Tag Archive for: Social Media Platforms for Recruiting

How to Determine a Company’s Culture

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Before accepting a job at any company, it’s a good idea to gage what the ambience of working there will be like. Especially if you would like it to be a long-term position that helps you grow in your career, you want to ensure that it will be an environment where you fit in well and feel confident that you can thrive. Employees today list company culture as one of their top values. They know that even if they are compensated well, if they aren’t comfortable in the environment or with the people they are working with, it is unlikely to last long.

If you flat out ask a hiring manger or recruiter what a company culture is like, they will likely just tell you want you want to hear. Of course, when they are in need of more employees and know that you are a good candidate, they’ll say whatever they have to in order to keep you. That is why you as a job seeker can (and should) ask discreet questions and pay attention to subtle signs that help you gain a better perspective on what a company’s culture is truly like. Here are some suggestions:

 

1. Show up Early to an Interview and Observe

Instead of looking through your materials or going over what you plan to say in your head, pay attention to how the employees are interacting. Did the receptionist greet you? Are the employees conversing with one another? Is the office atmosphere quiet because everyone is working independently? Notice things like the dress code and how the office is decorated. This can be a good indicator of if it is a place you would enjoy working.

Whatever you take note of in the office; it is up to you to decide if you truly envision yourself working there. Everyone is going to have a different preference for what type of company will be a good fit for them. Gaging a culture begins from the moment you walk in the door.

2. Ask: “How long have you been with the company?”

This doesn’t just go for the person interviewing you, ask as many people as you can. If everyone you speak with has had a short tenure with the company, you need to ask more questions, such as, ‘how long have the longest employees worked here.” In the chance that the company is new, this can be ok. However, if it’s an established company, this is likely a sign that a company needs improvement. Maybe people are expected to work too much or that they would benefit from changing management.

3. Ask: “Does anyone here ever transfer departments?”

If you’ve ever been in a position where you enjoyed your company, just not your department, but were denied every opportunity to make a lateral move; it can be tempting to overtly ask if transfers are allowed. Most of the time, companies claim that they have plenty of flexibility and career growth, but often when the time comes, they choose to keep you stagnant for their own benefit. There’s nothing that will tell you more than specific examples. If they introduce you to someone who has made a lateral move, even better. 

4. Ask about Lunch Breaks

While you don’t have to ask specific questions about lunch, get an idea of how most employees spend their breaks. If you find out that everyone takes lunch at their desk, it could mean that employees are too overworked to disengage- even just for half an hour. It could also imply that the majority of people who work there are introverted and that it isn’t an office with a lot of interaction. While some people may prefer this, others may rather work for a company with strong social connections and a lot of team work. Depending on your preference, this can tell you a lot.

5. Review the Company on Multiple Platforms

This can happen before or after you go in for an interview. Look at employee review sites such as Glassdoor to see how internal employees rate the company. Where are their strengths and where are they falling short?  Also, LinkedIn to see employee profiles. Take note of how long several of them have been working for the company and what they list as their interests and job history. This way you can infer whether or not it is a pleasant place to work and see if you have anything in common with current employees.

6. Ask about Internal Career Paths

Just like everything else, ask for specific examples of where someone started, where they are now, and what it took for them to get there. How long were they with the company before they got their first promotion? How did they get the promotion, were they offered it or did they have to apply for it? Asking the right questions here is important because you don’t want them to give you a generic answer. If professional growth is important to you, it’s important that you find a company that not only sees your value, but also wants to see you expand.

When searching for your next best opportunity, you’ll want to make sure that a company matches your expectations. The best way to ensure this happens is with observation, research, and asking the right questions.

If you are currently in search of a new job, check out our latest opportunities here.

 

9 Reasons Why to Participate in Social Media Recruiting

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In 8 Items to Consider with Social Media Recruiting and How to Make the Most of 5 Social Media Platforms, we discussed what social media recruiting involves, and how to do it, including specific tips for six different platforms. Today is the exciting part – how does your commitment to social media recruiting pay off? What are the benefits? Here’s a list of nine winners.

1. Build Your Brand Awareness-

Active participation on social media sites increases your brand awareness and build trust with industry talent. It’s an opportunity for you to reveal who your company really is on a daily basis. It provides candidates with a clear picture of who your company is, what you do, your culture, and whether you are the solution to their career goals. Showing your company’s personality and values through your posts and participation will capture the interest of the talent you need. In fact, according to Talent Works, nearly 60% of candidates use social media to research companies. This is your opportunity to showcase your company culture and brand.

2. Increase Visibility-

When taking into account the number of social media users – see the Hootsuite chart below – it only makes sense that sharing your vacancies on your social media pages will increase visibility.

