Using Social Media Strategy for Recruitment

Author: Lisa Cords Category: Marketing, Social Media & Digital Date: September 16, 2022

It’s hard out there for employers right now. With the Great Resignation ongoing, it is hard to find, hire, and keep good talent. On top of that, the workforce is changing – Baby Boomers are retiring, Generation X-ers and Millennials are being promoted, and more Generation Z-ers are entering the workforce every day – and the types of jobs people are looking for and the way they look for those jobs is changing with it. Social media is a huge part of our lives, and if your business is active on even one platform, you understand how powerful it is to connect with your target audiences. Well, now it’s time to use your social media strategy for recruitment.

What is Social Media Recruitment Strategy and Why Should You Care?

Like it sounds, using social media strategy for recruitment means using social media platforms to attract and hire people to work at your company. It’s not just about getting people to see your posting. Since social media is all about engagement and connection, it also means giving candidates the chance to build a relationship with you before they ever make an appearance on your payroll – them getting to know you and you getting to know them.

And it works. Online career platform The Muse says that 92% of recruiters use social media strategy for their recruitment agencies.  Using social media marketing strategy for recruitment allows you to target your outreach, narrow your candidate pool, and assess the strength of a job seeker’s interest in working for you.

How Do You Build a Social Media Recruitment Strategy?

Now that you (hopefully) understand the value of social media strategy for recruitment, what do you do? How do you use social media strategy for recruitment? Which social media platform is best for recruiting? Here are some best practices for using social media as a recruitment strategy:

Set your goals. Every good strategy starts with intentional goals, and social media strategy for recruitment is no different. Establish a goal that is going to get you the results you want.

Prioritize the right platforms. You don’t have to be on every platform for your social media recruitment strategy to be successful. And just because LinkedIn is known as a professional platform, doesn’t mean it’s the one you put all your time into. The right platform is going to be the one that your perfect candidate uses and that best showcases your brand. Many platforms also have job-focused features like Facebook Job Postings, LinkedIn Advanced People Search, Twitter Advanced Search, and TikTok Resumes.

Use social media best practices. The same things that help you sell your products and services will also help with your social media strategy for recruitment. Make sure your social presence showcases who you are and reflects your brand. Post consistently, offer opportunities for engagement, use strategic hashtags, and share interesting content.

Showcase your work environment. If you have a great culture where your employees genuinely enjoy working for you and with each other, tell your followers! Brag about your culture and feature employee profiles and testimonials.

Get current employees involved. Encourage your team to share job postings and how they feel about their job on their social networks. If you can, incentivize them with a strong referral program.

Make applying easy. Do you really read every cover letter you get? Then why do you always ask for one? We don’t want you to end up with lazy applicants, but is there wiggle room for some of those antiquated processes to go away?

Evaluate your efforts. Likes, follows, and comments don’t always translate into success. Monitor your recruiting progress with your social media recruitment strategy to make sure they are aligning.

Using social media strategy for recruitment may take some reframing of your approach, but it will be well worth it. At Paradigm, we believe in strategic, long-term planning when developing a social media marketing plan, no matter what your goals are. Understanding your target audience, identifying business goals, and developing a cohesive and strategic campaign calendar lay the groundwork for a successful social media marketing plan as well as social media recruitment strategy – and that is our sweet spot. If we can help you with your social media management and execution, please contact us today.