affect the outcome of instrumental actions, such as job search and job advances. 9
Network theory and social capital: simplified Strength of Weak Ties Social Capital 10
The value of networks in job search, up close Yvette, I need to grow my group, do you know any terrific development people? Yvette, do you know anyone who is hiring for business development roles? 11
1. Networks are at the center of the internet and technology. 2. The value of networks in job search is grounded in research 3. What a modern, network-based job search looks like 4. Pilot Brief. LinkedIn / Utah will partner to evaluate network-based job search as a strategy for RESEA 12
A modern network-based job search (live exercise) 13
1. Networks are at the center of the internet and technology. 2. The value of networks in job search is grounded in research 3. What a modern, network-based job search looks like (live exercise) 4. Pilot Overview. LinkedIn / Utah partner to evaluate network-based job search as a strategy for RESEA 14
Utah/LinkedIn RESEA Pilot Overview Pilot status: Not launched. Utah Department of Workforce Services and LinkedIn are currently drafting a Memorandum of Understanding to govern the project. Dimension Summary Description The Utah Dept. of Workforce Services (DWS) and LinkedIn will work together to test the effectiveness of network-based job searching strategies using LinkedIn products and training materials. Key Hypothesis UI Claimants with LinkedIn networks and training will exhaust benefits less often and claim a smaller portion of their Maximum Benefit Amount versus a control group (of same WPRS risk score). Scope Control Partner Contacts All Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment ( RESEA ) customers assigned to the participating six (6) RESEA counselors. Pilot participation will begin at first RESEA appointment, which will be the referral date for the Pilot, until the job seeker s Benefit Year End (BYE) date. Pilot goal is to enroll between 300 and 1,000 participants. The principal control group used to assess Pilot outcomes will be the actual outcomes observed in non-pilot customers with the same benefits exhaustion risk as measured by the WPRS/RESEA profiling model. The WPRS score is calculated one time at the beginning of the claim. The basis for comparison will be aggregate data of RESEA individuals with similar WPRS scores who were not referred to the Pilot. Utah Department of Workforce Services (Michelle Beebe: mbeebe@utah.gov ) LinkedIn (Nate Williams: nwilliams@linkedin.com) 15
Utah/LinkedIn RESEA Pilot Overview: Responsibilities Pilot Responsibilities LinkedIn provides: Job Seeker Premium and Lynda access to UI claimants Train the trainer program for Employment Counselors. LinkedIn provides: Job Seeker Premium and Lynda access to UI claimants Train the trainer program for Employment Counselors. 16
Utah/LinkedIn RESEA Pilot Overview: Dummy Outcome The recent LinkedIn pilot group, comprised of 368 UI recipients, showed an 6% lower rate of benefit exhaustion compared to the WPRS control group Example Only 17