SOCIAL MEDIA RECRUITING TECHNIQUES

Five social media recruiting techniques that are easy to implement for Talent Acquisition professionals 

The Talent landscape is rapidly shifting. In recent years, social media recruiting techniques have opened a new horizon for embedded Talent teams to find the right talent. 

The UK Government reported more than 730,000 job openings in the first half year! It is an extremely tough ask for the hiring industry, and TAs are constantly looking for ways to hire the best talents in minimum time.  

This year more than any, social media is presenting itself as a viable solution. CareerArc (US platform) says 62% of employers in the US post all their job openings on social media, expecting to find the most suitable candidates.  

An equally interesting fact is that social media platforms are the ‘go-to’ option for 39% of UK job seekers.   

So, are these numbers enough to convince you that social media recruiting is a highly potential market? If so, read on... 

With a cohesive social media marketing strategy, you can leverage the power of “social”, which is precisely what I will discuss in this post. Let's dig deep and understand what social media recruiting techniques you need and how to find the most suitable talent with minimal investment.  

SO, WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA RECRUITING?  

Simply put, social media recruiting is a process of using social media platforms for hiring. 

Social media recruiting is a strategy to find and hire Talent through social media channels like Facebook, GitHub, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. But more importantly, it also includes discussion forums and groups where employers can quickly get in touch with a larger talent pool. 

Social media recruiting techniques are highly beneficial and drastically different from traditional hiring methods. Through social media, embedded talent teams can reach out to passive candidates, target the right talent, gain more referrals and build their online reputation.  

FACT; Millennials and Gen Z spend approximately 8 hours a week on social media, making it easier to engage and hire them on these digital platforms. It is the best place to launch a recruitment strategy to attract a high volume of applicants for your recruitment process. 

Generally, “social” recruiting techniques have two primary goals - build brand awareness and attract high-quality talent. For an excellent ROI, you must use a combination of strategies to interact regularly with your passive talent audience. 

FIVE SOCIAL MEDIA RECRUITING TECHNIQUES YOU SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF 

1. BUILD YOUR COMPANY’S REPUTATION ONLINE 

Social media is a crowded place, and to become a well-known brand that everyone wants to work for, you must work on creating your online reputation.  

Tell your potential applicants why they should work with you. What do you have to offer to them? You can elaborate on your working culture, coaching and learning budgets, advanced health care packages and career opportunities. Companies often talk about new offices or hybrid/fully remote working. 

Remember, today’s generation emphasises a company's values, culture and ethics as much as remuneration. Connect with them emotionally and work towards becoming an authority in your industry.  

2. CHOOSE THE CORRECT PLATFORMS  

Social media platforms are diverse. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and so on. Each has unique benefits and speaks to the user in separate ways. 

As a TA or a business, you need to understand the demography of each social channel. Choose the one/s most likely to be used by the talent you are looking for. Innovative application of such social media marketing techniques will help accelerate your hiring process. 

Let us say you are looking to hire a senior manager. You are more likely to find such professionals on LinkedIn than on Instagram. While choosing social platforms, keep in mind the industry, professions, and education level of candidates.  

What's more? 

Once you have found the candidates, you must also take them through a thorough vetting process. It is also critical to ensure that you ask them the right questions while interviewing them. This would ensure you have the best person for the social media manager post. 

3. TAILOR YOUR MESSAGE FOR EACH PLATFORM  

Now, each social platform you choose to be active on is distinct, and so should your message for each forum/platform.  

When inviting job applications on LinkedIn, your tone should be more professional and formal. On the other hand, a more informal and creative pitch works better for platforms like Instagram or Facebook. 

4. INVEST IN VIDEO MARKETING  

Do you know that only 21% of UK companies utilise video content as an effective marketing tool?  Yet it has proven to have more success than any other marketing format! 

Videos engage the viewers, get them excited, and nudge them to act. 

You can create videos of the office, employee testimonials, and social and team events, allowing potential applicants to glimpse into your work culture. You can even create content where you answer some of the most asked questions about your organisation and bond with your followers. 

Just remember, recruitment is a serious task. But that doesn't mean your social posts have to be serious too. Adding a bit of fun to the mix can showcase your brand's light-hearted side. 

5. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY 

One of the core purposes of social media marketing is to expand your network. But you do not have to struggle alone on this journey. Get your employees to join hands with you to make your social hiring process more effective. You can leverage the best employee advocacy tools to get more results. 

You can ask your employees to comment, repost, share, and open positions on their personal profiles. Encourage them to refer their friends and connections to apply for your vacancies.  

When your employees advocate for you on social media, it acts as social proof. The users of branded content more trust this kind of content, and it also helps boost your credibility as an employer.  

Provide specific communication guidelines to your employees to maintain the post/ brand standard. Additionally, your employees could use a few tips to improve productivity to help them participate in such programs more effectively. 

Do not forget to reward your employees for their efforts and build a sense of belonging within the company.