If you think that social media isn’t a recruiting tool and is just for people who like to show off about what they did at the weekend, or how amazingly fabulous their holiday is, then it’s time to have a re-think.

Social recruiting is no longer a nice to have, it’s a must have if you want to hire in 2018.

The competition for talent is getting harder and companies who are not embracing inbound recruiting methodologies are likely to be left behind with vacancies staying open longer and higher attrition rates.  You probably have (or should have!) a presence on social media for your company products or services.  You may even have an inbound marketing strategy to help deliver warm sales leads.  Why not have the same for recruitment?

With over 94% of recruiters using social media to attract candidates, it really is a tried and tested method for those with their finger on the pulse.  In fact, it’s the very foundation of our sister company, Searchability, who specialise in IT recruitment; one of the hardest sectors to recruit for.

Rather than just putting out an advert, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, wouldn’t it be better to have warm leads of potential candidates that you can approach yourself for your available opportunity?  This is where social media for recruitment really comes into it’s own.  Not only will it help you fill your current vacancies, used well, it will also create a pipeline of talent that you can tap into for free next time you recruit.

Keep reading for hints and tips to get the best out of social media for your recruitment, now and in the future.

It’s the perfect place to promote your employer brand.  With over 39m users, social media channels are now the most popular method of communication with over 76% using their channels for email – so it’s not only to post photos of your great weekend!

It’s quick to set up and can be very low cost.

If you are looking to attract millenials through to generation X, then using social media for recruiting will help you stand out as a company that embraces technology and trends.  The average social media user spends almost 7 hours a week on social media with a high percentage being active on multiple platforms.

Social Media Management Best Practices

Before you start posting out all sorts of information on your company social media feeds, stop and think if this is the best way to get your message out.  Maybe your company brand has a different personality from your employer brand and if this is the case, then it is key to keep them separate.

It’s equally important to have an expert at the helm.  Someone who understands employer branding and can put time aside to conduct thorough research first to ensure you get the best from your social media strategy.

Here are some key best practice tips to consider first – 

Specific Pages

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all offer free page set-up, even for a careers page.  The name should be consistent with your brand and could be something like “LifeAt…”, “CareersAt…” or “Inside…”.  Be creative, but be sure to include your company name and use the page to really optimise your company culture.

LinkedIn also has the option for a careers page, but it is a chargeable, and a somewhat expensive addition.  It’s perfect for companies who recruit multiple roles, but if you only recruit 4 or 5 people a year, then it’s probably not a very cost effective option.  However, it is important that you do have some form of employer brand presence on your company LinkedIn page, especially if you are posting jobs on there.

Hashtags

Choose something unique to you, but be sure to research first!  You can then throw in some general terms like #jobsearch, #vacancies etc.  You can also use more career specific hashtags like #salesmanager, #receptionist etc.  Hastags can be used across Twitter and Instagram.

Time Your Posts

Most social media use is in the evening, so get involved at this peak time by scheduling your posts for maximum impact.  There are lots of options available to schedule posts including Hootsuite, Co-Schedule and Buffer.

Listen

Using something like Hootsuite will also give you the tools to listen for conversations and monitor your competitors social media marketing technique when it comes to recruiting and employer brand.  You can also monitor inspirational brands too.  

Listening out for relevant conversations where you could add value, or for when someone mentions your company name gives you lots more opportunities for engagement with your target audience – a key factor often overlooked when managing social media.

Facebook Live

Video content is fast becoming the most effective form of engagement on social media, but not everyone has the budget or the resource to produce a professional video each month.  Whilst a strong employer brand video is a superb tool, the key when showcasing your employer brand is transparency and nothing is more transparent than a live video.

Visuals

Posting an update or blog on social media without an image has a negative impact on your engagement.  Creating your own custom images will start to create an image that people associate with your company and help you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Employee Advocacy

Your employees are the face of your brand and the people best placed to post on social media on your behalf.  If the thought of letting your teams loose on your social media brings you out in a cold sweat, protect yourself and set some ground rules by implementing or adapting your social media policy.  

Employees can be amazing advocates and if their network is full of similarly minded people and people with similar skill sets, then that illusive superstar may be closer than you think.

Advertising

Paid advertising on social media allows such detailed targeting that is really is an amazing tool for those hard to fill roles.  Imagine if your advert for a Corporate Sales Manager could be sent to all Corporate Sales people in your catchment area and at a time when they are most likely to engage – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Advertising in this way can find passive candidates and those who may not have come to you through the traditional methods.  It is highly cost effective if you choose your targeting carefully.

6 Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Recruitment

• 1Reduce time to hire
• 2Reduce cost to hire
• 3Create a talent pool for future roles
• 4Target the people YOU want to target
• 5Take control of your recruitment
• 6Engage and retain your current employees

JobHoller are experts at harnessing the power of social media for recruitment.  Everything from creating keyword enabled profiles, to employee advocacy incentives can be handed over to us for a fixed monthly fee.  Peace of mind, certainty of cost and your recruitment problems solved.  Get in touch to see how we could help you.  01244 567 967