News Africa

Is social recruitment the key to 2020?

Recruitment has evolved quickly to meet the challenges of modern job roles. Meaning that not only are business’ looking for an everchanging set of skills and talents from candidates but the way to attract new talent is highly competitive. New methods to recruit are consistently needed to meet the demand and catch up to the ever-changing job landscape. Marketing experts Sprout social share that 25% of job seekers use social media to find new career opportunities. Not only that but there has also been a 42% increase in candidate quality and a 31% increase in employee referrals. So, what does this tell us?

Is social recruitment the answer?

Social recruitment is used to find new candidates through social media platforms, particularly outside the obvious ones like LinkedIn. For the age of digital natives where there is less separation between the work self and social media, this could be a great way to tap into talent. This method works in two ways, through targeting on certain platforms and through the social sharing of current employees. Referrals from your current workforce are an instant tick of authenticity that can bring people to your business because of a connection they have within the company. Although LinkedIn may seem like the obvious choice, the opportunities on other social platforms are there and can join Linkedin to provide a comprehensive social following. It largely depends on your industry, if you’re looking for candidates for very creative, visual roles, Instagram is likely to be more suitable whereas a sales role might be found through LinkedIn or Facebook.

How can it help?

Sprout Social confirm that “When businesses implement social recruiting strategies correctly, they get their brand message across numerous social platforms while showing potential candidates an enticing picture of what their company culture is like”.  They go on to share that a huge 73% of 18-34-year olds found their last job through social media. Finding talent through social is also a way to connect to your audience. For larger companies, it can give you the platform to create spaces for potential recruits to find out more about your company culture or have a way to engage with the company before applying. There is usually a cost implication to creating such a widespread campaign, but click for click social media is often more cost-effective for promotion. A way to introduce it if you don’t already is to compliment your current more traditional recruitment with social media sharing, campaigns and connections.

Social recruiting is a fantastic way to find talent, particularly digital natives. If you’re looking for fresh graduates, GradLink connects employers to the top international graduates from UK universities. Our database can send alerts for suitable resumes, and it’s free for employers. For access to our award-winning site, database and resources register today!