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How to win at recruiting through social media

Finding potential employees in the digital age is a multi-platform pursuit.

According to a survey completed by Pew Research Centre, 54 per cent of adults have used the internet for job information. 79 per cent use online resources in their job search and a further 35 per cent of social media users have used these platforms to find and research roles.

The first step is having a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram – also known as ‘the big four’ – but for the best results, you will need to do more than just turn up. Here are some top tips we spotted for getting the best out of social media when it comes to recruiting…

1. Get stuck in on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a recruiter’s goldmine, but if you’re not utilising the search feature’s Advanced options properly, you may be missing out.

Using the advanced options, you can use information like job titles and geographic locations to generate a list of potentials. Using this information, you can use LinkedIn to create a saved list. From here, check out the candidates’ profiles and use the ‘people also viewed’ bar that appears on the right to create secondary list.

Another useful tip is connecting with influencers. These are people who you might not necessarily consider employing but do have an extensive and talented network. Join their groups, interact and let them know you’re hiring.

2. Don’t be too frugal on Facebook

It doesn’t matter how good the job you’re offering is, if you have little reach on Facebook you might as well be shouting into the void. To counteract this, you will have to spend some money.

Investing in Facebook ads can effectively target specific demographics. In a pay-per-click campaign you can use locations, job titles, education as well as accounts similar to what you are searching for.

In addition to this, you can ‘boost’ or sponsor specific job posts. Target relevant demographics as well as their spouses. For an unpaid option, get everyone in your business to like, comment and share the job posts to create organic engagement.

3. Avoid tweeting job roles only

Tweeting jobs is a great idea, but in order to maintain potential candidates’ interests you will need to do more than just share job roles. So shake things up a bit, share interesting industry news, content that will entertain them and facts about your company and its culture, so potential candidates can get to know your brand, as well as your vacancies.

4. Think in images, not text on Instagram

On Instagram, it is all about the image. If you’re relying too heavily on text, you may be not be capturing your audience. Get creative. Invest time in creating images that pop and rouse the audience’s curiosity while drawing attention to the job in question.

Furthermore, you should make the most of the platform’s inbuilt features. Create your own hashtag, add locations to your photos or explanatory captions that will direct traffic back to your website. You can’t display links in the captions, but you can in the bio section. Again, you can pay for sponsored posts on Instagram, too.

You may have your social media strategy sussed, but don’t forget Gradlink! We can instantly put you in touch with a talented graduate user base and help connect your business with the perfect candidates. Why not give us a call today?