These days, social media is a big deal for everyone. It’s not just about making your Instagram look good or sharing funny TikToks. For smart businesses, social media is important for finding new employees and keeping their brand image strong. We’ll tell you why spending less time on boring stuff and more time on Facebook for work is a good idea!
What Is Social Media Recruitment?
Nowadays, we’re used to scrolling through our social media feeds and checking our messages. Social media recruiting means businesses and recruiters use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to find new talent and make their company look good as an employer.
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Is it common for companies to utilize social media for recruitment?
Nowadays, using social media for recruitment is common, especially for medium to large companies that have people or teams specifically for managing their social media and hiring. It can take up a lot of time if it’s done properly, so it requires some focused effort. But, having a strategy for recruiting through social media can be really effective and save money. Studies have found that 94% of professional recruiters use social media for hiring.
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Do social media platforms efficiently connect with people looking for jobs?
It can definitely work! According to studies, 73% of people aged 18 to 34 found their most recent job through social media. A big 79% of job seekers use social media to look for jobs. And that’s not even considering the possibility of reaching out to passive candidates—people who aren’t actively job hunting but might be interested in new opportunities.
What Are The Benefits For Businesses To Engage In Social Media Recruiting?
1. Improve brand visibility
It’s easy to focus solely on filling immediate job openings, especially for small businesses that urgently need to hire someone. However, social media recruitment involves looking ahead and planning for the future.
If your company’s social media portrays a fun and supportive work environment, you could gain a positive reputation online. For instance, someone who sees your post about a team outing might remember your company when they’re job hunting a few months down the line. The key is to be memorable and attractive on social media.
2. The opportunity to reach a huge audience
When utilized effectively, social media has the power to significantly expand your outreach to new parts of your community or even globally. The crucial step is to build a strong target audience on your social media platforms. For instance, if you have 3500 followers on Instagram and you post about a job opening, that’s potentially 3500 individuals who could see it. Moreover, some of those followers might know others who could be a perfect fit for the role and share the post with them. It’s definitely worth experimenting with, don’t you think?
3. An efficient and budget-friendly way to recruit
For fundamental tasks like posting job openings on your social media feed, social media recruiting doesn’t cost a thing. This can lead to significant savings, particularly when you compare it to the average cost to advertise a job vacancy.
If you want to expand your reach beyond your current audience or aim for more ambitious goals, you might consider investing some money into promoting posts or improving the quality of your content. However, numerous businesses discover that they achieve excellent results with minimal expenses, which is always attractive.
Ways To Incorporate Social Media Into Your Hiring Plan
1. Engage with candidates
Keep in mind that social media is not just a tool for your business to promote itself. It’s called ‘social’ media because it’s meant for interaction! Engage with your audience in both directions, whether that means welcoming questions about a job opening or responding to comments and inquiries on a job post. According to a study by Clutch, 80% of individuals anticipate brands to respond on social media, and 90% of them expect this communication to happen within a day. So, allocate some time to maintain an ongoing conversation.
2. Post your job openings
The simplest approach for any business with a social media presence is to create an attractive post that clearly promotes your job opening. Ensure the job description is straightforward and ideally accompanied by an image or video.
Additionally, it may seem obvious, but it’s crucial to provide clear instructions on how people can apply. Sometimes, job postings lack clear guidance, leading to confusion for applicants. This confusion can result in candidates showing up at the wrong location, calling the wrong number, or their applications getting lost in an inactive email inbox. Therefore, it’s essential to clearly specify where applicants should send their applications, what materials are required, and then diligently monitor that communication channel.
3. Promote employee engagement
It’s good to promote your business, but it might be beneficial to include other voices too. If you have employees who are passionate about their work, consider asking them to share their experiences. They could do this on their personal social media accounts or even take over your business page for a bit.
Studies indicate that 84% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know more than any other form of advertising. So, having employees advocate for your company can bring a valuable level of authenticity to your posts.
4. Highlight your company culture
What sets your company apart as an excellent workplace? Whether it’s the inviting atmosphere, cohesive teamwork, or frequent festivities, find a way to display these aspects online. If there’s room for enhancement in developing a robust company culture, there’s always an opportunity to make improvements. Explore our guide on fostering company culture and transform your business into an enticing destination.
What Social Media Channels Should You Utilize?
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the go-to platform where everyone presents their professional image. Since it’s all about advancing careers, LinkedIn is the ideal place for an effective recruitment plan. Besides sharing job listings and news, you can assess potential candidates and even connect with passive ones who might suit your company. Content geared towards your business will be most appreciated here.
2. Facebook
Facebook is an excellent platform for cultivating a loyal following and expanding your reach to individuals who may not have been familiar with your company. With over 3 billion daily users, you likely already have some familiarity with the platform. However, to succeed here, it’s important to post consistently and diversify your content to stand out amidst the multitude of posts. This entails more than just occasional job listings; share updates about your company and its employees that your audience will find engaging and enjoyable.
3. TikTok
TikTok has surged in popularity in recent years, boasting 1.5 billion users who collectively spend 4.43 billion minutes watching content daily. While it’s fantastic for engaging with audiences, it can be challenging for those unfamiliar with the platform, especially older demographics who may not be up-to-date on its latest trends and dances.
If you decide to create a TikTok account for your business, it’s crucial to appoint someone who is well-versed in the platform and can quickly and effectively leverage its trends. Otherwise, you risk standing out in a way that’s similar to wearing formal attire on a casual dress day at school.
What Are The Potential Drawbacks Of Utilizing Social Media Platforms For Recruitment Purposes?
The primary risk of using social media for recruitment is reputational damage. Businesses can quickly go viral for negative reasons, so it’s essential to have safeguards in place. Implement an approval process for social media content to catch any potentially damaging posts. Maintain a positive and constructive online presence to ensure a favorable impression of your business.
Also read: What Is Recruitment Software?
Get Candidates Fast With Our Recruitment Software
Once your social media recruitment has got some top talent interested, that’s where the really exciting bit starts! Make your recruitment process easy for both your team and your job candidates, with Jouku.
Jouku helps to attract the talent that your business needs to thrive and offer a fantastic candidate experience throughout their application process.
Find out more and reach out to our team today.
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