Platform – Active Monthly Users
· LinkedIn – 260,000,000
· Facebook – 2,190,000,000
· Pinterest – 200,000,000
· Snapchat 187,000,000
· YouTube – 2,500,000,000

Social Networks create a platform for identifying and targeting the specific group of talent that you need, enabling you to put your position in front of the caliber of talent you’re seeking.

3. Trigger Engagement-

The more that candidates check out your job postings, the more engagement you experience on your social media networks. The more activity, the more people will share your post among their connections. These conversations not only keep your page alive, but they also open the door for you to engage with talent. This includes talent that would never have heard of your job opening if you hadn’t posted it on your social media.

4. Engage Passive Candidates-

According to a 2017 Jobvite survey, 82% of satisfied employees are still open to new opportunities. Recruiting via social media presents an opportunity to engage with these passive candidates. If a professional’s social media profile stands out, find your connection and take that first step – especially when recruiting for niche roles. After all, isn’t recruitment the sourcing of specific talent for specific positions? Social media recruiting opens the door for connection with the right talent.  And having a social media presence allows candidates to look for your company and your jobs.

5. Engage Higher Quality Candidates-

Professionals who are actively involved in social media posts, forums, and discussions tend to be a step ahead in tech savviness, business trends, market knowledge, etc. They know the skills in demand and often pursue them. If they have niche skills, they tend to participate in niche groups. For example, Developers hang out at Stack Overflow or GitHub, while Marketers love Moz or Warrior. Posting your jobs within specific circles opens the door to a higher level, specialized talent.

6. Boost Your Referral Success-

It’s the “friend of a friend” avenue. Social media is where “sharing” happens. It’s a great place to maximize your referral program. People connect within their industry – which means your employees know who is out there with the right skills. When they share job posts, it will be in the right talent pool. This personal element makes social media a fantastic way to expand your recruiting pool.

7. Screen Candidates Effectively-

Social media platforms give you a more in-depth view of the whole candidate – more than the face they bring to an interview. It provides an inside picture of how well a prospective candidate will fit into the company’s culture. It also provides insight into personality, lifestyle, and values. Take caution, however, to stay within the legal realm. Most professional candidates willingly include links to their social media networks in their resume and cv, but don’t step over privacy boundaries.

8. Shorten the time of each recruiting journey-

Social networking sites not only make it easy and fast to communicate with candidates, it also allows them to respond faster. As a result, excellent work relationships often emerge. Furthermore, when talent shares with talent, ties based on shared values, interest and work styles are strengthened and often accelerates the speed with which you will find that best-fit professional for the position.

9. Reduce Hiring Costs-

Last, but certainly not least. We all understand the high cost of the search – recruit – hire process. Recruiting via social media reduces the cost and broadens the talent pool at the same time. Of course, there are costs for some social media features, such as FB ads, LinkedIn Job Posts, Recruiters license, etc. but, the totals are lower than most other methods. Better yet, sharing a job post on FB, LinkedIn, or via Twitter is absolutely free as well as increasing your visibility – which is the next benefit.

Today’s social media users have an average of 8 social media accounts. Social recruiting is no longer a new trend that recruiters need to try. It has become a mainstream strategy that offers positive results. It pays to tap into this incredible source for high-quality talent while gaining multiple benefits. Award Staffing taps into social media every day. We use this and many other avenues to bring the best talent to your doorstep. Contact us today.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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How to Make the Most of 5 Social Media Platforms for Recruiting

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In 8 Items to Consider with Social Media Recruiting, we ended with tips on using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool. This blog continues with helpful user information on five more social media platforms.

Facebook

· Build a community via groups: Create groups around an industry. For example, IT jobs, or Healthcare position. Build a high-volume member list. Post relevant, helpful information, trends in the industry, events, etc., as well as open positions.
· Highlight outstanding employees: Congratulate them on accomplishments. Share photos of awards they have won. Hold a Q & A session with them. This is a great way to reveal company culture and employee plusses.
· Holds chats and webinars: Discuss industry issues. Offer teaching tips on relevant subjects. Hold a hypothetical interview to present the ideal candidate for an open position.
· Utilize Facebook helps: Take advantage of banner ads, social media promotions, and Facebook apps, such as Linkup and Work4. Narrow your search for a candidate via custom filters on Facebook’s Graph Search

Pinterest

Pinterest, the social network with more than 150,000,000 users – here’s the stats.
· 85% female
· 42% of U.S. online adult women
· 13% of U.S. online adult men
· 30% of all U.S. social media users
· 67% are millennials

As you can see, Pinterest is an ideal social media platform for connecting with women professionals – especially when you are looking for contract work for short or long-term projects requiring innovative creativity. On the other hand, you can also find engineers and accountants – even attorneys. So how do you snag talent via Pinterest?

