Employers: How to Attract Talent via Social Media

Some employers are hesitant to use social media to find candidates for open positions because they’re afraid of what can be found online. However, many experts argue that social media has become the first step in the hiring process.

These platforms provide an efficient way for companies to find high quality applicants that are located in their geographic area or looking for work. The benefits that come with using this platform are endless. There are also several ways that they can keep the process electronic.

This article will discuss the methods companies can use to make the best use out of their time while sourcing candidates from all over on social media platforms.

Research has shown that social media recruiting provides companies with a greater number of qualified applicants than expected. Companies posted three times more jobs in comparison to traditional job posting methods and companies received a higher number of applications as well.

Social networking sites are the most popular recruitment tool and they can be used to find workers that would not have been found otherwise. Using social media platforms helps companies to reach out to potential employees and gives them an opportunity to look at company information and culture, which is important in finding if applicants would be a good fit for their company. Many companies have started to recognize the value social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter provide in the recruitment process.

In fact, one recent survey found that over 85% of recruiters are using social media sites to find candidates. Another survey found that companies that use social media as a recruitment tool have been found to receive twice as many applications as those that do not. If you’re one of them looking for your next employee, then this article is perfect for you. 

If you’re looking to fill an open position, how else can social media help besides receiving applications?

One example is by using it for discovering candidate skills and interests. For example: if a company posts a job opening on Facebook each morning at 8am and 3pm, then they will potentially be able to connect with many people from different backgrounds who are looking for work that day or who are willing to change careers for the right opportunity.

The best way to use these social media platforms is to post multiple times during the week, not just on Tuesdays or Friday. Companies need to be in it for the long run because it will take time and effort to find good candidates. If a person is applying for a position, don’t they find it natural to want to learn more about the company and the people who work there?

By using social media to your advantage, you can not only attract more candidates but also help them learn more about who you are as a company.

Social Media’s efficiency is useful in finding qualified candidates, especially when looking for a candidate who may not be actively looking for a job. Facebook job applications posted by companies tend to receive high response rates and may even be more efficient than through traditional means such as newspaper ads and job fairs. Facebook is a popular social media platform and allows people the opportunity to apply for jobs in a casual and informal way, which is probably why it is effective. The casualness of Facebook allows potential employees to check out company information and the working culture before applying for a position.

Social media recruiting also allows companies to learn more about candidate qualifications than other methods, making them highly effective in finding productive workers that would otherwise be missed during the process.

Ways You Can Leverage Social Media

Post Regularly

Post content regularly that would appeal to a wide audience of potential employees. This will encourage people from all ages and backgrounds to follow your brand and may result in higher quality applicants applying for jobs at your organization.

Customize

If a specific target demographic is needed, adjust content appropriately by using analytics or focus groups to find out what makes them tick.

Tone

Maintain the same tone, sort of like writing a personal email to prospective candidates. Make it personal and include details that are specific to your industry and position. For example, if you’re a dentist, make it clear what it is you do and why they should apply for the open position.

Promises

Do not make any promises that you can’t keep or cannot deliver on. This might cause people to lose interest in a job opening because they are reluctant to take the risk of giving their time and energy to someone who cannot or will not meet expectations. 

Use Hashtags

Use hashtags on Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook to highlight certain things like new policies or deadlines in an industry that would be able to attract applicants interested in working for your company. Remember to add relevant hashtags to your job listing. If there are hashtags relevant to the industry in which you’re hiring, put them on your listing as well, or include your own hashtag in another location. 

Remain Consistent

Social media maintenance is an important aspect of online hiring. Recruiting teams are responsible for posting job openings on social media sites as well as participating in discussions, and group postings. They need to make sure that the company brand is supported by the work they are doing.

Social media networks are an important way to reach out to potential candidates, so it is vital that recruiting teams maintain profiles on these sites. Social networking websites allow applicants to view company information and culture before applying for a job. This can help filter out unqualified applicants because companies know that the person has at least looked at their profile before applying for the position, allowing them to know if this candidate would be a good fit for their company.

Broaden Your Candidate Pool

Social media sites can be used to reach demographics that may not otherwise be considered in hiring practices. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook allow companies to find candidates that are not only geographically located in the same area as them but also allows them to reach out to demographics that they may have not thought about before such as minority groups or women with families.

Targeted recruiting is a method used by companies in which they target a specific demographic or location to find the best type of candidate for a position. Potential employees are much easier to locate using targeted recruiting than with other methods. This method allows companies to find qualified candidates that fit their needs and their working culture. Targeted recruitment allows companies to not only pinpoint job skills, but also pinpoint cultural fit when hiring employees.

Increased Applicants

Recent studies have also shown that social media recruiting has increased the number of applicants in comparison to traditional job posting methods. Social networking sites are the most common place for recruitment and companies have received over a 2x increase in applications.

Companies that post their jobs on social media websites can expect a higher number of responses to their postings than posting them using traditional methods. Social media platforms allow companies to reach out to potential employees in a nonthreatening way. Applicants can view company information or culture before applying and may be more inclined to apply for a position if they know that they would fit well into the position at the company.

Social media recruiting is a cost efficient way of finding workers that would be difficult or impossible to find through traditional means. Furthermore, it allows companies to reduce the amount of money they spend on recruiting because they do not have to perform costly advertising campaigns or spend unnecessary time traveling around town looking for candidates.

Despite the benefits of social media recruitment, companies that use traditional methods of recruiting should still become familiar with how effective it is in order to make the best decision for their needs.

By using social media recruiting, companies can reach out to a wider demographic and make contacts where they might not have previously thought about.