Without a doubt, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn has afforded competitive intelligence researchers alternative sources to gather data about their industry and other firms. LinkedIn, the Facebook for business people, offers two outlets of information that are worth keeping in mind when analysing competitors: 1) Jobs and 2) Companies. This post will focus on the Jobs section of the web 2.0 resource.
Similar to other job search sites like Monster or CareerBuilder, the Job section of LinkedIn provides individuals to find employment opportunities. Figure 1 presents a look at the search interface for jobs.
Figure 1: Job Search Interface on LinkedIn
To use the section in a competitive intelligence context, it is recommended to use the “Advanced Job Search” interface as seen in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Advanced Job Search Interface On LinkedIn
To competitive intelligence researchers and analysts, job opportunities at competing firms can provide valuable insights. Job openings can indicate anything from a shift in the strategic outlook for a firm to a sign of expansion of operations.
Case example: As a competitor in the software industry, you have the responsibility to investigate if there are any job opportunities for an executive at Dell Computers that may signify a change in strategy or organizational structure.
Solution: Using the “Advanced Job Search” page as seen in Figure 3:
- Select “Executive” in the “Job Experience” field
- Enter “Dell” in the “Company” field
Figure 3: Query For Job Opportunities At Dell Computers At An Executive Level
Results for the query appear in Figure 4 in which the first hit, “Director of Software Engineering” is the most relevant for the initial purpose for the search.
Figure 4: Results For Job Search At Dell
It is interesting to see that the first job posting listed on the page is exclusively available on LinkedIn as indicated by the blue star.
The end result of the search process is illustrated below in Figure 5 where a lengthy job description is provided.
Figure 5: Job Description For Director of Software Engineering At Dell
Looking at the job description, the following strategic details can be collected about the position:
- The Director of Software Engineering will be responsible for leading the team that designs and/or develops Dell’s SaaS (Software as a Service) products for the Large Enterprise business unit
- The executive will work closely with Sales & Product Management groups to set direction for multiple software products
- The individual will set application technology development direction and strategies
LinkedIn is available at www.linkedin.com
What role has social networks played in your competitive intelligence research practices? What have been your greatest challenges? Tell us!!!
