Understanding Social Recruiting
The recruiter’s perspective
The recruiting landscape has dramatically changed in the last couple of years. Before the internet, every recruiter had his or her own black book type system.
But now that job seekers have changed the way they're finding work, recruiters have to reinvent their tactics to find top talent. With the advancement of technology and mobility of devices, today's job seekers are in the driver's seat.
And because of that, more than 97% of recruiters are now using social media, especially LinkedIn, to meet these job seekers.
According to various studies, three in five job seekers use their smartphones to browse jobs, and when they discover a job opening they like, they're diligent to do their research. They check out the company, potential colleagues, their future boss, and even the recruiter, all online. With such a dramatic shift in the recruiting world, there's no doubt that we need to adapt to this new way of doing business.
So how to best-in-class recruiters operate today to keep up with the changing landscape? Here's a list of top ways they differ from traditional recruiting. As we go through this list, I want you to think about how many you're already practicing, as well as which ones you should start applying today.
First, they create social media profiles that stand out on whatever platform they're on. They focus on building strong networks for their target audiences, and this saves them from wasting time on 20 different platforms or setting expectations they can never keep.
Also, they do something rare. They keep their promises. When they say they will get back to you, they do. And they consistently and frequently share valuable content. They provide personalized content that meets the needs and desires of their target audience. They strive to give, not just receive. They collaborate with their colleagues. And lastly, they maintain a strict daily social recruiting routine. In other words, they are true social recruiters.
They have what I call a social recruiting mindset, and this can be you, it should be you.
Social recruiting is the way forward, and the social recruiting mindset is crucial for future success.
What’s in it for me?
Social recruiting is a balance of social sourcing, socializing your employer brand, and sharing your jobs in a way that doesn't repel your followers.
These three key elements work together to achieve results like:
- Improved quality of hire
- Increase referrals
- Greater retention
- Increased productivity
With all that in mind, the number one question I get is "What's in it for me?" which is a great question to ask. But before I answer this, allow me to ask you a question. How easy is your job?
Most often, I come across recruiters who've been around for a while and are doing their job the same way they learned it years ago. They still send out hundreds of emails and invitations to connect. But spamming people is no longer the answer. Similarly, cold-calling is dead, or at least, with less than 2% results, it doesn't have a lot to show for. Still, these recruiters are evaluated by their managers on the number of messages they send out, and on the number of resumes they send to clients. And that is so old-school.
Along those lines, let me ask you a few more questions.
Did you ever challenge the status quo? Is the amount of spontaneous applications increasing? How appreciated is your employer brand in the market? What kind of impression do you and your senior leaders have online? And how often do you go head to head with your competitors to get a job seeker to sign? How wonderful is your employee value proposition really?
If you answered some or all of these questions with a no or other negative answer, then your job is not easy. And if you don't have most of the answers now, it will become more difficult in the future.
The recruitment game has changed. Recruiting on social media is proven, and whether you like it or not, it's now essential as job seekers take to social channels to check you out. Social recruiting is more than just sharing your jobs on social media.
People want to know how cool it is to work for your organization. They want to know the benefits. So let me encourage you to think of ways you can attract people to your company online. It could be as simple as a post on LinkedIn that tactfully mentions some of the perks at your company. Maybe you can create a video that shows a day in the life of that helps job seekers visualize working for your company. In my experience, investing in these social recruiting strategies pays off with more jobs filled.
So back to the question. What's in it for me? I'd say the answer's pretty clear.
Social recruiting is the way to achieve your recruitment goals faster and more efficiently.