Hiring the right talent for open positions is one of the most important aspects of running a company. Most recruiters post new opportunities on job board sites. However, the best employees don’t use these sites frequently, but they are most likely to check social media multiple times a day, especially if they are tech-savvy millennial talent. 

In the Digital Age, operating a business comes with numerous challenges and opportunities. The rapidly evolving business environment is moving organizations away from traditional recruiting strategies, opening up new ways to make recruiting more efficient in terms of time and cost. 

If you want to take your recruiting efforts to the next level, add innovation and flexibility to your overall strategy. While tools like Applicant Tracking System have become essential to HR teams, you need to think beyond conventional means of acquiring and managing talent. 

An increasing number of businesses are now turning to social media to resolve their longstanding HR challenges. This guide will highlight the vitality of having a sound social recruiting strategy and how you can develop one to achieve your recruiting goals. 

Is social media recruiting effective?

People use social media to accomplish a variety of objectives, ranging from brand awareness to sales and advertising. The question is how social media can help you improve your recruiting efforts. 

Facebook and LinkedIn are two of the most powerful social platforms that offer unique features to make things easier for advertisers and recruiters. With over 1.62 billion daily users, Facebook surpasses Google in terms of site visits per day. As a business owner or recruiter, you can’t overlook the significance of social platforms like Facebook or Linkedin which have billions of users looking for all sorts of content from entertainment and product guides to job opportunities and news. Instagram is also a good platform if you want to add a fun element to your content. 

Your company may already have a presence on social media, but you need to come up with a more comprehensive and well-thought-out social strategy that covers the HR aspect of your business. 

As social usage continues to skyrocket, smart tactics can help you reach high-quality candidates faster and at a lower cost. Give yourself a competitive edge in finding and hiring the best candidate.

Before we move on to building a great social recruiting strategy, let’s take a look at some vital stats. 

• Social Meep reveals that 89% of recruiters have been hired through LinkedIn. 
• More than 90% of recruiters use or plan to use social media. 
• A study found that 73% of jobseekers between the ages of 18 and 34 found their last job on social media. 
• Companies that track their communication are 40% more likely to be best in class. 

How to build a sound social media recruiting strategy

The following steps will help you devise an impeccable social recruiting strategy for your business. 

1. Create a candidate persona

Social media is a crowded world. Businesses often struggle to navigate through the noise and reach the right audience. To produce great results, you need to define and speak to the right people. It may take a bit of effort and time to tailor your strategy to the right talent pool. So, firstly, you need to establish candidate personas for the positions you want to fill. This will help you speak directly to your ideal candidates. 

There are several ways to research personas. For example, you can interview your current employees or conduct surveys to get insights into what makes a great employee at your organization. You can focus on your employees’ goals, interests, and pinpoints to draw a picture of your personas. You can also extract information from your ATS to build an even more accurate persona - Information such as employee performance, expectations, and skills required to be a successful employee at your company will be valuable. 

2. Connect with passive candidates 

Did you know 73% of candidates are passive jobseekers? 

The talent shortage is one of the biggest obstacles for recruiters. Since competition for talent is fierce, identifying and connecting with the right candidates can be challenging. However, social media can make things easier. You can target a specific group of people on social sites using advanced targeting features to reach hard-to-reach people. 

Starting a dialogue with potential candidates is an effective way to build relationships. When doing so, be real and say what you mean. Your potential candidates expect transparent and approachable communication no matter the platform. Hiding behind pseudonyms may lead to a trust deficit between you and your ideal candidates. 

3. Take advantage of advanced search features 

Social media networks like Facebook have made it easy for people to reach the right users with advanced targeting features. Regardless of which platform you want to focus on, be sure to understand your target demographics. Once you know who is engaging with your content, you can personalize your message and reach the right users at the right time. 

4. Engage staff to promote your employer brand 

The right social strategy focuses on maximizing reach and putting your brand in front of the right people. One way to implement a more targeted approach is to involve your current employees in the recruitment process. For instance, you can ask them to share a job posting on their social media profiles. This strategy can produce great results for your HR teams. 

Don’t forget to set guidelines before engaging your staff in the recruiting process. For example, how often should your people share corporate news? Who and how many people will be involved in the process? A lack of pre-defined processes may negatively impact your brand. 

5. Use hashtags 

Little efforts like the use of the right hashtags can go a long way. But it would help if you used hashtags in a strategic way. Understand the reach of your hashtags or how many people are using them. Your hashtags should target your key audience. Using a particular hashtag consistently can help you ensure your content is seen by relevant audiences. Your audience will start associating those specific hashtags with your company when done right. 

6. Measure your performance 

Social recruiting is meaningless if you’re not testing or tracking your results. While networking with candidates in your industry is crucial, take time to determine how effective social recruiting is for your business. Recruiters and marketers can choose from a variety of analytics tools to track their performance on various social sites. If you want to win the war for talent, make sure to use insights and data as one of your prime tools. 

Pro Tip: Use smart HR tools like Wiggli to streamline your recruiting process and gain valuable insights. The right mix of automation and social efforts can produce dramatic results. 

7. Use social media to verify candidate information 

Content posts of your potential candidates on social media can help you verify details that they mention on their resumes. The objective is not to discriminate candidates based on their religious views or social activities, but to find the right fit for your culture. Make your final recruiting decisions based on relevant assessments, tests, or skills. 

Recruiters understand how some job applicants exaggerate their education or prior job experience to get an edge. So, it would be a good idea to use social media to verify applicant information. 

8. Establish a brand image 

The internet is an incredible place where impressions matter. As a business or employer brand, you can’t afford to have a bad online reputation. What people are talking about your company? How do your past employees express their experience working with your company? Who is promoting or defaming your brand? Answer these questions before you use social media to build a brand image. 

Make sure to use social media networks to fix/improve your reputation. Continuously monitor what people say about your brand. Bad reviews from your past employees can seriously impact your reputation and ability to attract talent in the future. So, be sure to have control over how potential candidates perceive your organization. 

Final thoughts 

Social media has developed into a powerful tool for recruiters and HR teams around the globe. It allows you to reach a pool of potential candidates that don’t take a traditional route to find new opportunities. 

If you want to uplevel your recruiting game, start working on relevant social channels. Use these tips and tactics to create a highly effective social recruiting strategy.