In the old days—before the Internet, mobile phones, Tweets and selfies—all an employer needed to do to attract jobseekers was to place an advertisement in the “Help Wanted” section of the local newspaper. Times sure have changed.
Today’s jobseekers don’t read newspapers to find a job. No, they go online when seeking new employment opportunities. Many of them do so from their mobile devices—90 percent according to a recent survey by Glassdoor, a career community—visiting Facebook to research a potential employer’s company culture, LinkedIn to connect with professionals at the companies that interest them, and online job boards to hunt down new opportunities.
If you want to find your next generation of employees in this increasingly technological world, you must go where the jobseekers are (online) and engage them using the tools they increasingly seem to prefer (social media). Consider these easy ways to use social media during your hiring process to recruit the best talent.
1. Use social media to advertise available positions. Send Tweets about your company’s latest employment opportunities. Post about that new position on LinkedIn. Ask your current staff to share job openings with their Facebook friends. According to a recent survey by Jobvite, a recruiting platform, 40 percent of jobseekers have found their “favorite or best” job through personal connections. Additionally, 64 percent of recruiters say referrals are their best source of high-quality candidates.
2. Use social media to proactively search for candidates. Seventy-one percent of the U.S. labor force is on the job market according to the Jobvite survey—between those unemployed or employed and actively seeking work and those open to a new job. Sure, you can advertise your job openings and wait for potential employees to come to you. However, you can also proactively reach out to professionals who are perfect for your company. LinkedIn is particularly useful for this purpose as you can search for candidates by job titles, past or current employers, years of experience, interests, locations and more.
3. Use social media to screen applicants. Once those resumes start rolling in, you can use social media to make the screening process a bit easier. Look for the profiles of your top candidates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+. Compare the information found on their application to what they’ve listed online. Look for endorsements and recommendations that indicate they possess superior qualities or skills. Consider their online interests and personality when gauging cultural fit.
These days, social recruiting is essential. According to Jobvite, 92 percent of U.S. organizations are using social networks and social media to find the best candidates for their positions. If you’re not among them, you’re very likely missing out on top talent.