A wise person once said, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
However, that man’s success hinges on the tools and techniques he uses.
Recruiting works much in the same way.
Cast a wide net, and you end up with a whole lot of guppies. But if you take a more calculated, targeted approach, you can spearhead the most decadent swordfish in the sea.
Fortunately for today’s employers, social media recruiting offers the best of both worlds.
You cast a wide net (social platforms), but innovative tools and algorithms help you catch the right fish (ideal candidates), not just anyone swimming by.
To reap the most ROI, employers need to know how to leverage social media and recruiting tactics effectively.
Luckily for you, we’ll teach you how to maximize your efforts so you can bait and hook top-tier talent.
The Power of Social Media Recruiting
The true power of social media recruiting lies in its numbers:
- Facebook has over three billion monthly active users
- LinkedIn boasts one billion professionals worldwide
- There are over two billion active monthly users on Instagram
- More than half the world’s population uses social media
And just like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, recruiters want to be where the people are.
Recruiting on social platforms allows businesses to use these numbers to their advantage. Social media recruiting not only widens your reach but enables you to foster deep, enduring relationships with quality candidates. As a result, you’ll already have an existing pipeline chock-full of prospects the next time a position opens up.
Additional benefits of social media recruiting include:
- 80% of employers said recruiting on social channels helps them find passive candidates
- More than 50% of college grads use LinkedIn
- 40 million people search for jobs on LinkedIn every week
- 67% of businesses leverage social media to research candidates
- 65% of people are open to hearing about a job opportunity from a person in their social network
As you can see, social media recruiting allows you to tap into passive candidates and fresh-faced talent entering the workforce. It also helps you screen and vet applicants more effectively.
Popular Platforms and Their Recruiting Strengths
To reel in the most qualified candidates possible, recruiters must be strategic about which social media platforms they utilize. Each channel has its own unique strengths.
LinkedIn is best to use for senior-level roles and targeting specific skill sets and industries. It’s also a powerful tool for engaging passive candidates.
Use Instagram to attract younger talent, showcase your employer brand, and share employee video testimonials.
Facebook offers the most reach, making it perfect for engaging a wider audience. Share job openings, run targeted ads, and enhance employer branding.
X (Formerly Twitter)
Leverage X to share quick company updates, job posts, images, or videos.
Best Practices for Social Media and Recruiting
While there are plenty of fish in the sea, that doesn’t mean you want to catch them all (this isn’t Pokemon).
Use these social media recruiting best practices to land the best and brightest talent in your industry.
Target Hyper-Specific Talent Pools
There’s no sense in attracting salmon if you want to catch flounder. Always choose platforms and practices that align with your hiring goals.
If you want to recruit C-suite execs, use LinkedIn. Looking for interns or entry-level candidates? Focus your recruitment efforts on Instagram or TikTok.
Use the Right Words
When it comes to social media recruiting, words matter. One of the biggest mistakes employers can make is using LinkedIn as a job board. It’s a surefire way to get your posts flagged as low-value by both algorithms and potential applicants.
Never use words like ‘Job,’ ‘Apply,’ ‘Role,’ or ‘Hiring’ on LinkedIn. Instead, prioritize professional growth and value. Use words like ‘Benefit’ or ‘Grow.’
Boost employee engagement on Instagram by using the word 'Employee' instead of 'Career' or 'Hiring.’
The language you use is intrinsically linked to the success of your campaign.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
An effective social media recruitment campaign doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of trial and error to identify the content that best resonates with your ideal candidates.
Don’t be afraid to play around with different campaigns and content types. Try videos, gifs, images, or memes. Feeling especially adventurous? Try gamifying your campaigns with polls, points, badges, and fun challenges.
Lastly, A/B testing is your best friend. This approach helps you optimize campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
Measure and Optimize
Creating a campaign is half the battle. You also need to monitor key metrics, such as click-through and engagement rates, to understand the effectiveness of your efforts.
Five social media recruitment metrics to track include:
- Click-Through Rates (CTRs): High CTRs indicate your content is engaging and your audience is interested in the job opportunity.
- Application Conversion Rates: This shows how effectively your social posts, landing pages, and job descriptions drive actual applications.
- Cost Per Application (CPA): This helps assess the efficiency of your ad spend and can guide budget allocation across platforms.
- Engagement: Likes, shares, comments, and saves reveal if your employer brand is resonating with your target talent pool.
- Quality of Hire: It’s the ultimate measure of your campaign’s long-term success, bringing in not just applicants, but the right
Catch the Greatest Talent with Social Media and Recruiting
Tired of snacking on sardines? Want to feast on premium tuna? Social media recruitment helps you snag the best talent on the market.
However, it’s imperative you know what social platforms to use and how to use them wisely.
Need help getting your recruitment marketing ducks in a row?
ProIQ’s social media recruitment experts won’t just give you a fish. We provide the tools and techniques for catching best-in-class talent for your business’s lifetime.