You’ve heard all the stats about our reliance on social media as a society, the good, the bad, the ugly. Still regardless, the use of social media has become a daily, and in some cases, hourly activity. With access to information, news, and communication channels, the influence social media has on the decision-making process is powerful. What was once seen as a communication and information-gathering tool for personal use, quickly shifted to a platform allowing for business to be done. Companies can grow their brands, and employers can use social media to find out more information on prospective candidates and recruit more effectively with the visibility each platform provides.
So what exactly is social recruiting?
It’s using social media for recruiting practices. And this doesn’t mean just posting open jobs to your company’s social media page, it’s proactively seeking out potential candidates, nurturing a relationship with them, and leading them to the open job opportunities you have that fit their skill set. There are certain steps you can take to help make the most of your social recruiting efforts.
#1 – Highlight Company Culture
Social media and recruiting practices start with employer branding. Peeling back the curtain of your company’s culture allows prospective employees to place themselves inside the walls of an organization. Communicate what your company stands for and how it’s unique. Who wouldn’t want to work for a company that has a great culture and is branded as a great place to work?
#2 – Reach Passive Candidates
According to LinkedIn, 70% of the workforce includes passive candidates who aren’t actively searching for a job. Essentially meaning you could be missing out on 70% of prospective candidates if you aren’t seeking them out and engaging them. Passive candidates don’t hang out on job boards or peruse your company’s website because they aren’t looking for a job. In this case, social media might be the only way for your job post to get in front of them.
#3 – Get Referrals
Encourage your employees to get into the mix by having them share job openings and company information with their connections. Employee advocacy can not only help promote a company’s culture (see #1), it can help bring more visibility and reach to job openings. And if you work on building relationships on social media as a recruiter, it’s more likely that someone you’ve worked with will refer people to you.
#4 – Create Connections
This is a great way to grow your talent pool. By building relationships with potential candidates, it gives you the ability to screen them for current and future job opportunities. It’s not just about figuring out if they’re the best fit for a job you’re recruiting for, it’s about figuring out if an open job is the best fit for them and providing valuable content to keep them engaged along the way.
#5 – Save Money
In comparison to traditional advertising methods, sourcing for candidates on social media can be a more cost-effective process, while allowing you to still strategically target the types of candidates that fit an open job best. The value you get from a candidate you’ve taken the time to build the kind of relationship that social media networks allow for is what makes this approach budget-friendly.
What has your experience been with social media recruiting, whether you’re the recruiter or the candidate? Join the conversation and share your thoughts with us on LinkedIn.