Since the world revolves around the internet, many large and small companies decided to aim their recruiting strategies towards social media. Millions and millions of people use social media every day, which is why such platforms became popular for candidate recruiting.
However, not everyone knows how to use social media apps in their advantage. Believe it or not, there have been many unsuccessful hiring based on social media which cost the company thousands of dollars. On the other hand, empty positions may cost even more in the long run. So, we're here to help you implement 11 social recruiting strategies that will attract top talent in your field.
1. Optimize your social media accounts
As a company who is in need of new faces, you probably know all the advances of social media accounts. Most social media apps are free, and you can create a special business account that will promote your company and show the world a glimpse behind your doors. But is creating a business account enough to attract young talent?
Try putting yourself in their shoes. Would you send your application and CV to the company who has no basic information about them on their social media? Probably not. So, you need to optimise your accounts to improve the user experience.
Update your address, phone, email, and the type of business you do. Promote your employees on your social media as your best resources. Show possible candidates all the perks for working for your company. That’s how you’ll catch their attention.
2. Approach each platform individually
There are thousands of social media platforms right now. However, not every online platform is suitable for searching top talent in your branch. Use your employees for an example.
Ask them what social media apps they use the most. There will be probably answers that include Facebook, Instagram, Tweeter, LinkedIn, YouTube and so on. The next step you need to do is research the target audience on each app.
For example, job posting pages on Facebook are a perfect way to start. Similarly, sponsored ads from Instagram would be a magnificent way to add someone creative to your team. Don’t neglect the LinkedIn. You can find the best and most reliable candidates there. You’ll just have to search for them. Finally, if you’re using Tweeter, don’t forget to add relatable tags to your posts that will attract the right kind of people.
3. Work on your company’s brand
One of the most common ways possible candidates judge the business is the way the brand presents itself on social media. Don’t let your last post be from 2013. Is your business still operating or are you lazy to update your info and content? Both would look horrible in the eyes of future employees.
That’s why you need to work on your brand. What are your brand’s colours? Do you have a certain motto? Try to represent your culture on social media the best way possible in order to attract top talent.
You can even take it a step further and partner with existing online businesses where you can promote each other. That's how some people who would never search your name but are a perfect fit for the positions your offer, may find your company.
4. Create interesting content to share
Would you take time to look at the boring content a company is sharing? Definitely not. You need to include your team in this process to create interesting and interactive content for your social media accounts. Where to begin?
For instance, if you want to engage your candidates to take a look at your story and find something more about them, Instagram story polls or Facebook graphs are ideal options for that. Besides gathering some of the information about the people who follow you, you’re also increasing the engagement on your profiles. This means that your profile will be most likely seen by other people.
In addition to that, you can create short interesting videos about your company and the culture. Interactive and fun videos where you explain who you are looking for and who the perfect fit for your company will be can get you far.
5. Don’t overcrowd platforms with your ads
This is a massive DO NOT! Do you know these companies that spam every social media with their irrelevant ads, which only annoys the users? Don’t be like them. The more ads you post don’t mean that you’ll have a better reach. The equation isn’t that simple.
If you post too many ads seeking for professionals in your field, you may come off as desperate. Who would want to work for a company that is desperate to hire more employees? That’s a major red flag for most professionals.
That may mean that your company is not good enough and that’s the reason why so many people are leaving their positions open. So, be mindful about that. Post an ad once or twice per week, and keep in mind that spamming won’t get you anywhere.
6. Share useful information online
Don't be one of those companies that solely focus on recruiting more employees without sharing useful information to the potential candidates. Many people use social media to get to know certain businesses and their content, and judge according to that.
If you only post your recruitment ads, people will think that you don’t have anything else to offer. You need to create a written and visual content that will engage candidates to follow your page and learn something from it.
Don't forget to write useful blog posts about the careers you offer, or some tips on how to improve your skills. Possible candidates, especially talented ones, are constantly looking for chances to improve their skills and knowledge. Be the company that will provide them with that and more!
7. Involve your employees in the process
The biggest part of your company and the reason behind your success are also the employees that work for you. They create and use their knowledge to fulfil the tasks in the best ways possible. So, why don't you include them in the recruiting process?
How can you engage your employees? Ask them to like, comment and share the content you post on your social media platforms. In addition to that, you can assign them different tasks where they’ll use their knowledge and expertise to improve the content you post or create their own stuff.
That’s how you’ll get an even bigger reach and increased engagement on your social media profiles. Besides that, employees will feel like they are a part of the bigger picture, which means that they will easily engage in more promotions and tasks.
8. Research your possible candidates
Don’t wait for your candidates to find you, try to find them yourself! Even though this may feel like an invasion of privacy, everyone knows that what’s posted on social media stays there.
Start by taking a peek at their LinkedIn profiles. You'll get the clearer picture of their skills, previous experiences, knowledge, education and whether they are open for work. In case they are not, you can shoot them a message, just in case they might be interested to join your team.
Besides that, you can look at their Instagram and Facebook profiles to check how they present themselves to the public and what are their core values. That’s how you’ll know whether they are a perfect match or not.
9. Make mobile applications possible
Did you know that more than 50 per cent of social media app users browse the internet on their phones and tablets? This means that if you make your application for computer's only, you'll lose more than half of potentially great candidates!
When you conduct research, you'll see that more than 78% of candidates would use their mobile phones to fill the job application. That’s a huge number to ignore.
That’s why you need to come up with the way to enable mobile users easy and fast job application. Include your team members to help you there or outsource developers from other companies that will create a quick and simple job application for mobile and tablet users.
10. Host an online live meeting
Virtual live events are one of the best ways to see the possible candidates that will work for your company. Plus, it’s an amazing opportunity for them to directly ask you questions about your business and learn something more about the company’s culture.
Consider giving your candidates a tour around your company. Show them how professional yet laidback your business is. Spark their creativity and motivation to join you by interviewing a couple of your best employees.
Don’t forget to pay a visit to the kitchen and break room. Everybody likes to have an access to the free coffee during long days at work, so don't neglect to show them your professional coffee machine. Amazing coffee in the workplace definitely plays a huge role in the employees’ motivation and engagement.
11. Promote your ad on social media
Sadly, posting your recruitment ad on your social media page isn't enough to reach a larger number of people. You're looking for talented individuals in your field, but what if they don't follow your page? That's why you need to promote your ad on social media.
Many social media platforms allow businesses for a certain amount of money to sponsor and promote their ads to their target audience. That’s one of the most effective social media advertising ways.
If you invest a certain amount of money on social media promotions, chances are you'll reach to the people you're looking for faster. Time is money. Why would you waste time on unsuccessful recruitment when you can have an adequate person quickly?
Conclusion
As you can see, social media platforms can be really useful when it comes to recruiting new candidates for the business. All you need to know is how to use their features properly and create ads that will attract young and motivated individuals. Social media recruiting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways for the company to attract talent, so why don’t you give it a try?