By now, most businesses recognize the power of social media; it has the ability to help you reach new customers and maintain your current ones, all from behind a keyboard. But, it can also be a great tool for finding new employees using a concept known as social recruiting.
This approach involves using social media to locate, engage and entice potential candidates into applying for positions. If you haven’t yet embraced social recruiting, here’s what you need to know to get started.
Your Brand Presence Matters
To successfully recruit over social media, you need to have a strong brand presence on these platforms first. Most candidates won’t respond to an organization’s efforts if their social feeds don’t offer anything of value. Bombarding them with vacancy announcements isn’t the kind of content that’s going to attract followers, either.
The key is to get people interested and familiar with your brand first and attempt to recruit second. That way, when an opportunity arises, they’ll be excited to learn about what the position has to offer.
Get Influencers Engaged
Every industry and subject area has influencers on social media, and connecting with these individuals can extend your reach far beyond its current capabilities. By choosing the right influencers, you can tap into their followers.
Often, these people are already professionals or subject matter experts in the field, which is why your brand presence needs to be strong. If you don’t provide them with something of value, they aren’t as likely to forward any opportunities that may come available at your company. However, once you’ve forged a relationship, they can act as a cheerleader for your business, drawing additional attention to your open positions than you could alone.
Target Your Ads
Blanketing your feeds and pages with recruitment efforts isn’t the way to get people interested in what you have to say. Most people follow a significant number of accounts, so overloading them with irrelevant job listings isn’t going to keep them around. Instead, direct your ads to very specific markets. That way, you’re speaking to those you would most like to find, and you aren’t repeatedly sending out snippets of information to people who aren’t your ideal candidates.
Encourage Employee Referrals
Just as engaging with influencers can help extend your reach, so can getting your staff to refer people through social media. Most employees have some level of professional network, often with others working in similar fields or industries. By having your workers share the news, it is easier for job seekers to see a personal connection to the information. This may increase the chances they’ll apply, making it simpler to land a great candidate who may have otherwise hesitated.
Social recruiting doesn’t have to be complex to be effective. By connecting with the right people, you can extend your reach further than ever before, making it easier to find exceptional applicants when the need arises.
If you would like to learn more about social recruiting or are looking for a new person to join your team, the professionals at The Squires Group can help. Contact us today to see how our experienced staff can help you reach your hiring goals.
