It's difficult to avoid the current fuss over 'web 2.0', memorably described as “part hype, part marketing jargon, part reality…like late-night wrestling” by corporate finance consultancy firm ARMA Partners. If web 2.0 refers to a second generation of web services that lets people collaborate and share information online, what - if anything - does the ‘new internet’ mean for HR and recruitment professionals?

If web 2.0 has been made possible by broadband, now mainstream and ubiquitous, catalysts for a new approach to recruitment could perhaps be increasing competition for talent; an ageing but increasingly fluid and connected population; and an extraordinarily fragmented media landscape.

Three given examples of recruitment 2.0 might be:

Business Networking

Perhaps the story of last year was the unprecedented growth of business networking sites such as www.xing.com , www.viadeo.com, www.ecademy.com , www.fastpitch.com and, of course, www.linkedin.com. Has Linkedin become the most important tool available to recruiters since the likes of Monster starting selling CV database access?

Pay Per Click

Search engine marketing or ‘pay per click’ allows advertisers to serve targeted adverts to users as they search for related content or browse relevant web pages. Search marketing has had a massive impact on the classified marketplace, and recruiters are increasingly adopting this model. Search for "Managing Director Jobs" on www.Google.co.uk right now and you'll see sponsored links for a number of job boards and search firms. Indeed at Alexander Hughes Selection we use search marketing to drive targeted client and candidate traffic to this site, and also to support occasional campaigns.

Social media

Social media describes the online tools and platforms that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives with each other. Social media - such as blogs, social networks, message boards, podcasts, wikis and feeds - all represent the “as it happens” internet. For recruiters. does this open a new channel to connect to passive candidate communities?

So...

You're reading this on our blog, you might have arrived here via a paid link, and the link to my Linkedin profile is displayed on the right hand page. So you might think our colours are nailed to the mast somewhat. But the question I would like to ask is to what extent is this a "new paradigm" (as our colleagues across the pond would have it)? Or is Recruitment 2.0 simply a catchy moniker for new tools that play to the traditional strengths - and weaknesses - of recruiters?

As an employer what do you make of all this? Are any of these approaches a substitute for an understanding of the market - or a big database? Are they as yet making a dent on the traditional routes of print and job board advertising?

And as a candidate, have you been approached through Linkedin, or perhaps via your personal blog or a social network? How was it handled? What did you make of the approach - and the employer on whose behalf if was made?

Don't forget a 2meg ipod is on offer to the most deserving comment. I look look forward to hearing your thoughts and answering any questions you have.

Robert