How can you use social media to attract top talent and build your employer brand?

Some specific ways that you can use social media to attract top talent: - Share company news and updates: Keep your audience in the loop. - Post about your company culture: Share what it's like to work at your company. - Highlight your employee stories: Show off your people. - Run social media contests and giveaways: Get people excited about your company. - Use social media ads: Target potential candidates who are interested in what you do.

I know I am asked on several occasions do my employer truly allows me to be who I say I am. People want to see you in your true form. In most cases, we are with our peers and the organization more than we are with the ones we love. I have seen that when potential future employees, get to see you in rare form and your authentic self, they are more attracted to what the brand may have to offer. I am asked on a daily basis, what do you dislike about your job because you showcase happiest daily. I am human just like the person intrigued about what I do every day. Although, I get frustrated and fall into a whirlwind too, I am reminded why I do I what I do each and every day and that is make a difference and share it with the world.

Taking inspiration from Simon Sinek's philosophy to "Start with Why," your EVP should not just be about what your company offers, but more essentially, why it matters to the employees (and prospective employees). Why should they care? Why is it relevant to them? The beauty of a well-crafted EVP is that it doesn't need to be overtly stated in your social media posts. Instead of expressly posting, "People are drawn to work here because of X value," let your social media content subtly demonstrate it. Showcase stories, achievements, and initiatives that reveal how your organization lives its values. Let these instances imply the strength and authenticity of your employer brand, making you an attractive employer to prospective employees.

The reality is social media is about being real and communicating clearly you need at minimum 2 things: 1. Clarity about your corporate mission and 2. Showing how you apply your mission statement in everything you do. It may sound simple however it can be very tricky for large organisations. Achieved well, it fuels growth, stickiness with employees and also referrals!

Today's audiences are multifaceted. Rather than being confined to a single online space, they engage ubiquitously across platforms, seamlessly blending work and leisure. It's imperative, then, that your content is versatile, reaching potential talent wherever they might be. Consider expanding beyond traditional channels; let your brand resonate in every corner of the digital sphere – aim for omnipresence. Yet, as you expand, always ensure your content — both in context and medium — aligns with the unique nuances of each platform.

Totally disagree! Although there may be a little truth in the fact that you do need choose which platforms you spend most of your effort on, there is in reality no choice on which platforms you need to use. You literally got to use all of them. Go where the users are - and the users are everywhere! That’s why we called it the World Wide Web - it’s totally worldwide, totally decentralised and will be even more so in the future with the web3 and AI interfaces becoming integral part of our daily lives.

The nature of your content can truly differentiate your employer brand. Authenticity and humanization should be at the forefront. Instead of primarily focusing on self-promotional content, place emphasis on the broader industry, highlight your employees in and out of the workplace, and give prominence to causes important to your organization. Showcase employees' involvement in their communities - share narratives from their personal journeys. Doing so not only underscores your organizational values but also resonates with audiences seeking genuine connection. Prospective talent often engages more with content that reveals a company's heart and soul rather than just its accomplishments in the industry.

Real! The keyword is being REAL. How can you create, share and promote real content about you, yours users, your employees and your company that cement the mission statement of the organisation. That’s the key to vitality and success with Social Media. Find the real you, the real core of the organisation that can be showcased by real people for real people. Maybe I’ve overused the word real (oops did it again!) but that’s what matters - truthful, honest, transparent showcase of the organisation!

Employee advocacy must be earned; it can be encouraged, but it cannot be mandated. Modeling desired behaviors is a great way to encourage employee advocacy. When an organization consistently shares genuine humanized content, it sets a precedent of, 'This is who we are. This is what we do. This is what we believe.' This reinforcement of the company culture often resonates deeply with employees. An organization that exemplifies its values doesn't need to overtly prompt employees to advocate for them – the ethos becomes infectious. Employees naturally want to align with and further amplify that culture on their own social channels. Together they serve to attract like-minded prospective talent.

Advocacy is not encouraged but rather enabled. Enable employees and customers, suppliers & partners to promote your mission, to share your organisations actions and real life examples of how you, your employee, your management interact and support the mission statement. It is super easy and a responsibility of every department in the Organization to present and support this level of transparency with the inside and outside worlds!

While traditional social media metrics offer insights, the ultimate barometer of success in leveraging EVP to attract top talent lies elsewhere. Look at HR metrics. Has there been an uptick in the number of applicants? Are roles being filled more promptly? Have Hiring Managers seen improvement in the caliber of candidates they're interviewing? It’s important to consider the tangible impacts to the bottom line. For example, in Sales we say, "Empty seats don't fill quota." Leveraging EVP in publicly in social media can also lead to internal improvements like morale and employee retention – a metric arguably as critical as attracting new talent.

Simple part is here - there are so many monitoring and measurement tools for social media these days. A combination of a single tool may suit you very well, there may be fees but is nothing like what it used to be a decade ago. I still remember the era when data used to be exceptionally expensive and hard to get by! These days it feels like we can access, buy, analyses and share data at the tips of fingertips with the easy of taking a picture of our surroundings! How you monitor, analyses and act on the data is the key though! Supportive procedures across the organisation and a shared data depository or a dashboard are necessary to keep everyone accountable.

Social media engagement thrives on genuine, personalized interactions. Addressing users directly and referencing their specific comments can significantly enhance the quality of interaction. Additionally, consider hosting regular Q&A sessions or 'Ask Me Anything' events (AMAs), which are popular across several social media platforms. These forums allow potential candidates to glean insights directly, fostering trust and showcasing the brand's commitment to transparency.

Collaborations and partnerships can also play an integral part of employer branding and using social media to attract top talent. Forging relationships with educational institutions can pave the way for proactive talent acquisition. These relationships can provide opportunities to participate in live-streamed events and guest lectures, providing direct access to prospective candidates and positioning your brand prominently within industry thought circles. Partnering with related organizations can also magnify your reach and resonance. Co-hosted events and support of shared initiatives underline your brand's collaborative spirit, offering a mutual value proposition that enriches both your identity and the broader industry landscape.