Social media has changed how recruiters operate and how job seekers evaluate potential employers. Although company career websites are still important, a social media presence with a strong employer brand has become essential for competing in the talent market.
- 94% of professional recruiters use social media (Betterteam).
- A company’s social media presence was a factor in 59% of employees’ choice of employer (Betterteam).
- Although the company’s career website is still the top way for employers to promote and measure their brand, 55% rely on LinkedIn and 35% on Facebook (LinkedIn).
- When LinkedIn asked recruiting managers about their priorities, 53% said they would prefer to invest in employer branding and tools.
- Social recruiting is more than LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Savvy recruiters use specialized social sites like GitHub and Dribble for tech talent and Behānce for creative artists. Communities of interest in platforms like Pinterest can help source hard-to-find candidates.
Social Recruiting: More than Job Postings
Job postings on social media are nothing more than extensions of the ineffective “post and pray” method. Getting value out of a social presence requires engaging content.
The Home Depot Careers on Facebook has everything that interested applicants need to connect with the company. Besides a job search feature, the page shows a stream of new job postings and career tips, with news of company events.
The Home Depot doesn’t leave connections with potential applicants to on-page apps. The company has a team of employees who interact with prospective employees on the page discussion. Comments are usually answered within a few hours.
Careers at Dell, highlights what working at the company is like. Posts celebrate employee achievements, showcase company events and honor employees who volunteer.
Personal Branding for Recruiters
Potential employees don’t connect with companies—they relate to the people in them. Recruiters should maintain a personal profile and provide content that focuses on the job-seeker. Social media is an opportunity for recruiters to build relationships with both active and passive job seekers and extended personal networks.
Recruiters can curate and share content of interest to job seekers through their social networks to grow their presence and the company they represent. Every day, hundreds of blogs and online magazines post articles about job seeking, career management, and personal growth. Sharing those articles through a social profile such as LinkedIn can help grow a strong network.
A New Way of Thinking
Old recruiting methods are like panning for gold, spending hours sifting through thousands of pebbles and grains of sand to find one tiny nugget. Building a social media presence can create relationships with potential job seekers and their connections long before you have a need.
Try joining communities of interest for career fields that you need to target. For example, posting on large job boards for expertise in technology invented only six months ago probably won’t be as productive as mentioning your need in a group where people discuss new tech trends.
Use social media the right way. Build your company and personal presence so the right talent knows where you are.
Phenom eCloud is a comprehensive technology solutions provider committed to empowering businesses to overcome challenges, enhance their workforce capabilities, and achieve superior outcomes.
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