5 Ways to Use Social to Enhance Your Recruitment Process

When was the last time you saw someone flip to the job section in the local newspaper?

Probably too long ago to recall. It’s not exactly a hot take to suggest that newspapers, magazines, shop ads and other traditional recruitment methods have become increasingly redundant.

However, what is useful to know is how your business can make better use of your newer, shinier channels, to attract the right candidates.

When the Internet came along it altered the way we source and search for information.

And more recently we’ve seen the advent of another game-changer - social media,

We use social channels to communicate everything, from our likes and dislikes to asking random strangers life’s big questions, such as ‘JUST what type of pizza am I?’  

There’s no doubt that social media has become a staple function of our personal lives.

And it’s probably no surprise that it makes for a fantastic recruitment process tool too.

But if you’re hiring, what’s the message you need to be getting across?

Here’s 5 ways you can implement social into your recruitment process to improve your candidate engagement.

Make social the front cover of your business 

More often than not, your social media pages will be the first touchpoints for applicants looking to get the lowdown on your business and culture.  

Make sure potential candidates have plenty of up-to-date, quality content to find when looking at your accounts. There’s no excuse not to keep them current and appealing.

Brag about your work perks. If someone within the company gets promoted – post about it to show candidates that progression and growth opportunities exist. Tim from Accounts brought in doughnuts? Shout it from the roof tops!

Utilise Social Job Boards

Both Facebook and LinkedIn have invested heavily in their job alert platforms. And with their built-in audience knowledge they do most of the hard work for you.

Instead of waiting for the right talent to find you, campaign analytics track audience trends and relevance to ensure the right people are seeing your job roles.

Another one to watch is Google For Jobs. Billed as a 'total game-changer for recruiters, employers and job sites', the newly launched functionality is sure to grow in prominence.

Communication is key!

If you’re posting a job role on Facebook, it’s important applicants can ask any questions through that platform too - and get a quick response. Make sure you have someone manning the inboxes for all your social media platforms. Strike whilst the iron’s hot.

It doesn’t have to end like this…

Recruitment through social doesn’t end with the initial attraction – you can use the platform to keep developing your relationship with candidates right through to offer acceptance.

Send them over some interview tips through LinkedIn, point them in the direction of a brilliant attraction video your company created last month (or in my experience, if you’re lacking on that front you really can’t go wrong with a classic funny animal video).

Give them a chance to get to know your business personality and build great relationships along the way.  

People listen to people 

Google reviews, Glassdoor, 5 stars on Facebook. Quite simply, recommendations from your team will make for a brilliant cherry at the top of your metaphorical social process cake.  

Nothing sells a happy work environment more than happy workers.

So get your employees (and clients) to share their positive experiences for the whole world to see.

Hopefully these tips will give you a good insight into how social media can become the Robin to your Batman.