As many recruiters attempt to keep up with the ongoing trends in social media recruitment, some believe that just taking the baby steps in establishing profiles on various sites or making “connections” gives them the title of being a social recruiter. While those first steps are important, there are four more suggestions I can offer to take social recruiting to a new level.
- Be responsive. Job seekers have a new frustration when it comes to applications that didn’t exist back in the days of handing over a resume in person; the black hole of the internet. In online recruitment, candidates often express that they get no reply to jobs they spend their efforts on. Social media gives recruiters the opportunity to differentiate themselves and be recruiters who are reachable and RESPONSIVE. Even if the candidate may not be a perfect fit for this position, giving feedback can keep them on your contact list for the future, or open you up to referrals from them.
- Engage, do not just sell. Social media allows the recruiter to start conversations with candidates. Many times, you will see recruiters simply posting job ad after job ad or using social media as simply an advertising medium, which is missing the golden opportunity of reaching star candidates through topics and questions and engagement.
- Build up an asset for your business. If back in the day a successful recruiter was able to build a database of candidate CVs/resumes, then today the equivalent is building a following of candidates on social media. This is now a candidate base you are able to reach out to regardless of how small or large your budget may be. This is now an audience that can prompt candidate interest early in the decision cycle; sometimes your post may be the first trigger in prompting them to consider a career move. Post often, and use step 3 to collect a large following.
- Business integration. By giving the candidate more insight on your particular business, you are sharing the culture and this integration will lead to a larger number of successful hires due to the candidates trusting and knowing you and your business.
The final piece of advice is for recruiters to spend at least 2-3 hours per week reading and researching the various forms of social media and the best tips to maximize their visibility and engagement on their pages. The more avid followers you are able to attract and retain, the larger your candidate base will be.
