Traditionally, businesses relied on publishing classified advertisements and hiring experts headhunting to find candidates fit for their open positions. Aside from being a costly and time-consuming expense, this form of recruitment reached only a limited pool of professionals, making it inefficient.
Fortunately, with technology and the internet, the hiring landscape has shifted from traditional to modern recruitment methods. Today’s ways of hiring are revolutionized thanks to different digital platforms and technological capabilities.
With so many new ways of hiring, what should you do to find top candidates in your industry? The answer is adopting a relationship-oriented recruitment approach.
Role of Social Media in Recruitment
Social media has become an invaluable component of the modern recruiter’s toolkit. As early as 2016, the Society of Human Resources (SHRM) found that 84% of employers use social media to connect with possible job candidates.¹ They also use it in screening candidates’ skills and credentials, hoping to find the perfect fit for the open position.
A similar trend grew popular in the year 2018 but is more focused on the job seekers’ usage of modern platforms. According to an article published by Glassdoor, 79% of all job seekers of the mentioned year used social media as an integral part of their job search.²
In 2023, social media platforms have grown to become even more relevant in people’s lives. From personal posts to professional communications, websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram cater to many users’ daily needs.
Here’s the truth about modern recruitment: if your organization isn’t leveraging social media to attract talented candidates, you’re probably missing out on valuable opportunities to add talent to your workforce.
Taking a Relationship-Oriented Approach to Hiring
Recent studies show that 92% of employers use social media sites to find the employees they need in their organizations. Similarly, 94% of recruiters are also utilizing social media to connect with quality candidates across the globe.³
Many businesses already use social media for recruitment, which might make you wonder how to distinguish yourself from the competition. The key is to adopt a relationship-oriented approach.
This strategy focuses on building and nurturing meaningful relationships between your company and potential employees throughout recruitment. It moves away from the traditional approach of solely filling job vacancies.
Through the relationship-focused hiring method, you can improve your employer branding, widen your candidate options, and find the best candidate fit professional for your company.
Read More: 5 Characteristics of a Great Staffing Partner
Step-by-Step Guide for Leveraging Social Media to Attract Candidates
Some companies hesitate to embrace this approach to hiring because they aren’t confident about its application. A relationship-centered recruitment method differs significantly from traditional strategies, making it appear daunting when unsure where to begin.
Moreover, it isn’t always immediately apparent to most employers how they can use this approach and social media platforms to enhance their recruitment strategy. To help you get started in finding the best candidates out there, these are steps that can guide you in applying relationship-oriented methods of hiring employees.
1. Define Employer Brand
Your employer brand is how candidates will describe your company. It’s how you want to be known within the industry you work in. Imagine your company is a professional in front of a room filled with experts and good connections. How exactly do you want it to be introduced to people?
Good employer branding serves as the foundation for all of your recruitment efforts. It helps potential employees understand your organization and what it stands for. This is very important since it’s a factor that can affect the way you attract top candidates.
Utilizing different social media platforms is the best way to make your branding known. Articulate your organization’s values, culture, and unique attributes through curated posts. For example, showcase stories of employees’ success or highlight unique company initiatives that set you apart in the industry.
2. Choose Your Social Media Platforms
Selecting the right social media platforms ensures your employer branding reaches the right audience. Different platforms can cater to different industries and demographics. They can also offer you different features that can aid you in making content.
For instance, Facebook is the most popular platform for marketers worldwide while Pinterest is mainly used for e-commerce businesses that aim for organic social marketing.⁴ You can also decide based on the type of content you want to make.
If you want to showcase your products through images, Instagram is an ideal choice. Alternatively, if you want to focus on meaningful conversations, you might find that a platform like LinkedIn suits your needs.
3. Build a Strong Social Media Presence
Let’s say you’ve already made accounts on your chosen platforms; what’s next? Establishing a robust and consistent online presence to use social media in your hiring process is crucial. Your goal is to present your company in a positive light and infuse your ideal employer brand into your profiles.
A strong social media presence should both attract your target audience and create the foundation for meaningful professional relationships. How can you achieve this? First, consider investing in eye-catching profile visuals and banners. If you don’t have a logo, create a memorable one.
Then, plan your content strategy. Share posts that provide insights into your company’s work culture and what it’s like to be part of your team. If your budget allows, consider using advertisements to boost your online visibility. This solid media presence will help you connect with potential candidates effectively.
Read More: 7 Secrets to Outstanding Customer Service
4. Communicate Brand Values and Mission Statements
Candidates need to get a sense of your company’s workplace culture and values. Social media can be a handy platform in this respect. By advertising your organization’s values, mission statements, and reasons to exist succinctly on your social media platforms, you’ll be providing job seekers with a glimpse into what life within your workplace actually looks (and feels) like.
5. Specify Target Audience
If the content you publish on social media is intended to have mass appeal to a general audience, you’re likely to find that your message doesn’t profoundly resonate with anyone. It’s challenging to find a topic that literally everyone can relate to. On the other hand, by targeting your advertising and content to a well-defined ideal candidate profile, you’ll be quickly connected with those specific candidates who would be a great fit within your company.
Imagine opening a role, and the requirements are as follows:
- A human being
- Went to school
- Can use a computer
Although almost everyone fits into this list of criteria, it won’t help you find the best candidate for the job. This is similar to creating a post that aims for the general population. Even though they can relate to a small degree, they won’t be interested enough to interact with you or your posts, leading to fewer qualified candidates in your interview room.
6. Post Engaging and Informative Content
Social media is a great platform to advertise new job openings, but employers should not use it solely for that purpose. Leveraging social media exclusively as a means to post job openings is likely to alienate your audience and eventually cause a certain percentage of your subscribers to lose interest. Always make the content you post on social media diverse, dynamic, and educational.
For instance, on platforms like LinkedIn, consider sharing articles or blog posts related to industry trends, career advice, or success stories of your employees. Use Instagram to showcase behind-the-scenes glimpses of your workplace culture, team outings, or employee spotlights.
On Facebook, engage in industry conversations, share relevant news, or ask thought-provoking questions. This variety in content keeps your audience intrigued and enhances your company’s online presence, making it more appealing to potential candidates.
PARTNER WITH RECRUITERS WHO VALUE RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED EXPERIENCES
In the call center industry, it’s common for professionals to feel undervalued, leading to potential long-term negative impacts. At Salem Solutions, we’re committed to addressing this by employing a relationship-oriented approach to hiring.
We prioritize building meaningful connections with your potential employees and ensuring a positive candidate experience. With this approach, we are confident we can assist you in finding high-quality employees who align with your specific requirements. Enhance your company’s success by leveraging social media to attract top-notch job candidates. Contact us today to make it happen!
References
1 Maurer, Roy. “Survey: Employers Using Social Media to Find Passive Candidates.” Glassdoor, 1 Jul. 2016, www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/using-social-media-find-passive-candidates.aspx.
2 Statista Research Development. “Going Inbound for Talent Acquisition.” Glassdoor, 2 Apr. 2018, www.glassdoor.com/employers/blog/going-inbound-talent-acquisition/.
3 Statista Research Development. “Online and Social Media Recruiting – Statistics & Facts.” Statista, 4 Oct. 2023, www.statista.com/topics/2727/online-recruiting/#topicOverview.
4Wong, Belle. “Top Social Media Statistics And Trends Of 2023.” Forbes Advisor, 18 May 2023, www.forbes.com/advisor/business/social-media-statistics/.