Using Social Media to Find Talent

John Collins, Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, Trane Technologies

Attention Hiring Managers! Are your job postings not getting the responses that they used to get? Do you feel like there just no talent out there anymore? The truth is, you might not be reaching your targeted talent where you have your jobs posted. Did you know that printed newspapers are only read by 3% of Americans (letter.ly), but according to Glassdoor, 79% of people searching for a job use social media in their search? And it isn’t just about posting your jobs on social media that will get you the new hires you need, it is about connecting and building a local network that makes the difference. Bridge this gap by using technology and reach who you need to add value to your team.

Build a Network on Social Media

Before you reject the idea of platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, or even TikTok. Realize the power of these mediums with the incoming workforce. And learning to use them isn’t as hard as it may seem! maybe you are a private person who doesn’t believe that anybody needs to know your personal business? You aren’t alone, but that doesn’t change the fact that the applicants you want are all over social media! You can use social media to your advantage without sharing anything about your personal life. It may take a little effort at first, but once it is up and running, it is easy to maintain.

There are multiple social media outlets to consider. You can pick one and focus on that one, you can pick two, or you can set up all of them. Out of all of the job search options, the most useful job search resource is social media and professional networks (CareerArc). One of the main social media outlets to consider for networking is LinkedIn. With over 722 million active users, LinkedIn should be your starting point (Linkedin). Creating a Linkedin profile is fairly easy and will take you less than an hour. You don’t even have to use your picture as your profile picture! You can use a logo, product picture, or even a picture of your desk. It doesn’t have to be personal. 

Once you have your profile set up, start finding people to network with. Keep in mind you do NOT want to only have friends and family! Search your local area and connect with local business owners. Search your type of business, such as HVAC repair in your area, and start connecting with like-minded individuals within your industry. This end-user marketing strategy approach builds a network that you can tap into when you are hiring.

Let me put it into perspective…you have an acquaintance on social media who you see posting fun things about their job, sometimes a joke or two, and then you see them post a job that’s available. You feel like this person is trustworthy and if they feel it is a good job, you do too. You share their post to your network thinking somebody might be looking for this job. Nobody in your network is looking for a job, but another acquaintance of yours knows some people who work in that field, so they share it with their network. The people looking for that job see that post and now you have used your social media network to reach an end-user who may be the perfect fit. I call this the “7 degrees of Kevin Bacon” approach.

Using Your Social Media Profile

Once you have set up your profile, it is important to use it! If it just sits there and you only post job openings, you won’t reach many people, you won’t gain the trust of people, and you aren’t really networking at all. It is like going to a networking event and standing by yourself not talking to anybody. It defeats the purpose, and you will not make any headway!

I am sure you see people posting a variety of things from very personal to very vague. You can choose to interact at your comfort level. If you don’t want anything personal on social media you don’t have to put it there. If you want everybody to know about your life, go ahead and share it! You have the freedom to choose how you want your social media presence to look. When you are on your way out in the morning, you could snap a shot of the sky and post something like “It’s a beautiful day today!” When you are on a job site, you can take a quick picture of what you are working on and say something like “I’m working on… today.” While that may seem trivial, this is what it is all about. Socializing via media.

You should make an effort to keep everything you post positive and focus on your local area. Your goal is grassroots marketing and engagement within your industry. You might not feel like you can connect on a professional level through social media, but you can! Once you get comfortable posting something at least once a week, you can start commenting or “liking” other people’s posts. Once you have a little bit of a network, your job postings will get more traction, and you will get more applicants.

What is Glassdoor?

Glassdoor is the top platform for researching employers. Their goal is to offer honest and unbiased information based on what current and/or past employees have to say about the company. In this day and age, most people search the internet for information on the company they are applying to. When you search your company, what do you find? Are there reviews? Are they positive or negative reviews? According to CareerArc, over half of the people who have found negative reviews on a company decide NOT to apply for a job there! How often do you leave a positive review about something? Almost never, right?

What can you do? The first thing you can do is write a review yourself about the company. Talk about the work, the culture, or your personal motivation for working there. Then you can talk to your employees about writing a review on Glassdoor. If you can get four or five people from an office to write a positive review, then any negative reviews don’t mean as much. There is an opportunity for a great amount of market influence through platforms like Glassdoor. A positive reputation for your organization starts with a review from you!

Make a Plan

Today is the day. Don’t put it off. A great hire tomorrow starts with networking today!

1. Schedule time on your calendar to write and post a review on Glassdoor.
2. Choose a social media platform. Then schedule a time to set up your profile.
3. Use a reoccurring prompt, like Outlook, as a reminder to network on that platform.
4. If you have a marketing or talent acquisition department, reach out to them for assistance.

You can do this! If you have any tips or tricks that have worked for you in the past, I would love to hear them.