How to recruit candidates using social media
How can you find the ideal candidate with the help of social networking? What role does brand image play? Over time, the digitalization of the working world has also impacted the recruitment process. Currently, we are in the era of "social recruiting," where social networks have become an important channel when recruiting talent, as they represent a source of valuable information and more opportunities for both recruiters and candidates. Read on and recruit candidates through social media!
What is social recruiting?
Social recruiting consists of recruiting talent through social media and facilitates interaction between recruiters and candidates. In this sense, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram are used as channels to connect interested parties.
What about brand image on social networks?
Social Network presence is an essential element of recruitment, which allows the creation of a brand image for both the company and the personal brand of a candidate.
On the one hand, 81% of organizations consult the social networks of pre-selected candidates before making a decision (according to the 2019 report by Connected Talent of Infoempleo and the professional services firm EY). According to an expert in digital strategy, Christophe Ginisty, social networks give the possibility of forming a more rounded applicant profile due to their added human aspect and personality that goes beyond selection criteria based on academic degrees and diplomas.
On the other hand, the publications, interactions, and communication of a company's values in any social network help to construct an image of the employer. Therefore, it is essential to highlight the good practices of an organization in the profiles of the different platforms.
What are the advantages of social recruiting?
- Reach a larger number of candidates: publications about a job offer have a wider reach as they are more widely shared on social networks. In addition, they allow recruiters to capture the attention of passive candidates (who are not looking for a job but nonetheless fit the profile).
- Save time and money: Although the publication of offers is generally cost-free, the process can be accelerated with access to a network of candidates and the possibility of contacting them directly through social networks.
- Get additional candidate information: Just as it is possible to interact with a candidate through professional social media, many recruiters consider personal profiles (posts, photos, or comments) to reveal more about a possible candidate.
- Segment search: depending on the social network or website used, profiles can be filtered by a professional sector, experience, location, etc.
On what platforms can you recruit?
To find the ideal candidate on social networks, a company must have consistent profiles on the platforms where they are present, establish a recruitment strategy (publication of job offers, communication with candidates, search for profiles, etc.) and start with defining the desired professional profile:
- Correctly write the job offer
It is recommended to include the company description, a link to the website, the sector of activity, the job description, the type of contract and duration (if temporary), the place and hours of work, the start date, and expected salary.
Note: By including a link to the ad on the company's website, there is a chance that a potential candidate will find other offers that are better suited to their profile.
Below, we present to you the social and professional networks commonly used by HR professionals to select candidates.
LinkedIn is one of the most widely used online recruiting platforms and has a community of over 690 million users worldwide. In this professional social network, companies can post job advertisements and enhance their brand image through their profile. Likewise, human resources professionals have the following solutions :
- LinkedIn Jobs: This Lets you post ads that are distributed to potential candidates and can be shared by professional communities. The ads are regrouped on the job pages. In addition, it is possible to write a job description, promote the ad after publication, and evaluate responses in real-time.
- LinkedIn Recruiter: This tool allows you to access the LinkedIn database, filter searches, view complete profiles and contact potential active and passive candidates via InMail (the internal system messaging), if there is a typical contact or thanks to the personal data that you can provide in a link to your curriculum vitae online.
- LinkedIn Recruiter Lite: it is ideal for companies that do less hiring and gives access to first, second, and third-grade contacts.
- Pipeline Builder: Create a list of suitable and interested candidates for your vacancy for quick hiring.
- "Work with us" announcements: Promote your job offers in your employees' profiles.
The platform gives the possibility to publish job offers on an organization's commercial page for free, which also appear in the Jobs section or in the Marketplace. It is common for these posts to be shared by other users, who also often tag their friends, which increases the impact of the ad. The job posting tool allows you to track applications and contact the most suitable applicants through Messenger.
It is worth mentioning that Facebook is one of the social networks preferred by recruiters to obtain information about candidates through their profiles.
Other channels to recruit candidates
Twitter and Instagram are other social networks that some HR professionals consult to find information about applicants. To a lesser extent, they are used to publish vacancies and interact with users. However, Instagram, especially, has been seen as an excellent channel to show potential candidates the daily life of a company and thus attract their attention.
Note: Remember that it is crucial to include your company's contact information in your profile bio to receive applications.
As a recruiter, there are numerous advantages to finding talent through social media. Of course, you can also rely on other digital channels, such as general or specialized job portals and your company website.