4.59 billion. That was the number of people using social media worldwide in 2022! And it’s common knowledge that these platforms are no longer used merely for keeping in touch with friends and family.
They are now spaces where brands interact with people ― not only with customers or clients but also prospective team members. In other words, social media has established itself as a robust talent acquisition tool.
Furthermore, with the current tech talent shortage crisis, failing to use online platforms can put your business in danger of missing out on tremendous opportunities. Just think about those billions of people on social media. Unquestionably, many of them would be excellent candidates for your vacancies!
Therefore, leveraging social media for talent acquisition is an attention-worthy tactic that can significantly assist you in enhancing your teams and overall talent management strategy.
Why use social media for talent acquisition?
Social media drives some important benefits for the recruitment process.
First, it allows recruiters to reach far more people than conventional methods such as job boards. With social media platforms, you can instantly engage millions of people!
Second, these channels offer sophisticated targeting features enabling you to effectively target specific talent. For instance, LinkedIn’s automated targeting allows you to focus your search on people with the particular qualifications you seek.
Another advantage is that social media reduces the time and cost of acquiring new team members. Your job postings can run for as long as you prefer, and you can communicate with candidates in real time, reducing response time. Additionally, the average Facebook ad costs $0.974 per click, making it an affordable option for most businesses.
How to leverage social media for talent acquisition
Here are some best practices for leveraging social media for talent acquisition.
Focus on a few platforms
With so many available social media sites, it’s crucial to narrow your focus on platforms your prospective applicants use. And since LinkedIn is the most popular online channel for job seekers, it’s a good idea to establish a strong presence there. Further, define one or two other platforms for your talent acquisition strategy, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Once you’ve decided on platforms, learn more about the types of content that’ll work the best for your company. Then, post consistently: advertise jobs, communicate business news, and participate in industry-specific conversations. This increases your company’s credibility and relevance while boosting your pages’ visibility to potential candidates.
Convey your culture
To successfully leverage social media for talent acquisition, you must display your business’s unique culture and values. Remember that candidates are looking for companies that foster a culture they can relate to. Hence, use your online presence to educate people about your culture and the values you stand for.
The best starting point is to clarify the following topics:
- What do you offer as an employer?
- What are your company’s goals and missions?
- What greater good does your company hope to achieve?
By providing regular insights on these topics on your social media feed, you’ll attract people who share your values, appreciate your culture, and make a perfect fit for your team.
Turn current team members into brand ambassadors
People enjoy hearing about other people’s thoughts and experiences about various topics, and employment is no exception. With social media, you can turn your current team members into brand ambassadors who will provide potential candidates with valuable insights into your company.
Encourage teams to share their work experiences on social channels and to post behind-the-scenes details of their daily tasks. You can even set up an employee referral program. However, when using social media for talent acquisition in this manner, make sure to monitor actions closely. Regularly remind team members of your company’s social media policy and, if necessary, provide additional guidelines.
Develop an adequate talent acquisition plan
Before starting your social media talent acquisition strategy, you should create an adequate plan to keep you on track. Identify the exact needs and goals you want to meet as well as the position and tasks you wish to fill. Also, set measurable goals so that you can assess the success of your strategy.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to have a detailed description of your ideal candidate. Use that description to evaluate candidates and eliminate undesirable fits. Of course, this description will only serve as a guide ― your candidates don’t have to check all requirements, but you should indicate which are mandatory and which aren’t. Moreover, you can use these parameters when targeting your ads and considerably accelerate the process of acquiring suitable applicants.
Promote retention
One of the most effective ways to leverage social media for talent acquisition is to use it as a smart retention tool. If your social media presence makes teams feel great about working with you, it can positively impact retention rates. At the same time, this can serve as a great representation of your business for prospective candidates.
Therefore, encourage people to share photos from their get-togethers and vacations. Come up with a unique hashtag that your team members can use when publishing work-related content. Celebrate your team’s achievements on the company’s official account. These actions help you demonstrate how much you appreciate your teams and what day-to-day life may be like for people who decide to join you.
Social media as a future-proof talent acquisition strategy
With the Millenial and Gen Z generations dominating social media and taking over the workforce, it’s safe to say that using social media for talent acquisition is becoming necessary. Furthermore, hiring is highly competitive nowadays, so businesses can’t afford to skip this opportunity to connect with possible applicants.
By applying some of the practices mentioned here, you can stay one step ahead of the competition when recruiting and retaining top talent.
