Social media has turned into a tried and true platform for recruiters and talent acquisition professionals. With the sheer number of people, including job seekers, using social media on a daily basis, it makes a natural fit for finding talent there. From organic content to paid social media advertising, there are numerous methods for meeting recruiting goals and objectives. In the following article, we will examine some of the best ways to use paid and organic social media content to attract the new hires your organization is seeking.
Recent studies have shown over 90% of companies use social media for talent acquisition and hiring purposes and three out of four hiring managers use social media profiles to search and review potential candidates. Millennials and Gen Z are accustomed to using these types of channels to find new career opportunities, providing additional incentives for recruiters to attract them. This shift has also proven successful, with 73% of hiring managers saying they have hired and filled roles by utilizing social media. As the data continues to prove effectiveness and worthiness, social media should continue to play a major role in recruitment moving forward.
Why has the number of recruiters using social media continually increased over the past decade? Some data suggests that there are over 4 billion social media users around the world in July 2021, which extrapolates to nearly 57 percent of the global population. Additionally, the numbers are continuing to grow. As people spend an average of close to 2½ hours using social media each day, it is impossible to ignore and inadvisable to bypass the opportunities they present.
With that being said, we have narrowed down the best ways for using paid and organic social media content to recruit and attract top talent. Here are our findings:
Narrow down your focus to a few social media platforms
Before diving into social media recruitment, narrow down your focus on the platforms that your ideal candidates may be using. With so many social media sites available, it can get overwhelming to attempt using more than a few when getting started or when re-strategizing existing efforts. Some of the most popular recruiting platforms include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit. Learn more about each platform’s user base and demographics, along with the types of content that will work for your organization. Finally, be sure your profiles are up to date and communicate your value proposition.
Use social media to evaluate potential candidates
Let’s face it, social media profiles provide great insight into who somebody really is. Others, outside of friends/family/coworkers, are peeking at them to learn more about you. Recruiters have been and will continue to leverage social media profiles to evaluate a candidate’s personality, professionalism, and overall character when available publicly. Take a few minutes to review candidates before speaking or meeting with them to see if there are any obvious red flags.
Share your story and culture on social media
As you know, job seekers and others are scouring social media content to learn more about companies and opportunities. Be sure to leverage your social media feeds to engage and educate those eyeballs on your employee value proposition and company culture. Providing these sorts of insights will land you more potential candidates and new hires when managed correctly.
Post job openings and career opportunities to social media platforms
Although obvious, it is important to be consistent with posting job openings and all career opportunities to social media platforms. This can be a time-consuming process for larger organizations and for those companies that are constantly looking for talent. However, this is one of the best sources for finding potential candidates to fill those open roles.
Encourage employee brand ambassadors to assist with social media recruiting
One of the best methods for leveraging social media content is through your own employees or brand ambassadors. This indirect method of recruitment can land you some of the best referrals and leads, as it helps build trust with potential candidates. For example, encouraging employees to share their work experiences to social media platforms will give recruits a feel of the company culture. Have them post testimonials or other insights to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others. As friends, family, and colleagues like, comment, and share, your candidate pool can exponentially increase.
Use paid social media advertising to fill job openings
Lastly, many recruiters have been learning and experimenting with paid social media ads to attract talent and fill job openings. One benefit of these ads is the ability to narrow down your ideal candidate to place an ad in front of that person. As an example, if you are looking for an experienced C-Level executive in New York City, many social platforms can help you place your advertisement in front of only those that fit the desired demographics or requirements. Some of the most popular paid social media platforms for recruiters include LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. However, others may be a better fit, depending on your ideal candidate and where she spends her time. Keep in mind, social media advertising can be costly. It is vital to monitor and measure your results and ROI.
As this just touches upon social media content for recruitment, there is a treasure trove of knowledge and opportunities to explore. The fact remains that talent acquisition has and will continue to evolve as social media grows and changes in the future. The recruiters and organizations that can leverage social media content to build their brand, convey their value proposition, and excite potential candidates will attract and retain the best talent.
