Is Social Recruiting Right for You? By Catherine Miklaus, GreenJobInterview
Since the introduction of social media, there has been a struggle for businesses to figure out how to use it best. In the beginning, it was billed as the next great thing. Every subsequent social network is supposed to be the one offering big gains for employers. But outside of traditional business to consumer sales, is there another business case for its use? As recruiters begin to expand upon their tools set, social media has come in focus. Before you rush out to your social media channels to start posting jobs, ask yourself if social recruiting is right for your business. Social Recruiting Isn’t an Island The problem with many calls towards social recruiting is that many people don’t understand social media is not an island. The most effective social recruiting links multiple platforms- the company’s website, the company’s social media accounts, and even employee engagement in this space. Absent these cross- promotions, it can be difficult for a business to attract enough
attention from potential candidates. Unless your employer brand is already wildly successful and highly followed, it can be difficult to break through the rest of the noise in a candidate’s news feed. So how could recruiters use social media channels for social recruiting? Look at Social as a Forum to Express Your Employer Brand The most successful employers are currently using their social media channels as a forum to express their employer brand. If you haven’t yet mastered your employer brand, it may be difficult to attract candidates who would be interested in even viewing your social recruiting efforts. So what can a company do to set the stage for social recruiting? •
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Build out your social media channels organically. Prior to posting jobs into cyberspace, you need to start with some followers. How do you get followers? You work hard to earn vendors, partners, and clients’ follows. Many employers also advertise in social media channels to attract new likes, and others start conversations as knowledge leaders in the spaces where these people hang out. Communicate your employer brand. Prior to sharing open jobs, you may want to take a look at the kind of content potential candidates would enjoy. Candidates want to see what life would be like inside a company. In addition to sharing great new articles, try sharing company wins, congratulate team members on jobs well done, and share pictures of team events. All of this humanizes your company and communicates an active and engaging employer brand. Encourage employee engagement. If your company’s social media channels are dead silent, it’s a safe bet that people aren’t seeing your content. And it’s a safer bet that people largely don’t know your company exists. A great way to increase exposure and to enhance your employer brand is to encourage employee engagement. These are the people who spend 40+ hours a week to make your company great. With a little encouragement, they can be great ambassadors for your brand. The more they start discussions, reshare content and engage with your social media channels, the more they enhance your employer brand and increase its visibility organically. Develop customized content for candidates. When you’re ready to start social recruiting, the name of the game will be personalization. Highly personal content is more likely to attract candidates to your open positions.
Social Recruiting is About Strategy When it comes to social recruiting, it’s all about strategy. Your social media account doesn’t want to look like your recruiting team suddenly dumped handfuls of jobs into its stream every day with no regard for who may be viewing the content. Candidates on social media are naturally more tech savvy and expect a personalized experience. We’ve long said these tech savvy candidates are more likely to enjoy the next steps in the recruiting process- the video interview screen and live video interview. Using these tips, recruiters can set the stage for a personalized experience that is more meaningful and produces a better candidate experience.