In the modern age of recruitment, we have seen social media become an increasingly important tool to reach prospective candidates for job openings. It is especially useful when reaching passive candidates (aka people who are not actively seeking work). Passive candidates account for around 70% of job seekers, so they’re a crucial market to tap into. Even if these individuals aren’t currently looking for a job, brands must make sure that they’re still appealing to their interests for when the time is right. Brands have to make a lasting impression so that they’re top-of-mind when candidates are considering a new employer.
While it may not seem obvious, there are many social media recruitment strategies you can follow aside from using LinkedIn. It can understandably be tricky trying to navigate how to take a relatively serious industry like recruitment and match it to the varying tones of the different social media platforms. Since social media recruitment is still a fairly new concept, we have rounded up a list of the do’s and don’ts that every recruiter should keep in mind when recruiting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and beyond!
Do: Create a Strategy
Making a social media strategy for recruitment is helpful in a lot of ways. It allows you to visually plan and create posts in advance so you can avoid repeated or similar content. Building and following a strategy helps you form a more cohesive plan of action when it comes to reaching candidates in a meaningful way.
A social media strategy could look as simple as this:
- Monday: Post Job #1
- Tuesday: Post relevant industry infographic
- Wednesday: Post Job #2
- Thursday: Post Job #1 in a different way
- Friday: Post relevant news article
It can be as basic or complex as you need it to be (the nuances of which can be refined overtime by analyzing analytics). Creating a strategy will help you to think critically about posting effective content that drives candidates to your jobs and brand. Having a social media strategy in place allows you to reflect upon past posts to see what is—and what isn’t—working.
Don’t: Spam Your Followers
Nothing sends people looking for the ‘unfollow’ button quite like seeing far too many posts from one account. You may have 100 job openings available, but that doesn’t mean you should post 100 jobs a day. Pick a few to focus on every couple of days (or as you’ve seen best working for you) and spotlight them online.
With Mindscope, you can share your job postings from the ATS straight to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This convenient feature saves you time and helps you spread the word about your opportunities ASAP. Use this as an opportunity to highlight your jobs with unique posts instead of the generic ‘we’re hiring’ messages. If every listing is written in the exact same way, it can come off as insincere!
A new job seeker that comes across your page is more likely to follow your page for updates if they see an interesting and thoughtful collection of posts. On the other hand, having a wall of bland and careless posts will drive your potential candidates away.
Do: Use a Variety of Platforms to Target Different Groups
While LinkedIn is the most obvious platform for recruitment (and it certainly remains very useful), get creative with how you utilize other platforms. Since every social media platform has a different audience, you may need to adjust your approach slightly for each one in order to be effective as possible.
For example, 73% of candidates between the ages of 18-34 found their last position through a social media post. A recent study indicated that millennials use Facebook the most compared to other generations. So, using this information we can assume that your brand might have the most success reaching millennials looking for jobs on Facebook. On the other hand, teenagers favor Snapchat more. Both social media platforms are completely different and cater to different audiences. Always keep in mind who you’re speaking to and how you’re presenting your message.
Don’t: Sound Like a Corporation
Consumers are smart. They know when they’re being sold to, which is why many brands are trying to move away from the ‘sell, sell, sell’ mentality. Instead, they’re creating meaningful and helpful online content to guide consumers. The same thing goes for job seekers! They don’t want recruiters to bombard them with jobs—this behavior lacks personality and drives audiences away.
While the job search is serious business, social media is a space where you can lighten the mood. When it comes to merging the two styles, it can sometimes take some time to find a voice that works for your company. However, it is a generally understood practice to do everything you can to humanize your brand. To an extent, of course, speak on social media the way you would speak in real life: more relaxed, fun and conversational.
Candidates want to feel a connection between themselves and their potential future employer. Sounding too formal and authoritative isn’t going to draw them in.
Do: Share Your Company Culture
Job seekers want to know as much information about a company’s corporate culture as they can. This day and age, this is a MAJOR selling point. They understand they’ll be spending a large amount of their time at work, so they want to know if they’ll “fit in”.
While they want to see if the role is right for them, they also want to know how well they’ll mesh with the existing team dynamic. Showcase your company culture on social media to eliminate the guesswork. If you regularly engage in team-building or bonding activities, post them online!
The job search can be stressful for candidates, so giving them a little peek into what else comes along with the job could incentivize them to apply or contact you. Employer branding should be at the forefront of every recruiter’s social media strategy.
What are your do’s and don’ts of social media recruitment? Join the conversation by reaching out to us today.