How to use social media in your recruitment advertising

It’s not hard to see why social media recruiting is fast becoming a top method for tapping into new talent. With more than 535 million people using sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, the potential to find new staff via social media is enormous. But how do you make the most of social media to advertise new job posts?

Firstly, you need to understand what type of person you require, and which social media sites they use. This makes your recruitment campaign as targeted as possible.

Social media in recruitment marketing

LinkedIn tends to attract professionals, so if you have a senior or specialist role to fill, this social media site is a good place to start. Facebook is the biggest social media site, with a large percentage of users aged between 16 and 24. It’s a good site to target if you have several jobs to fill, or you require graduates or junior staff.

If you have your own social media pages, the best way to begin a recruitment campaign is to post information about the role, to encourage contacts to get in touch or spread the word to anyone relevant. Build networks and look to see if there are any contacts who might fit the bill. Search on sites such as LinkedIn to find professionals that have the expertise you require, and consider joining relevant groups related to the job vacancy. Start discussions on groups, and evaluate if there are any potential candidates that stand out in these discussions.

Social media in recruitment marketing

Once you find a potential new recruit on social media, evaluate their profiles to see if they could be worthy of an interview. Do they have the right attitude you require? Are they members of groups that demonstrate an interest in the subject area of the job role, and do they come with recommendations from peers?

There are plenty of free ways to advertise jobs on social media, but you might also want to consider paying for an advert, if you want your campaign to be as targeted as possible. This can be beneficial if you use sites with vast audiences, such as Facebook, or if you don’t have many followers. You can narrow your search down using specific keywords with an advert, to find users that meet your criteria. You can also measure the effectiveness of an advert by how many clicks it gets.

Make use of Twitter in your recruitment campaigns, but remember that you have a 140- character limit. You’ll need to be as creative as possible with your wording, to get the message across and attract potential new recruits. Use hashtags so that your job post is easier to find. Carry out a search on specific keywords relating to your vacancy, to see how this may relate to other contacts or users, who may just be suitable for the role you have to fill.

Whichever social media site you use, always tailor your message accordingly to the site and the target audience. Use social recruiting in combination with other methods for maximum impact.

If you require any further advice or information please call us on 01743 247774.