As many as 84% of businesses are now recruiting via social media, according to research from the Society for Human Resources Management. Technology and social media have increasingly taken centre stage in every aspect of our professional and personal lives and has added a new dimension to recruitment that employers are keen to take advantage of.
The recruitment power of social media
Social media has become crucial in a job seekers search with 79% using social media to find their next role. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all boast a vast number of regular users and are powerful ways to increase a role’s visibility and put employers in view of a large number of candidates.
Social media has improved the way employers and recruiters find new talent. On LinkedIn and even Twitter and Facebook, you can view someone’seducation and work history. You’ll quickly see if they have the experience you require before you connect with them. If you are one of the few companies still not embracing the recruitment power of social media, you risk being left behind.
Encourage employees to share
Encourage your employees to become company and brand advocates by sharing interesting information about the business on their social media networks; from company successes and job vacancies to fundraising events and staff news. While it’s worth introducing a social media policy across the organisation, encouraging your staff to talk about their work experiences in a responsible manner can grab the attention of a curious potential candidate.
Build your brand
You can use your various social media profiles to market your services, products and promote your corporate brand. It’s also useful to include posts about what it’s like to work in the organisation, why it’s such a great place to work (but be honest, don’t exaggerate), what makes it unique, special events, milestones, charitable activities and employee profiles. This will give your company a human identity that prospective candidates can relate to.
Get more out of LinkedIn
Out of all the social media platforms, LinkedIn is the most popular for both recruiters and candidates. Most people with an established career have a LinkedIn profile. To get the most out of LinkedIn, you should:
- Complete your company page. A thoroughly completed company page will show up in LinkedIn’s search results and enable you to showcase your company culture. Job seekers will find the page and see your vacancies and everything they need to know about your organisation.
- Use filters to find candidates.To avoid sieving through the enormous number of people on LinkedIn, use filters to find the most suitable people. You can search by industry, years of experience, location, current or previous employer.
- Make it personal. Talented people will likely hear from many recruiters on LinkedIn, so don’t just copy and paste a standard message to everyone you hope to connect with. Personalise each message that says how the candidate got your attention and why you think they could make a good addition to your company.
Be active and engaging
Whichever social media network you use, it’s not enough to just post status updates and links to your blog posts. You need to regularly engage with other users. Comment on and share relevant posts that may be of interest to your followers. If a potential candidate connects with you, then make sure you are personable and start an engaging conversation. It’s important that you earn their respect and trust, especially if they are a passive job seeker and not actively looking for a job. Passive candidates can be harder to attract, so it’s great to be able to have the chance to interact with them. Even if they aren’t the right fit this time, they could be perfect for a role in the future.
For advice or support with your next recruitment campaign, contact HR Solutions on 0844 324 5840. Find out more about our Fixed Fee Recruitment service at: www.hrsolutions-uk.com/fixed-fee-recruitment.
