Remote network inventory

In the rush to cut recruiting budgets and avoid the avalanche of resumes now generated by job boards, employers are increasingly tapping professional and social networking sites as a sourcing tool.

Some employers now rely heavily or even exclusively on remote network inventory to fill open positions. While this approach may create short-term cost savings and new efficiencies, it may also skew applicant pools and trigger discrimination lawsuits.

"Networking sites, including Twitter, exclude whole populations," says Jessica Roe, managing partner at Bernick, Lifson, Greenstein, Greene & Liszt in Minneapolis. "We are going to end up with a very homogenous workforce. The social networks represent limited social groups and very small labor pools. It's an enormous issue."