With the significant increase
in how much time people spend on social media, it’s no secret that when you’re looking
to recruit for your organization, social media can be an effective medium for
you to use to find quality candidates. It can be especially helpful to reach
those hard-to-find passive candidates i.e. those that aren’t actively looking
for a new position.
In some cases, social media can
be a very effective recruiting tool; in others, not so much.
This article will cover some
best practices to use when recruiting through social media.
Understand your Target Candidate(s)
On what social media platform
would they typically be spending their time? For example, a new graduate may be
more likely to use Facebook or Twitter while someone more experienced may prefer
LinkedIn. Understanding generational issues might also help in this regard. Consider
where your target market is and allocate your time/resources on those websites.
Have a Strategy/Plan
What’s your plan? What kind of
position(s) are you looking to fill? What’s your timing? The answers to these
questions will help you formulate an appropriate strategy for social media. Track the results after a week, month or year
to see how successful your plan has been.
Start small
Test different platforms and
messages that you send initially. Are they working for you? Change your strategy if they are not giving
you the results you were looking for.
Keep Messages Simple/Quick
The beauty of social media is
that it can be quick and simple; as such, keep your messages relevant and
timely. People have become accustomed to seeing short messages (e.g. 140
characters).
Use Tools Available
Websites like Hootsuite (www.hootsuite.com) can help you manage your messages
and the timing of their delivery across all your social media platforms. Use
your organization’s website to drive traffic to your social media platforms and
vice versa.
Consistent Message
Have a consistent message
across the various mediums so that someone looking at all your social media
will know that your strategy has been well thought out.
Headhunt
If you see someone who looks
appropriate for your organization, send them a direct message. Don’t just wait
for people to respond to your postings – actively recruit candidates to connect
with those more difficult to reach passive candidates.
Other Tips:
·
Engage
your audience.
·
Post or
share information about awards, press releases, corporate videos and
organization’s events to your social media to promote your organization as an
employer of choice.
·
Don’t
“major in the minors” – you can waste a lot of time on social media if you’re
not careful; set limits and don’t spend time on platforms that don’t get the
“eyeballs” even if they’re free.
·
Post
regularly – “out of sight, out of mind” applies to social media. If you’re not
in the game, people won’t follow.
·
Encourage
people to join/follow your social media – have contests to encourage others to
connect with you – the more followers you have, the better the chances of
widening the net for possible candidates.
·
Be aware
of what people see – what branding do you want to have? Fun/hip or serious/corporate?
·
Use
hashtags, links and @mentions to get maximum coverage.
·
Make it
easy for people to apply/connect with your audience.
·
Respond to
messages on a timely basis/tweets, etc.
·
Create/join
groups and start discussion topics.
CONCLUSION
Generally speaking, doing
something is better than doing nothing when it comes to using social media to
find candidates for your positions. Be visible through social media whether
you’re actively recruiting or not - have an ongoing presence.
***********************************************************
Marc Belaiche is a CPA, CA and is
President of TorontoJobs.ca, an internet recruitment business and recruiting
firm located in the Greater Toronto Area.
Marc is also the author of the book “Tales from the
Recruiter”. Marc has been in the recruitment industry since 1995. TorontoJobs.ca
allows companies to post their positions online, search a resume database to
find candidates, provides full temporary and permanent recruitment and outplacement
services. TorontoJobs.ca also allows candidates to search and apply to
positions directly online and get career, interviewing and resume tips all at
no charge. Marc is also President of TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca, an organization
geared towards business owners (see www.TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca) and has the annual Toronto
Entrepreneurs Conference and Trade Show (see www.TorontoEntrepreneurs.ca). You can reach Marc at marc.belaiche@torontojobs.ca and check out TorontoJobs.ca at www.TorontoJobs.ca.
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