How effective is Social Media Recruiting?

Introduction to Social Media Recruiting:

Social media is a big part of our existence today, with various types of messages across sectors of information. Since it is all-consuming, for a brand to be an active part of it is important, for many reasons. Social media can build the image, showcase the brand well and position it in the market with accuracy. A recent trend shows social media recruiting as the next step for effective hiring. But is it what it is being posed as? Or is it just a viral trend that will die out soon? Time will tell, but we did a small study to find the scope of the social media-based recruitment process.

Why use social media recruiting?

The first question that comes to mind is, why should one use social media recruiting at all? When platforms for hiring are working well, when agencies are working full time so that companies get the right match for their job profile, why turn to social media at all?

Interesting statistics to show how social media recruiting is done by companies:

92% of businesses use social media to recruit new talent.
Only 4% recruiters do NOT use Social media of any form for talent hunting.
87% recruiters fish for talent on LinkedIn, 55% on Facebook and 47% on Twitter. Even Snapchat features in this list, at 3%.
76% of recruiters like posts on social engagement and social service.

The answer to the question regarding why the recruiter is looking for talent on social media lies in two logical reasonings. Apart from the active job seekers, the fence-sitters or passive workforce who is not looking for a job can also be tapped using social media. Since social media of various kinds are experts in casually slipping conversations through, they can be a subtle yet strong way to attract the talent which is not really looking for a job switch but won’t mind something new and better anyway.

The practice of social media recruiting even has a term to represent it – social recruiting.

Technically, the hiring professionals find social recruiting a supplement rather than a replacement of traditional recruitment methods like job portals and recruitment agencies. Their work gets easier using the tool that presents itself in the form of social media. Apart from this, the recruiters get the advantage of a more diverse talent pool to look in for people to match their job profiles.

Some ways in which Social media recruiting is helpful to the organization:

Social media recruiting can reach potential talent which might not be responsive to job postings.
It is a good way to get referrals too – the organization’s current employee can post the job on their social media to get an interesting mix of profiles as potential candidates.
It is easy to target the type of candidates the organization is looking for. This is true if the organization is looking for a variety in profiles as well as for specific resume requirements.
The organization can impart a personal touch in the communications using effective social media recruiting strategy. Ideally, it should work like a conversation and allow the prospective candidates to communicate freely in a low-pressure setup. It is also simple to show the company culture on social media. This can attract the candidates while they are not guarded, on the social media platforms.
Social media recruiting is also very cost-effective. Communication can happen for cheaper than traditional media like newspapers and television.

The main point of difference that sets social media recruiting apart is its relevance for hiring both active as well as passive job seekers. Moreover, it doesn’t need different communication strategies to target either of them.

Does Social media recruiting live up to the expectations?

It is tricky to gauge the effectiveness of social media as a recruitment tool. It works in conjunction with other channels like websites and job portals.

It does open exciting horizons though, as various platforms of social media now provide tools to further refine the search for the passive talent. LinkedIn, for example, has excellent Talent Insights Analytics tool which helps companies to identify potential targets working at competitor companies.

Similarly, virtual assistants are available on some portals. Though they are more applicable to the active job seekers, they usually come in handy if passive talent decides to engage with the chatbots just for the experience.

Social media recruiting strategies that are changing the game:

There are a few strategies in social media recruiting which may be used by companies. They are being proved effective over the years.

Establishing the company’s online reputation

In this ever-growing world, as companies become difficult to know about in reality, the virtual world has gotten everyone closer. The generation of today is looking for an employer who can understand their beliefs, there is no compromise involved and it is emotionally satisfying. Be active online, look the part of an authority in your field and talk the right things on the right medium. This is the way into the minds of the millennial talent.

Proper connections

In the online space, your company must relate to the industry leaders and the right kind of influencers to make an impact. Keep the company profile and page very industry-centric. Be relevant, talk in a way which appeals to them. It helps to be very aware of your message and be as far away from generic communication as possible.

Live videos on profiles

To provide real-time insights into the company, one can stream live videos. Questions can be answered while maintaining the purpose of communication solid. If live videos seem too much, use animation videos or pre-recorded videos that show the company in great light. The videos can exhibit what a great place the company is to work in.

Hashtags

Companies must understand the kind of hashtags potential employees follow. Start from generic and then go specific. You might quickly begin trending if your hashtags connect to the right kind of informative posts. It is easy to quickly go overboard with this, so conserve yourself before it becomes too much.

LinkedIn Profile

Since LinkedIn is the single biggest platform from which recruiters can pick talent, a professional, minimal and explanatory enough for people to know you are looking for talent without being redirected to another page. The profile must be attractive and mistake-free. Participate in LinkedIn groups to make the most of opportunities. You can also explore LinkedIn Pulse. It is an add-on which allows users to add articles which can be anything as required.

Instagram for variety and interest

Even if your business is not exactly Instagram friendly, it can help to talk about yourself on Instagram just for the fun of it. 60% Instagram users see it daily, and out of this around 90% are under 35 – bingo, what you are looking for is looking at Instagram!

Social Media Advertising

You can consider paid promotion on social media. It is better than any other medium today because of the high visibility and lower costs. The click-through rates are high too. It is easy to modify the campaign elements once live. Though LinkedIn campaigns can be expensive than Facebook or Twitter campaigns, they are more effective as well.

Keep them engaged

It is rather easy to do so anyway, on social media! Posts, direct messages, contests, videos and all other forms of positive communication which leads to a positive image in the minds of the audience can do the job. Keep it zero-discrepancy and gimmick-free.

Scrutinize on social media

You can understand a lot of the candidate over social media. How they behave virtually, what they share, and the post can be enough to know their work ethic, their background and you can check for inconsistencies too. Don’t snoop around though.

As a conclusion, one can clearly understand the relevance of a sound social media recruiting strategy in the big picture logistics of organizational staffing. Since it is easy to track social media, one can gauge effectiveness in real-time. It is truly a sound strategy to forward with, not just a trend or fad.