Social Recruiting: Complete Guide and Top Tips

Recruitment head hunting in social network for recruiting

Social recruiting is becoming the buzzword in HR and recruitment – but what is it and should companies engage in it? The short answer is yes.

As we know, almost everyone is on social media nowadays – particularly millennials and Gen Z who are the largest group in the job market right now.

While you can rely on job boards to announce recent vacancies, companies need to be more active if they want to reach candidates.

Using social media to recruit potential employees is now the way forward – brands need to have a strong presence across social media, not only for marketing but also for social recruiting.

Social media recruiting is important whether or not you are still relying on job boards – candidates will check out your social media before applying.

So, why not be active on social media now and begin the social recruiting process? We explain how in the below guide.

Social Recruiting Platforms

There are a number of social media platforms that businesses can use to reach candidates. LinkedIn is the most obvious – the USP of the channel is to create business contacts.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you only have to channel your social recruiting efforts through LinkedIn. Other platforms have their uses, as well.

For instance, content writers and journalists frequent Twitter – if you are looking for someone in the creative field, that may be the channel for you.

Artists, designers, animators, or video makers can be found on Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube, but not necessarily on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Consider the kind of candidates you are looking for and aim for the channel that they frequent.

Social Media Analytics

Social Media Campaign Analytics
Importance of Instagram Analytics for better results.

Why should social media analytics matter to recruiters? Because of who is using the channels.

Businesses have a presence on a number of channels, but are they attracting the same kinds of people across all of them?

You need to understand your target audience on each channel – dive into the analytics on the platforms or use a social media management tool to collate the data across channels.

Depending on the kind of users your content is attracting, you can shape your social recruiting strategy – instead of stabbing in the dark hoping to find the right people.

Passive Recruiting

Social recruiting doesn’t have to be active – don’t start using social channels only when you have vacant positions in the company.

Creating a brand identity on social media also helps with social recruiting – it’s a great way to attract passive candidates.

A few ways to use social media for passive recruiting are through thought leadership posts – infographics, blogs, vlogs, guest posts, and interviews showcase your company’s expertise.

Your brand presence on social media should also revolve around sharing helpful tips beyond the company’s purview – tips on getting a job with the business will get the message across. 

Sharing CSR activities demonstrates how the company goes beyond its usual mandate – giving back to society is an extremely important philosophy for attracting millennials and Gen Z.

Consider looking beyond social media pages – LinkedIn and Facebook have groups that your company’s teams can join and share tips and tricks that would interest passive candidates.

Groups are also great places to announce vacancies – they are targeted areas that will attract people for the particular position you are looking to fill.

Company Culture

Showcasing company culture is a necessary adjunct to promoting your brand identity on social media. The job isn’t the only attraction for passive candidates.

People now want to know what the company is like to work in – what are the people like, what does the team do, is the work individualistic or group-based?

Some candidates may be looking for a fun-loving atmosphere, while others are more comfortable with definite rules and goals.

Take people through a day in the life of your company’s workday – give them a sneak peek of office lunches, team-building activities, game night, and so on.

But remember that one of the biggest company culture myths is that candidates are more interested in unusual perks than standard benefits like insurance and pensions.

While you are showcasing your company culture, ensure that you reiterate that the other perks you offer are given alongside regular benefits. This will make you more attractive to candidates.

Social Videos

Speaking of company culture, a great way to showcase your brand identity, the company’s CSR efforts, and to add a personal touch to the business is using videos.

Video marketing can be a little bit tricky – they are expensive to produce and even when you use an online video editor, costs can become prohibitive.

If you have the budget to create videos for YouTube or other social channels, use it – it’s a great way of putting a face to the brand and creating personal connections with future employees.

You also have the option of joining platforms like TikTok – they are mostly for fun and can be used to highlight the lighter side of your business.

Another way to use video for social recruiting is to create live videos – these are inexpensive to produce because you only need a phone in selfie mode.

Live videos are great for interviews, Q&As, and streaming events – you can give your audience an inside view of your business and let them learn more about your team.

Social Ambassadors

Your employees are your best ambassadors – if your employees are happy in your company, they will spread the word on social media.

Encourage your employees to be active on social media – they can have personal and professional accounts to keep their two lives separate.

Don’t make this a necessity, however. Not everyone is comfortable using social media, nor do they want the burden of representing their company on such a massive scale.

Employees on social media can share recruitment posts when vacancies appear, but for the rest of the time, they should feel comfortable sharing posts about company culture and the work environment.

When people see employees from an organization sharing tales of their professional life and teamwork, they will be more inclined to apply to that company.

If your employees are eager to be your brand ambassadors on social media, you will see more positive social recruiting results.

Social Application Process

Where do your recruitment posts on social media go? Are you linking to your site or a third-party website that requires people to fill in endless data?

You want to avoid making potential candidates jump through hoops to apply to you – they’ve already found you on social media. Why should they have to leave the platform?

Instead, look at the platform’s features – native job forms, or direct messaging – that will allow people to remain on the channel and complete their application.

One click-through is still acceptable but does ensure that you are sending candidates through to a single form – you can use a form builder to ease the application process.

Streamlining applications is necessary – the more steps you ask candidates to take to fill in an application, the less likely it is that they will apply. Yours is not the only application they are filling.

Summing Up

Social recruiting is becoming more popular – most people have some social presence now, and even if they aren’t actively posting, they are definitely scrolling through.

Having a strong presence on social media – that isn’t only sales-forward – is the key to reaching your ideal candidates.

Follow the above guide to start recruiting through social media and reach the candidates waiting to join you.

Social recruiting - the complete guide
The Beginner’s Guide To Social Recruiting.

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