Using social media for hiring can be a smart move for hiring managers. It helps you connect with more people and makes it easier to find potential candidates.
Since a big chunk of today’s workforce is made up of millennials and Gen Z, social media can be especially useful for recruiters. However, to make social media hiring work well, you need a good plan. With the right strategy, you can make the hiring process go smoothly and get the best results.
This article will discuss why you should use social media in the personnel selection process.
Social media eases targeting specific talent groups
Recruiters find that using social media along with digital HR solutions helps them find better candidates for job openings. This is because social media has tools like filters and hashtags that make it easier to find the right people.
On Facebook, for example, you can use advanced search filters to look for candidates who match what you’re looking for. You can filter by things like location, industry, or specific keywords. This helps you narrow down the huge number of people on Facebook to just the ones who might be a good fit for your job.
When you create ads on Facebook, you can also make sure they’re shown only to people who fit your criteria. This means you’re more likely to get applications from people who are interested and qualified. In fact, Facebook ads often get more clicks than other ways of advertising jobs.
Twitter and Instagram also have tools for targeting ads, but they also use hashtags. Hashtags are words or phrases with a “#” in front of them, like #hiring or #editorialjobMontreal. These help people find posts about specific topics.
By using hashtags related to your job opening, you can reach people who are interested in that kind of work. You can even create your own hashtags for your company, which can help you build a community of people who are interested in working for you.
Social media assists brands in building relationships online
Recruitment isn’t just about finding people to hire; it’s about building relationships. That’s why recruiters should work on their own personal branding to make meaningful connections. LinkedIn is super helpful for this because lots of professionals use it, with about half of adults with a bachelor’s or advanced degree on there.
Recruiters can share job openings with their own networks on LinkedIn instead of just sharing from the company account. Being proactive is important too. If a recruiter sees a good fit on someone’s LinkedIn profile, they can reach out directly and ask them to apply.
Social media has become an industry resource
After hiring someone, it’s a good idea to encourage them to post about their new job online and tag the company. This helps spread the word about the company to more people.
But social media isn’t just for finding job candidates. It’s also a great way to connect with others in the industry. Even if someone isn’t looking for a job right now, they might be in the future. That’s why it’s important for companies to share useful stuff online and build a community in their industry.
For example, they could host virtual networking events or panel discussions about important topics in the industry. They can also team up with influencers and join in on trends to get their name out there.
By using social media well, companies can find the best people to hire and keep a steady stream of applicants coming in.
Social media appeals to passive candidates
In today’s job market, there’s a group of candidates called passive job seekers. This means instead of actively looking for a job, they’re open to new opportunities if they come their way. So, if you’re a company looking for great talent, you might need to reach out to them first.
One way to do this is through social media. Many people, whether they’re actively job hunting or not, spend a lot of time on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Instead of just posting a job opening and hoping the right person sees it, social media lets you connect with potential candidates more naturally. You can comment on their posts, share interesting articles, and start conversations.
Even though passive candidates aren’t actively job searching, they still keep up with what’s happening in their industry and might be interested in new opportunities.
Studies have shown that many professionals use social media to learn about job openings and connect with companies they like. That’s why it’s essential to have a positive presence for your company on social media. It can attract both active and passive job seekers, making them more likely to consider joining your team.
So, if you’re looking for top talent, don’t just wait for them to come to you. Use social media to reach out and start a conversation. You might find the perfect fit for your company.
Social media helps reduce recruiting expenses
Recruiting new employees can be costly, especially if you’re using many different ways to advertise job openings. But setting up a social media page is free, and you can run ads on social media with any budget you have.
For example, a single ad on Facebook can reach a lot more people than a classified ad on a job board, and it costs around $0.64 per click, which is pretty affordable. Plus, you can change your ad whenever you want if it’s not working as well as you hoped.
Using social media for recruiting also saves time and money because it’s quick and easy to talk to potential candidates. You can have real-time conversations, which means you get responses faster and it’s easier to communicate. This helps you build good relationships with potential employees and hire the right person sooner.
Social media helps in building brand recognition
Having a strong brand presence online is crucial, especially when it comes to using social media for recruiting. Brands that are well-known and liked tend to do better in the business world.
When HR and recruitment teams use social media wisely, they can help make the brand even stronger. It’s important for them to work together with the marketing team, who know a lot about building a brand online. The marketing team can teach recruiters how to use social media in the best way possible.
To start, it’s a good idea to see how the brand is doing online. If lots of people are interacting with posts and job listings, that’s a sign that the brand is strong. But if not many people are engaging, it might be time to rethink what’s being shared. Posting pictures of employees and company events can give people a sense of what it’s like to work there, but it might not be enough to get people really interested. The best content to share is stuff that teaches people something new or gives them useful information about the business.
Social media serves as a tool for candidate screening
Social networks offer a peek into a candidate’s personality and skills. By checking their profiles, recruiters can learn about traits like confidence and friendliness, as well as see their job history and skills. Platforms like LinkedIn are especially helpful for gathering this information.
Plus, recruiters can use connections to get personal referrals, making sure they pick the best person for the job.
Final Verdicts
Recruitment agencies are increasingly relying on social media to find top talent, and a large number of recruiters are now using these platforms in their hiring processes. Social media provides access to a wider pool of potential candidates, making it easier to attract strong applicants.
Even if direct hires don’t result, advertising on social media boosts brand visibility and allows recruiters to focus on specific positions, which can streamline the hiring process. However, recruiters must be mindful of unintentional discrimination and ensure a targeted strategy to stand out amidst social media noise.
