Four Tips for Using Social Media for Recruitment

Filling open jobs is not always an easy task, as you must find qualified candidates who also seem to be a good fit with the organization's vision and values. Social media recruitment is just one more tool you can use to find the best candidates for openings ranging from entry-level administrative positions to high-level managerial positions. Use these four social media recruitment tactics to reduce your time-to-fill metric and ensure you have the right employees for your company.

The first tip to follow for successful social media recruitment is to choose the right venue for your recruiting efforts. If you need hourly employees to fill entry-level jobs, Facebook can help you locate young candidates who do not have much professional experience. If you are in the market for more experienced candidates or need workers to fill high-level positions, try LinkedIn or networking sites set up by industry organizations.

If you plan to use social media recruitment effectively, communication is also important. It is not enough to post a job and hope the listing will attract several qualified applicants. You must monitor social media networks and find out what people are saying about your company and the industry as a whole. In an article on the use of social media in government, Sajji Hussain reported on the new trend of government recruiters monitoring social media sites to broaden their pools of applicants. This is one of the recruitment tactics that allows companies to attract people who may not even be looking for jobs at the time.

When using social media recruitment strategies, you must use your social platform as more than a job board, which typically does not engage potential employees and may even prevent them from reading your content. If you have social media recruitment responsibilities, use your platform as a place to post interesting or insightful content. You can even provide tips on writing resumes or cover letters, as this will help you build trust with the people who may one day apply for open positions with your company.

One of the biggest mistakes human resources professionals make when using social media recruitment strategies is failing to monitor the results of their efforts. If you do not track the number of responses you get or the best source of applications, you will not be able to replicate positive results during future recruiting campaigns. Always track your social media recruitment efforts so that you can see if your time is really paying off in the form of better applicants.

Finding quality applicants is one of your most important tasks as a recruiter. High-quality employees can help increase profits and decrease expenses, making them a valuable resource for your company. If you are in need of new employees, consider using social media recruitment strategies to attract new talent and get more people interested in your industry.

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