How Recruiters & Employees Can Use Social Media for Good

networkImage

August 27, 2019

How Recruiters & Employees Can Use Social Media for Good

Social media is often mistaken as a ‘social’ only platform. Somewhere to connect with long-lost friends and share pictures from the latest party.

But, did you know that it’s also a very effective platform for finding your next employee or career move?

Social media is currently used by 84% of companies for recruitment purposes and an addition 9% plan to start using it. So, with more than 90% of recruiters finding their next candidates through social media, can you afford not to?

How Employers are Using Social Media for Recruiting

Social media has become an important part of almost every stage of the recruitment process from connecting with passive job seekers to screening candidates and checking up on current employees. A 2018 CareerBuilder survey revealed how employers currently use social media:

  • 70% use social media to screen candidates
  • 58% use social media to confirm a candidates’ qualifications
  • 50% use social media to check out a potential candidate’s personal brand
  • And, 43% social media to check on current employees

As social media becomes a more popular recruitment tool, companies will need to jump on the bandwagon to compete for the industry’s best and brightest.

Social Media for Job Seekers

Social media certainly isn’t a one-way street. Job seekers rely on the platform to source new opportunities, investigate a potential employer and learn about their coworkers.

Many candidates, especially younger Millennials, consider social media and professional networks more effective for finding a new job than job boards or recruitment agencies. As a study from the Aberdeen Group showed that 73% of Millennials found their current position on social media.

Jobseekers also use social media to investigate a potential employer to make sure it’s a place where they want to work. As such, many recruitment specialists encourage employers to cultivate a company brand and invest in recruitment marketing.

Social Media Recruiting Best Practices: 4 Ways to Create a Social Media Presence

Having a strong presence on popular social media platforms can help you attract talented employees and make it easier to source your next hire. If you actively promote your awesome company, you’ll attract qualified candidates and reduce recruitment costs.

So, how exactly do you go about creating a company brand?

i) Choose your platforms

While LinkedIn may seem like the obvious choice, expanding your options may help you reach the right audience. It’s important to think about your ideal candidate and where they spend time online. For example, if you’re looking to hire internally a secure, closed social network like Collude might be a good choice. Or, if you’re looking to hire a young intern, Facebook might prove more effective.

The best way to find the perfect platform is through trial and error. Running recruitment campaigns across multiple platforms allows you to see what’s working and what’s not. But, remember since different platforms attract different audiences, you need to adapt your messaging accordingly.

ii) Update your company profile

Regardless of the platform you choose, it’s important to make sure your profile is up-to-date with the latest company info. There’s nothing worse than checking out a company to discover you can’t find the right information.

Also, make sure to connect your current employees to your profile. So, it’s easier for their connections to see your content and get to know your company. After all, employee referrals are one of the most effective recruitment methods.

iii) Create quality content

You want to use social media to share your company culture and brand with the world. So, it’s essential to make sure your posts capture the right tone-of-voice and present you in the best light.

Most social media experts recommend sharing a variety of posts like team outings, photos of your work environment, thought-leadership articles as well as ‘we’re hiring’ content.

iv) Have employees share their views

Almost every company thinks they’re amazing. But what do your current employees have to say about you? Hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth is more authentic than self-promotion and can help build trust with potential employees.

4 Social Media Tips for Job Seekers

With recruiters increasingly turning to social media to find their next employee, job seekers need to think about their online presence and cultivate a positive personal brand. After all, posting interesting content and appearing professional online could help you land your dream job.

i) Clean it Up

Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want your grandma to see. Content that casts you in a bad light, like those drunk photos from uni or at a summer music festival, could put potential employers off.

Research shows that 40% of employers rejected a job candidate after seeing provocative or inappropriate images of them on social media, while 36% rejected a candidate after finding drunk or drugged photos.

Before you start your next job search, go through your social media and ‘hit delete’ on anything you don’t want potential employers to see.

Most social media platforms, to a certain degree, don’t restrict what you post or who views it.

Same applies to a private secure platform like Collude, your HR team will still need to set guidelines and boundaries for employees. You’ll also need to lightly monitor your platform to ensure it’s used appropriately, and content matches your business’ cultural aims, values and beliefs. Afterall, no-one wants their boss, or worse their CEO, to think less of them after seeing inappropriate content.

ii) Update Your Bio & Profile Picture

Think of your social media bio and profile picture as your CV. Chances are, recruiters will look at your profile summary and employment history BEFORE reaching out with an opportunity. So, you want it to include the most up-to-date information and accurately reflect your skills.

It’s important to refresh your profile frequently (typically around every 6 months) as this helps boost search visibility and also ensures all information is relevant.

iii) Share relevant content

Going to a conference? Read an interesting article on your industry? Attended a talk? Got a promotion at work or nailed an important presentation? Share it online.

Your posts are a great way to tell people about you and your work. After all, you never know who might be listening.

When people engage with your posts, make sure to respond. Building your professional network and getting to know other like-minded professionals is one of the best ways to progress your career and find exciting opportunities.

iv) Build Your Network

Almost all social media platforms allow you to send friend or connection requests. Actively reaching out to other people in the industry is a great way to build your professional network.

Getting to know others allows you to create closer professional relationships, learn about trends and events happening in your industry and puts you front and centre for upcoming opportunities.

Related posts

Ready to get started?

Get Started

Stay Remote, Stay Productive and Stay Safe.

  • Fully GDPR Compliant