8 Items to Consider with Social Media Recruiting

The latest statistics from GlobalWebIndex reveal that 98% of digital consumers are social media users with an average of 8 social media accounts. Which leads to the obvious – social media is a hotspot for connecting with prospective talent. In fact, social media accounts provide access to many candidates, particularly passive ones, who cannot be found via more traditional sources.

Successful social media recruiting, however, isn’t a “pin the tail on the donkey” with a blindfold covering your eyes (although sometimes it may feel that way). It’s a well- thought out and planned strategy. Read on for 8 how-to’s and best practices to get you well on your way.

1. Go beyond posting open positions-

Sure, they won’t know about your available jobs if you don’t post them, but they won’t be looking at your site if you haven’t first connected. Post relevant content on various networks. Share content that offers thought-provoking insight, helpful tips, and reveals your workplace culture. Build a positive social media presence.

2. Join the conversations that fit your company-

Participating in forums is an excellent way to get your company brand noticed and win the trust of potential talent. LinkedIn is the top choice (55% of recruiters use it), and Facebook isn’t far behind at 39%, but don’t neglect other options – such as Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. There are also niche social media networks for specific industries, such as Warrior Forum and Moz for marketers or GitHub and Stack Overflow for developers. Taking the time to know which groups fit your ideal candidate is crucial. Ed Nathanson, founder of Red Pill Talent LLC, believes this is best done by talking to current employees – after all, they are probably spending time in the same digital space as prospective talent.

3. Build the relationship first-

When approaching talent via social media, never begin with a sales pitch. Be personable. Express your interest in them and why you believe your company is a great fit. Share articles of interest. When an opening comes up that fits them, you will already have a relationship of trust, and they will be much more receptive. It’s all about relationship.

4. Maintain a professional, yet personal candidate experience-

We’re talking from start to finish – from initial contact to onboarding. Treat prospective candidates like customers. Kurt Heikkinen, President, and CEO of Montage points out,

“You can’t just have a great initial impression and not continue it throughout the candidate experience. The modern candidate is making a direct connection from their consumer experience with a consumer brand and the employer brand. As consumers, they expect information at their fingertips, to have a high-tech experience and to engage through the media they consume every day. Their interactions on social media begin their impressions of the company as an employer.”

5. Hashtags are key-

Using the right hashtag is the best – and easiest – way to not only place your post in front of the right people but also place the right talent in front of you.

6. Encourage employee participation-

When employees, who each have their own social media networks, post job openings, your reach is magnified. Furthermore, if you have an incredible work culture, your employees will express that in the language that attracts talent.

7. Be careful not to introduce bias-

Heikkinen also reminds recruiters not to use the information they collect to form a bias, but rather to engage a prospective candidate.

8. Get educated on your choice of social media-

Don’t take a flying leap – learn the ropes of a platform before using it.

Now that you have an overview of social media recruiting, we’ll share some pointers on several platform options. Moving beyond the overview and into specific social media platforms. We’ll start with LinkedIn since it currently dominates.

LinkedIn-

• Keep your personal page update: Your photo and headline should reflect your brand. Write an attention-getting summary that genuinely shares your expertise and place in your industry. Include keywords and a showcase page for your company. Ensure your contact information, including a customized public profile URL, is correct and easy to find.
• Develop every aspect of your company’s page: This is where you showcase your mission, values, and culture. Make it easy for potential talent to find out everything they want to know about your company/organization in one spot.
• Use filters wisely: Filters, such as experience, location, current, and past companies, help you narrow a large playing field down to your ideal candidates but use caution. Don’t filter out a winner.
• Stay active: Post one good status update per/day. Share valuable, relevant information and events. Join a couple of groups and be an active participator in discussions.
• Personalize your job posts: When posting open positions, present them as unique opportunities – don’t just direct people to a job board. When you reach out to potential candidates, don’t resort to the copy and paste method. Send each likely candidate a personalized message. Share what attracted your attention and why you think they would be a great fit.
• Take care of the basics: Boost your SEO – get help if you need it. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s analytics page. Learn who’s engaging, as well as the demographics of your followers. This information will help you to target the right audience with your content.

This is an opportune time to update your LinkedIn profiles and brush-up your recruiting-via-LinkedIn skills. But don’t forget to come back for part II in our Social Media Recruiting Trilogy. We’ll give helpful recruiting tips using 5 additional platforms – Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Why? Because we’re Award Staffing. We care about our clients. We partner with companies and organizations for all their staffing needs, so offices, factories, events, buildings, c-suites, restaurants, and businesses can flourish and succeed. Contact us today.