Social media has become an integral part of the staffing and recruiting industry over the past several years. Since the unfortunate start of the coronavirus pandemic, I’ve seen a dramatic uptick in social media utilization by staffing providers. Many talent acquisition professionals have witnessed the correlation between brand promotion and talent attraction.

The prevalence of social media in recruiting has become so mainstream that it has even gained its own buzzwords. Phrases like “social recruiting” have become common within the industry. But what exactly do these words mean, and how have companies deployed strategic social media approaches to boost their recruitment efforts?

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Simply put, “social recruiting” is known as the act of using social media channels to enhance talent acquisition initiatives and engage with a broader candidate audience. As there are now dozens of platforms that have come to dominate life in the twenty-first century, I’ve seen various methods of social recruiting through job boards, company-promoted blogs and vlogs, informational websites, helpful webinars, attractive LinkedIn posts, and more.

If you’re currently using—or considering using—social media for recruitment or staffing purposes, here are a few primary questions to consider:

• Am I using this social media platform correctly?
• How can I increase effectiveness or efficiency with social media platforms?
• What can I do to boost engagement on social media posts?

In the staffing and recruiting space, social media extends far beyond posting a job or employment vacancy. These platforms can be critical in advertising and promoting your brand, building your network, proactively searching for qualified candidates, building meaningful relationships with job seekers, gaining access to referrals, and much more.

Ways to Proactively Plan for Employee Exits

Looking to appeal to a broader base of candidates? Here are some ways to boost your overall social media strategies:

1. Attract passive job seekers

Passive candidates are individuals that are currently employed and not actively pursuing new job opportunities. But that doesn’t mean that these people don’t have their eyes and ears open for a new opportunity. These passive candidates typically need to be contacted by a hiring company to get the conversation going. It is common for passive candidates to come across a job opening on social media that piques their interest and gives them the confidence to submit their job application for the position.

2. Hone-in on your type of candidate(s)

With the use of social media, hiring companies and staffing partners can reach a candidate pool that has become more diverse than ever before. Today, job seekers of various age ranges, industry backgrounds, skillsets, and experience levels can be reached in real-time. Be sure that your company has a proper recruiting approach in place to focus on the candidates that align with your business.

3. Make a personal connection and build rapport with a talent pool

Ultimately, talent acquisition professionals should strive to be conversational through their social media platforms. Get away from the sterile discussions and keep things light. By being different and unique, you’ll build connections through free-flowing conversation.

4. Gain access to greater referrals

Candidate referrals are an integral part of every organization’s success. The ability to share insight and information with friends, family members, and colleagues at the touch or click of a button is crucial. With a sophisticated social media approach, you’ll be able to generate greater referral numbers with ease.

5. Enhance your brand by putting it in the spotlight

Social media provides a great way to showcase your corporate environment, management styles, and overall company culture. If you’ve spent the time in properly cultivating and maintaining a solid culture, this is your chance to put it on display!

Summary

I hope these tips and tricks help you to enhance your organization’s digital presence and attract more high-quality candidates. Sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook present an exceptional opportunity to boost brand awareness and draw attention to your organization. Through a well-planned approach to social media, you’ll have no trouble in finding great candidates that will elevate your organization to new heights!