Recruiting on Social Media: Networks, Trends, and Laws

As an employer or hiring manager, you more than likely use several different platforms to find your ideal candidates when filling a position. Perhaps you post an opening on job boards like Indeed or Monster. Maybe you’re still posting ads in the daily newspapers. Or you might just be using your own personal sphere of influence to gain referral applicants through word of mouth and recommendation. But what about social media… Are you using it effectively and legally to recruit fresh talent? If you are, are you keeping up with the ever-changing trends and laws? If you’re not, we’ll give you reasons why you should.

Networks

While there are hundreds of social media networks online, there are only a few that are really, REALLY worth your while to find job candidates. Take a look at the largest and the best below.

LinkedIn:

LinkedIn is such a great social media network for employers and recruiters to seek out active and passive candidates because it is used almost exclusively for professional purposes. That is, you won’t find too many users airing their dirty laundry on the network. LinkedIn is a network for users to create professional profiles that are essentially a resume. Each profile has the ability to show case an individual’s work experience, portfolios, achievements, schooling, passions, and more.

You can actively seek out individuals to contact regarding your open position, eliminating the need for posting on job boards. Through LinkedIn’s targeted search features, you are better able to discover the candidates in your area that match your specific criteria. For example, you can search for individuals within a 20-mile radius of Beachwood, Ohio who have 3 or more years’ experience in a Human Resources position. LinkedIn will provide you with filtered results of all individuals matching your search parameters. You can then “connect” with those individuals and send them a message about your job opening. On the other hand, if a candidate submits a resume to you via email, you can search for them specifically on LinkedIn. This is a good method to use to ensure that their online information matches what they’ve put on paper.

For the ultimate recruiter or hiring manager, LinkedIn even offers paid upgrade accounts, like Recruiter Lite, that gives you the ability to send “InMails.” InMails are messages that you can send users without being connected to them. This is an incredibly valuable tool, since InMails have higher response rates than just normal messages. In addition to InMails, Recruiter Lite also gives the user unlimited search date and more advanced filters when using the search. Do you have more than one recruiter or hiring manager? No problem, LinkedIn offers solutions for teams, too!

Facebook:

Facebook users typically use this social network for personal use. Whether that involves posting what they ate for lunch, a night out with friends, a dramatic story that happened mid-day… You are sure to find them all on Facebook. However, Facebook also provides insightful information into what a candidate is really like in real life. It’s easy for someone to carry themselves professionally during an interview. But what happens if after you hire them, you come to find out two months later that they are lazy, offensive, bad mouthing their employees or companies online, or are involved in illegal activities? These are all examples on what an individual’s Facebook profile could potentially expose before you make the decision to hire them. If you think that an individual would never put such information on Facebook or elsewhere online… We beg you to reconsider and check the profile!

Okay, so we know why Facebook is useful in aiding to determine if a candidate is right for a position. But how can you find and reach out to potential applicants and candidates? Two words: Facebook Advertising. Let’s say you post a great attention-capturing image on your Business Facebook page, with a caption giving a partial job description and a call to action that gets a potential applicant to your application screen. That’s a great start, but unfortunately, less than 1% of your page’s Facebook “likes” will actually see that post in their newsfeeds. Furthermore, how do you know if your page’s audience consists of any qualified applicants?

That’s where Facebook Advertising comes in. For a small amount of money, let’s say $20.00, you can reach thousands of people in several days… Thousands of targeted people. The amazing thing about Facebook Advertising is the targeting options available when defining your ad’s audience. For instance, if you need to find doctors with a current annual income of below $700,000 working at a Cleveland Clinic branch in Northeastern Ohio, well, you can do that. If you’re a Real Estate Broker recruiting real estate agents, you can target people based on their job titles. Other useful options include seeking out individuals who are unemployed, seeking jobs, work in a specific industry, have an in interest in a certain hobby or item, the list goes on and on. Facebook Advertising has the power to reach thousands more people than a newspaper job ad, and can spread the word about your job opening far more quickly.

Trends and Tips

In 2013, a study revealed that 77% of respondent companies used social media to recruit candidates and publicize job openings. 77% is not to be taken lightly. That is a significant percentage. Plenty of companies and individuals are now using social media to find top talent, so you’re up against some competition. Now it’s time to get creative and win over your applicants.

Content and Value:

Your social media posts should be engaging to your audience. They should make an individual want to interact with your post some way, or take a specific action. There has recently been a big shift in recruitment trends, from applicants desiring to seek out employers and available jobs to recruiters actively seeking top talent. That being said, your posts have to provide value to your potential applicants. What can you and your company offer the applicant? Why should they want to work for your company? Providing value and determining what is important to potential hires will help you receive a better reach and results using social media.

Ad Creatives:

We just discussed the “text content” aspect of your social media posts, so now let’s talk about the imagery. Sure, you could go with a regular stock image of two individuals shaking hands, or smiling faces of business professionals working together. Or you could really use this opportunity to show the face of your company. Show your potential hires what your building or suite looks like. Show them where they will be working. Show them their fellow employees to encourage teambuilding from the very start. Take it a step further and hire a professional photographer to take the photos. Their expertise will be sure to produce more striking images and show some great angles.

Another tactic is to produce short films, both animated and non-animated. A short animated film is an effective way to show your company’s creativity and to build the viewer’s anticipation of a fun and energetic atmosphere. A non-animated film should have similar effect. It is a way for the viewer to get to know the employer and employees before ever stepping foot into the doorway. Let your videos be an excellent first impression that leaves the viewer desiring more from your company.

Laws

When you’re online, it’s easy to be more relaxed and ambivalent in what you say and how you act. But that does not mean seeking applicants has become immune to the laws surrounding recruiting, hiring, and employment. SHRM reminds us that social media postings are still “advertisements,” and require the appropriate Equal Employment Opportunity and/or affirmative action tagline. The postings must also be recorded, along with other hiring documents, as required by law.

You must also keep in mind that you cannot ask an applicant or candidate for their social media passwords. This is an invasion of privacy and is illegal in several states. Asking for a password runs the risk of violating the federal Stored Communications Act. Instead, employers and hiring managers should rely on only the content that is made publicly available by the individual.

A good way to practice lawful and ethical methods using social media in the recruiting and hiring process is to have your Human Resources Department handle the areas that involve social media. Human Resources will be more likely to know what they can and cannot consider when viewing an applicant or candidate online.

Now that you’ve read all about recruiting candidates on different social media networks, you’re ready to get started! You now know that using social media to recruit and hire is no longer new and exciting; instead it is mainstream and necessary. But, if you are still not prepared or simply do not have the time, Pre-Select is here for you. Leave your recruitment and hiring processes to us!

Contact us today to learn more about our Applicant Tracking System and Smart Hire packages! Reach out to us at info@pre-select.com.

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