Why large organisations are using social media to recruit

You will have no doubt heard the word ‘brand’ bandied about a lot recently. Usually followed by the two biggest buzz words of the 21^st century; social media.

There’s no getting away from the fact that social media has taken the business world by storm recently. Companies who have managed to harness its true potential for generating brand awareness are reaping the rewards; those who haven’t are losing out.

It really is as simple as that. What social media can offer, in the way of brand exposure, is unparalleled in terms of its cost and effectiveness. What’s more, you can make your brand accessible and build relationships with your fan base using minimal effort.

Once you have an established network of followers, you are in a position to boost your brand and bolster your company’s reputation. Not only that, but you are effectively building your very own talent pools with which to source candidates from.

The beauty of using social media to recruit in this way is that, not only is it easy on resources, but you are also able to vet your own candidates. LinkedIn is a prime example of this. Really, what you have is an online CV database with a myriad of additional extras.

You can instantly ascertain whether a person possesses the necessary skill-set for a certain role, but added to this you are able to see what other professional activities they partake in. It helps to give a far more rounded portrayal of a person and adds depth to your understanding of whether or not they would be suitable for the role.

It’s worth investing the time to have a presence on all of the major platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, so as to tap into each of the unique audiences they attract. This will increase your brands exposure and will allow you to make use of different techniques within your social media strategy.

Statistics from jobvite show that 80% of companies are using social media platforms to recruit and 9% of the remaining respondents said that they plan to begin. When asked whether or not they had successfully hired a candidate using a social network 2/3 (64%) answered yes. The trend for utilising social media as a hiring resource is certainly on the rise.

For companies, the incentives to go social are both rich and plentiful. It won’t have escaped your notice that our economy is suffering and so, with recession, comes cut backs. The biggest draw of social media is that it’s wallet friendly and fairly easy to implement.

What it requires is people and, more importantly, people engagement. To achieve this, companies need to provide a generous mix of high quality content and consistent interaction. Transparency is the key here. It’s no good a company trying to control every aspect of the message they are putting out. People just won’t buy it or bother taking an interest. What needs to happen is for people to make up their own mind and the company just to provide the back drop for people to say what they think.

A really good example of where this was effectively rolled out was when Ford decided to reinvent the brand’s damaged reputation. They gave out 100 free Fiestas to people who were big on the social media scene. This included popular bloggers and social networkers who were already documenting their lives online.

Their stories made for an authentic and compelling narrative which was completely organic and not at all dictated by Ford. It generated much respect for the brand, as it made it appear more personable and real.

5 ways to make Twitter work for your recruitment strategy

When it comes to social media hiring, Twitter is sometimes seen as the unsung hero. On one hand you’ve got LinkedIn – a hugely powerful networking platform that has changed the way recruiters search for talent. Then there’s Facebook – a much more informal platform that’s just announced its move into the jobs arena.

On this basis, it’s fair to say Twitter tends to occupy the vacuum in the middle. So why integrate it as part of your recruitment strategy?

Twitter is a valuable tool if you’re looking to inject some personality into your latest job opportunities and direct audiences to your website or blog without seeming to ‘salesy’. That’s if you get it right.

There are a number of companies already successfully using Twitter as part of their hiring strategy, recognising early on that it gives a new dimension to the hiring process – one that can significantly extend the reach of your message.

Just look at companies such as KPMG (@KPMGRecruitment), ITV Careers (@ITVCareers) and Nokia (@NokiaCareers). A brief look at their profiles shows they’re engaging with the followers, increasing their reach and most of all, sharing their latest recruitment opportunities.

If you’re considering Twitter as part of your social media recruitment strategy, here are five ways to ensure you start on the right foot.

1. Optimise your profile

Optimising your Twitter profile is crucial if you want to capture the attention of prospective hires, yet many businesses neglect to complete it in full.

Some Twitter profiles can be perceived as quite static and dull (not including those lucky enough to benefit from a Twitter brand profile ) yet it is possible to create a profile that supports your recruitment strategy.

For instance, include keywords in your 160 word bio that directs audiences to your careers page. Get creative with your background; include snaps of your company culture and be sure to include links to your website in the background. Think about your audience, what do you want them to do?

2. Content really is king

Google’s algorithm checks the authority of every user that tweets, therefore valuable, relevant content will give you a great edge. However, people still struggle to come up with tweets that engage audiences.

If you sell too much in a tweet, you’ll may run the risk of alienating your followers. And if you don’t ‘sell’ enough, you may not see the returns you wished you had.

At least at first, I’d recommend allocating 1 in 5 tweets to the sharing of your jobs. The remaining updates/responses should seek to reply to followers, direct people to your website and share relevant content.

3. Mind your Ps and Qs

Adhering to Twitter etiquette can help you to gain much needed currency on the platform. To start, ensure to personalise content as much as you can. Thank people for RTing your content, and politely involve yourself in conversations.

Hubspot suggests that as much as 64% of users are more likely to purchase from businesses that answer their questions on Twitter. Why should this be any different when applied to your recruitment strategy?

4. Follow the leader

To increase your following, it’s important to identify and follow the ‘good’ tweeters – the influencers who can get your message out to the right people.

Experiment with keywords – what is your ideal candidate inputting into Twitter? What are they talking about? Don’t be afraid to look at what your competitors are doing. Apply the good pointers and improve on the bad.

As a side note – size isn’t everything. Remember, when it comes to Twitter, you’re measured on value. How much do you give back to the community? How often to do you respond to people? Influence is everything.

5. Integrate

Especially when using Twitter as part of your recruitment strategy, it’s important to direct visitors to your careers page. This will ensure your message is seamless; ensuring a smooth journey.

If, however, you do not have a careers page, why not create a landing page and collection form? For a relatively small price, this will ensure to enhance the audience’s journey and will speak volumes about your process. Include a straight forward collection form, and start building your talent pool straight away.