A large part of our lives takes place on social media. On average, 2 hours and 27 minutes daily. It's no wonder that numerous companies are positioning themselves on these channels. But how can recruiting departments take advantage of this media behavior? What are the advantages of social media recruiting? We'll provide you with seven benefits based on best practices.
What is Social Media Recruiting? – A definition
Social media recruiting is the intersection where marketing and recruiting meet halfway. It is a personnel marketing strategy to find workers via online networks such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube, as well as career networks such as XING and LinkedIn. After all, HR managers should be active where potential candidates are. The platforms offer an enormous reach. According to the 2022 Hootsuite Digital Report, nearly 75% of the world's population uses social media. This equates to 4.62 billion social media users in 2022. On average, they spend 2 hours and 27 minutes a day on YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat & Co.
Professional Applicant Management-software also integrates social media recruiting. Applicants then have the opportunity to apply directly with their XING or LinkedIn profile.
Social Media Recruiting: Methods and Success Stories
To reach your target group, you can use the following methods in social media recruiting:
Build a company's social media presence
Many companies use their social media profiles mainly for marketing measures such as competitions or news from the company. However, some companies are already represented with special career profiles on social media. These are used exclusively for personnel marketing. For example, career topics and vacancies in the company are published. However, employer branding can also be actively pursued via a company's social media profiles. This is because employer rating portals, such as kununu, allow applicants to obtain comprehensive information about the company in advance. And these platforms will most likely continue to gain relevance. Top-rated employers gain a clear competitive advantage here.
However, before you create company profiles on social media, you should first think about which networks make sense for your company. You should also plan resources to maintain these profiles on a regular basis. Otherwise, the planned social media recruiting can quickly turn into the opposite – unmaintained social media profiles look extremely unattractive to potential applicants. Due to the reach and nature of the network, XING and LinkedIn are particularly recommended. But Facebook, Twitter or Instagram can also be useful channels for social media recruiting.
Posting job advertisements
In addition to traditional job postings on job boards, company websites, or newspapers, social media profiles can be a good hunting ground for companies looking for new talent. For example, you can create a meaningful job ad on Instagram or Facebook with the Ads Manager and display it precisely to your target group. In addition, XING and LinkedIn offer some opportunities to give up jobs. In addition, links to the job offer on the company website can also be prepared as a simple organic post with images or videos that match the company, so that potential candidates get to know the company better at the same time. Heineken, for example, launched a Facebook and Twitter campaign in which employees shared real experiences at the company. The goal was to engage talent early on and inspire them to apply for the company. Under the name "Go Places 2.0", the beer manufacturer shared 33 employee stories from all over the world, thus introducing the corporate culture.
Image Advertising / Employer Branding
Whether via an own career profile or via the company profile, building the image of the employer brand is crucial in the war for talent. With the help of cleverly placed content (texts, images, videos), you anchor the brand in the minds of potential talents in the long term and convey your corporate values by publishing authentic content about employees, company events or office life. Ernst & Young, for example, has been letting its employees post photos from their everyday work under the hashtag #EYInstaTakeOver for some time now. In this way, potential applicants gain very personal and authentic insights into the company.
Strategically planned image campaigns in advance can also improve the public interest of the brand or a profession. In this context, humor is a popular tool for breaking down existing barriers. Advertisements of different formats are possible here, there are no limits to creativity. The Finnish agency Mirum from Helsinki sent a perfume to potential job candidates as part of a recruiting campaign. The essence was extracted from the sweat of the employees. The campaign was promoted via social media. The expression "getting a taste of the company" takes on a whole new meaning.
Active Sourcing
Active sourcing refers to the direct approach of potential employees for a specific position. Active sourcing has received increased attention through digital business networks. After all, it has never been so easy and, above all, so cost-effective to address candidates as on XING and LinkedIn. In addition, the candidates with the most promising CVs and the right experience: Based on the data that users reveal on social networks, you can search for suitable candidates for a position and pre-select them. By specifically addressing the desired candidates, you increase the chances of a professional and cultural fit for the company.
Recruiting via WhatsApp
WhatsApp is not one of the classic social media channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram & Co., but you should not waste the potential of the most used messenger. This is because the messenger is known and trusted by the vast majority of applicants. Writing messages, sending or forwarding photos: a piece of cake!
Thanks to its familiar, simple use, WhatsApp is an ideal recruiting tool that reduces application hurdles. On average, over 80% of WhatsApp applicants complete their application.
Employee Referrals
With the help of a digital employee referral program, you can extend the search radius to your employees' network. Interesting talents are usually in a permanent employment relationship and are not actively looking for them. A recommendation from colleagues provides insights into the company in advance and increases the chances of an application. In this way, Erste Bank IT Group turned its employees into brand ambassadors and hired 61 candidates within one year.
Social Media Recruiting: Advantages at a Glance
So it's obvious that social media recruiting works. The following 7 advantages speak for themselves:
- Access to the passive labour market
Social media is the best way to find passive candidates and connect with you. By integrating employee recommendations, you can further expand your reach. For more information on referral programs, see Firstbird's "Recruit Employees" benchmark study.
- Target group-oriented approach
They reach potential candidates in their personal environment, where they spend their free time. - Direct exchange and rapid building of trust
In contrast to conventional recruiting channels, social media recruiting is characterized by direct contact. Fans of company profiles have the opportunity to respond to job postings or ask questions with just a few clicks. In this way, potential candidates can gather impressions of the company before applying, and HR managers can establish a connection with the candidates in advance. - Positioning of the employer brand
Social media is a great way to showcase your employer brand and corporate image. With little effort, texts, images and videos can be shared and the corporate culture can be made transparent. If your fans like the content and share it on top of that, you can achieve even more reach for free. - Pool of talent
LinkedIn and XING are essentially a directory of professionals organized by industry, company, job title, and a number of other categories. Many users share their talents, passions, and strengths. You will learn and be able to pre-select whether candidates have the experience that the job requires before you approach them. - Cheap
Social media costs time and money, but compared to other recruiting methods, you can reach a much larger target group with less effort and budget. - Measurable
A large number of social media offer customizable reporting. This allows you to measure your activities accordingly and make decisions based on them.
Social media recruiting offers a variety of possible applications. Choose the right channel depending on your target group and, above all, communicate authentically and not promotionally. Especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers and the flood of information to which we are exposed every day, it is essential to provide honest insights into the company. This gives you a competitive advantage in the war for talent and helps you find employees who are a professional and cultural fit for your company.
Matthias Wolf
Matthias Wolf is an expert when it comes to employee recommendations. As co-founder of Firstbird (now part of Radancy), he helps companies establish employee referral programs as a successful recruiting channel.