· Create company boards: Think about your website pages and create boards. You need an ‘About Us’ board to share a company overview, including your mission, vision, management team, and what you do. Use another board to share your company culture – include lots of photos that pinpoint the essence and spirit behind the people. Create a board that shares company perks and benefits.
· Create Job opening boards: If you have a small number of openings, create one board for each opening. Include a web link to the specific job on your website. If you have mega-openings, then create one board for each department. Another option is creating one board for each location if you have more than one branch.
· Include a “Pin it” button on jobs posted on your website: website: This allows for easy sharing and increases the number of potential candidates who hear about the position.
· Engage with candidates: Respond to inquiries, provide feedback, etc. Create boards with career advice, quotes for the workplace, etc. It’s all about relationship.

Twitter

· Hashtags: This is the power of Twitter. Hashtags allow you to enter the conversations that matter to you and they allow talent to connect with the openings that interest them. Hashtags are your ticket to attracting the right candidates to your website.
· Scan twitter profiles: So, Sally Brown has the talent, experience, and personality to match your ideal candidate profile. Scan her twitter profile. Within a few tweets, you can quickly pick up on her interests and find a connecting point for contacting her.
· Scope out industry events: It only makes sense that candidates will connect other professionals in their field of interest. Scoping out a guest list for an industry event will give insight into attendees. If you peruse an attendee’s followers, you will discover more candidates.
· Standout in the crowd: Tweet more than job openings. Share industry articles, thought-provoking pieces, and humor. Engage with others, share your bio, and express your personality. Be aware of the social platform and become familiar with the types of content people tweet, as every social platform has its nuances.

YouTube

A video is one of recruiting’s newest power tools. Creating and posting videos attracts prospective candidates and increase their awareness of what your company represents, as well as what it has to offer. A short, snappy recruiting video can capture the authentic essence of your company. Here’s the scoop.

Use your YouTube video creativity more multiple purposes

· Sourcing: Using videos to draw the interests of potential candidates. Be sure to include links to your application process within the video.
· Employee Testimonials: A 2-minute video of an employee sharing why he/she loves working for your company can be the best advertisement for attracting talent.
· Company Culture: Just like the employee testimonial, a video of life on the job can be a compelling candidate attraction. Choose videos that show the real everyday culture of a thriving, happy company. And if that’s not you, maybe it’s time to work on company culture.
· Hiring Campaigns: Put it on video – it attracts more candidates than just text. In fact, according to MWP Digital Media, 59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video.
 

Follow these tips when creating your video

· Share the right information: Cover the basics – including answers to the typical question that interested candidates ask.
· Use the real stars: This isn’t about the company CEO – unless he/she is involved in the interview process. Make your video around the people who do the hiring/interviewing and the people who the new talent will be working alongside.
· Keep it short, fun, and authentic: Use upbeat background music (be careful of copyrights) and appropriate color schemes. You want to attract people – not put them to sleep.
· Call to action: Have fun making your video, but don’t forget the call to action. Your video is a stepping stone to the next part of the process – a personal connection with a perfect-fit candidate.

Snapchat

The yes-they’ve-arrived Millennials and up-and-coming GenZ generations are avid mobile users. Snapchat is a standard mode of communication, and they’re on it – 20 times/day. Since they use their mobile devices to search for jobs, it’s a given that Snapchat has great potential for recruiting strategies. It’s the perfect opportunity to get their attention. Here’s how.

Snapchat is a lot of fun – so, use this to your company’s advantage.

· Tell your company story: Share exciting or entertaining company happenings via photos. Invite viewers to participate in contests that reflect your personality and award prizes.
· Give advice: From job-search or interview tips to softer subjects, such as making the most of your weekend, snapchat helps to prospective candidates.
· Make announcements: Whether it’s about a job fair, a sign-up bonus, your referral program, or a job posting – share the news where it matters.

Need some help to get started? Here’s 16 snapchat helps from Pocket-lint.

Ok, so you have an overview of social media recruiting, as well as tips on using the most popular platforms, but why should you use invest time in it? What are the benefits? That’s precisely what we will discuss in Part III of our Social Media Recruiting Trilogy. Don’t miss it. And while you wait, why not partner with Award Staffing?  We’re a Minnesota-based staffing agency serving the entire state with the highest concentration of job placements in the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and greater metro area. 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.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

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8 Items to Consider with Social Media Recruiting

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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.

 

FINDING YOUR TALENT

Want to learn more about how Award Staffing can help your organization with your staffing and employment needs? Start by providing our team with a few pieces of information about yourself, and we will take care of the rest.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.