In an age where social media is used for everything from keeping up with friends to staying informed on current events, it’s no surprise that almost half of job seekers are now using social media to find their next career. Recruiters are also jumping on the social media bandwagon, with 84% of companies using social media to recruit candidates and 70% using it to screen those who have already applied. This is social recruiting – the use of social media platforms to recruit applicants or to advertise job opportunities.
Social recruiting can also be significantly more cost-effective than traditional means of attracting candidates, like online job boards, newspaper ads, or recruiting services. Though it can be cheaper, it’s no less effective, as millennials and Gen Z’ers are starting to use social media more and traditional methods less.
6 Ways to Use Social Recruiting
1. Choose the right sites
Be strategic in which social media sites you prioritize. Certain sites are more effective for certain types of jobs or industries. Be sure to figure out the types of candidates that are most likely to apply for your job and target them in your job postings. Across all industries, the most popular sites to advertise jobs are (in order of most to least popular): LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Glassdoor, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.
2. Use hashtags
One great way to attract candidates to your job posts is by using hashtags. It allows you to attach key terms to the post that you can’t fit in the job title. That way, candidates who search words or phrases that are related to your job can find the listing. Some of the most popular hashtags for job ads include: #JobSearch, #JobHunt, #JobOpening, #Hiring, #NowHiring, #Resume, #Job, #Careers, #Employment, and #HR. Also consider using more specific ones, like #ITjobs, #techjobs, #editor, #engineer, #marketing, etc.
3. Invest in sponsored ads
Another way to increase visibility to your job postings is by sponsoring them. Many sites will allow you to pay for your job ad to appear on people’s feeds while they scroll through their social media platforms. Facebook, for instance, lets companies post job opportunities on their business page for free. Users can see your post in the Jobs bookmark on Facebook. The post links directly to your company’s page so interested individuals can learn more about your business.
4. Share meaningful content
Try to keep your social media sites as up-to-date as possible to give prospective applicants a good idea of what your company is currently like. Updates on company changes or accomplishments, photos of office events or bonding activities, and notifications of new blog posts are all types of content that can portray your business as a fun and rewarding place to work. Every time you post, be conscious of branding; how will potential applicants perceive your company if they see that post? Decide on how you want to portray your company – fun and quirky, modern and creative, warm and family-oriented, formal and prestigious – and then make sure that all of your posts convey that image.
5. Get your employees involved
Employee participation on your social media sites further promotes the image of your company as a fun and collaborative place to work. Encourage your team to comment on and like your social media pages to relay a sense of community to potential applicants.
6. Track Your Sources
Finally, be sure to track the progress of your social media platforms. Tracking data like post views, likes, comments, or clicks can help you determine how to best invest your resources. Once you start receiving applications, it also helps to track where each applicant came from, so that you can decide which platforms are providing you with the most applicants. Criteria’s testing platform provides a simple way to track this, giving you a quick way to evaluate the effectiveness of each social media site.
Social media is no longer just a way for your company to gain a competitive edge in the recruiting process. With the vast majority of companies already using it in hiring and most applicants using it in their job search, your company’s goal should be to use social media recruiting more effectively than your competitors. Taking the time to keep your social media sites up to date, posting job ads on those sites, and even consulting with marketing agencies can make all the difference in your company’s hiring success!
