Recruitment methods have flipped drastically, and recruiters have been forced to change their strategies, with about 62% of them posting jobs on social media platforms now according to a careerarc study.

From this, it’s apparent that a big part of the new norm is social recruitment.

But what is social recruitment?

Let’s find out.

What is social recruitment?

It’s the use of social media to find and connect with candidates.

It gives employers a wider pool of quality candidates and an advantage when searching for new hires. This is because social media has a massive number of users, over 4.48 billion as of last year.

Image via We Are Social

It also allows employers to be more nimble – quick on their feet, responsive, and intelligent in their hiring process. 

At the same time, 54% of active job seekers search for opportunities on social media platforms, according to the previously-cited careerarc study.

This hiring process is better than the traditional method in many ways,  including:

1. Reduced time to hire
2. Accessing a larger talent pool
3. Better targeting of candidates
4. More engagement with candidates
5. The ability to implement social recruiting technologies like an application programming interface (API) into their recruitment strategy (LinkedIn, Glassdoor, GitHub).

That said, there are some drawbacks of social recruitment too. 

While social recruitment increases hiring speed, it also puts additional pressure on companies to stay relevant in their industry. This is because social media is very dynamic; its trends are constantly changing. If you don’t use social media recruiting as part of your interview process, it could lead to a significant loss of potential hiring volume as more than three-quarters of job seekers are likely to use it for their job search.

So, even though this method takes less time to find new employees, companies need to stay vigilant of emerging trends and keep up with industry standards.

The question is: how can employers successfully use social media to recruit employees?

Read on to find out.

Best social recruitment strategies for your business

Attracting the best talent in this candidate-driven market is not easy, but, with the use of the following strategies, the process can be less challenging.

Conduct thorough research

It’s important to identify which social media networks are best for your audience, how often posts should be made, what types of posts perform best, and more.

This research is essential as greater reach and engagement on social media would translate to more job applications.  

For example, you can conduct A/B testing using online form builders to determine which job application forms might work the best on social media. To save time and resources you can leverage AI-enabled chatbots and get fast insight for your job descriptions.

Similarly, you can conduct tests for the type of posts that work the best to drive action.

These tests can help you learn how much information potential applicants want and ways to highlight benefits of working with your organization throughout your campaign. This will, in return, help you create better job descriptions.

Improve your social recruiting efforts with video

Video marketing is a priority marketing tool and 86% of marketers continue to utilize it, and for a good reason. 

Image via Wyzowl

With powerful results such as 10% to 250% increase in organic traffic, and better SEO rankings, it’s no wonder that employers are turning to videos.

You can use videos in several ways.

One way is to create videos of new recruits. It will show potential employees precisely what they can expect, using their own words about their experience working there. 

Another way to use video marketing is to answer different questions potential employees might ask about your organization. What are the perks of working there? What’s it like around the office? 

Answering these questions through a video will help job seekers understand what you’re all about and be more comfortable applying for a position.

For instance, note how Microsoft is leveraging introduction of their employees to promote jobs in their organization. 

Image via Instagram

Build trust by showcasing culture

Social media can help employers build brand loyalty and trust by sharing their company culture with potential employees.

When you publish such content, it gives candidates an inside look into who they’ll be working with and how everyone interacts with each other outside of work. 

And the best part?

You can also understand the reactions of your audience to your content using a social media tool like Semrush. These insights can help you modify your content according to their taste.

These humanizing details build rapport and make candidates feel closer to your company before they even apply for a job. This sort of emotional connection can give your organization an edge over the competition.

For example, Google regularly puts up posts about its employees and showcases its culture through them.

Image via Instagram

Let employees be a part of the recruiting process

Employees can be your biggest connection to top talent in the form of their contacts, acquaintances, friends, and family.

Let your staff promote open positions on their personal social media profiles. They can provide a link to the job in the posts and could even refer others from their circles to apply for jobs in your organization. 

This strategy is very effective because you can easily boost your reach through it without spending a penny more. 

Additionally, you can give them incentives in the form of a referral bonus in case their referrals join your organization.

Providing existing employees with such an opportunity is not only a way of increasing recruitment. It also boosts their sense of belonging and can improve their productivity.

Utilize social media advertising

It’s important to reach as many potential applicants as possible and that includes those who don’t follow your organization yet. 

Using paid promotions is a good way to catch the attention of new job seekers. You can leverage advertising platforms to create paid promotions on social media platforms and boost you reach with ease.

You can buy targeted ads through popular social advertising platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn using these platforms.

To do this job effectively, it’s best to hire an employee who’s done master communication management as they’d be well-versed in social media management and advertising.

The best part about these ads is that you get to select the type of ad (link, lead gen form, etc.). This wider reach can help you power up your social recruitment with ease.

Final thoughts

Using these five social media strategies will help your company build rapport with potential employees and strengthen your reputation as an employer of choice through better communication.

Since social recruitment involves both the HR and IT departments, here are some tips on how the two can find hybrid harmony.

Have any questions about the social recruitment strategies mentioned above? Ask them in the comments.