With an estimated 2.5 billion social media users in the world, business owners know that it’s a great means of reaching potential customers, but did you know that it’s also an excellent way of reaching potential employees? A larger applicant pool is readily accessible through a company’s social media network. These social network platforms allow managers the ability to interact with customers and employment candidates alike. This strategy is effective not only in improving your hiring process but also in that it provides you access to the top talent in your field. To help you make the most of this trick of the trade, here are four methods of utilizing social media:
1. Post Quality Content about Company Culture
One great way to attract recruits to your business is to show them what they’re missing out on. This could include awesome work perks or a positive office dynamic. Promoting your company culture on social media also helps candidates relate to your organization.
Southwest Airlines has gained notoriety through the company’s posts that highlight their employees’ fun and spirited approach to work. The transparency implied by posting company culture online paired with the great content of the postings makes working for your company seem like a privilege.
2. Get the Most Out of LinkedIn
When posting job openings, LinkedIn should be your first stop. Of all social media platforms, LinkedIn tops the list for recruiting. Known as the “World’s Largest Professional Network” businesses can attract candidates that are active on the site as well as reach out to those passive ones.
Amway is a perfect example of a company that makes LinkedIn work for them. With an exquisite brand page that is fully completed, Amway shows up in more LinkedIn results than it would otherwise. And when job hunters are navigated to the Amway page, in addition to finding job openings, they find stories detailing the company, its products, its history and its people.
3. Feature Workplace Pics
When looking to attract talent to your company, post pictures that highlight the best features of your workplace. The more engaging and welcoming the photo appears, the more candidates will want to become part of that workplace.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, posts pictures of his employees all day long, often applauding them for their esteemed accomplishments. For most job hunters, being acknowledged and appreciated for their hard work is high on their job must-have list. By posting images of the staff throughout their workday, you also show recruits two other things: what kind of work they will be doing, and what high level of performance you expect them to reach. If they are not interested, knowing this upfront will save you both time and effort. On the other hand, if they like what they see, you automatically have an enthusiastic applicant.
4. Filter Out Bad Candidates
Perhaps the biggest advantage to using social media to recruit for your company is how easy it is to filter out unfit candidates. LinkedIn does a great job of highlighting an applicant’s job history and strengths, but accessing the social media profiles of candidates to glean an idea of who they are outside of work has become almost standard practice.
With many industries, the employees become the face and image of the company’s culture, so it is important to know how they are presenting themselves to the rest of the world. Peeking at Facebook or Twitter can allow employers to weed out candidates that may be too immature and could create an adverse reflection on their brand.
Finding the right employees to work with is almost as important as finding the right niche to do business in. Luckily, in the age of technology, you can bring your recruitment process to the social media arena. By posting great content about your company’s culture, highlighting photos of your workplace, making LinkedIn work for you, and weeding out those candidates who don’t mesh well with your company’s ethos, you’ll find the best candidates who fit your current business needs.
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