How to Use Social Media to Recruit Top Talent

Most businesses have a presence on at least one social media channel. Social media helps companies:

• Share news and events
• Provide useful content that may convert users into leads and customers
• Offer customer support
• Answer questions about products and services

Many companies are also recruiting with social media. These channels bolster recruiting strategies by offering an engaging way to connect with talent and show them what’s great about your company.

Learn how recruiting on LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media channels can help you find top candidates.

Why is recruiting important on social media?

Just like businesses, most professional candidates use at least one form of social media. In February 2021, Pew Research Center reported 72% of United States adults use social media. Younger generations are more like to use social media, with 84% of those ages 18-29 using it and 81% of those ages 30-49 using social media.

Social media becomes more prevalent for jobseekers. According to CareerArc’s 2021 Future of Recruiting study:

• 86% of jobseekers use social media in their job search. They use social media to look for jobs, apply to jobs, engage with job-related content, and more.
• 92% of employers use social networks to recruit talent. Social media recruiting tops the list of hiring tactics, above job ads, job boards, and employee referrals.

It’s likely most of your competitors use social media for recruitment. The talent your company needs likely uses it to consider and find jobs. Any recruiting strategies should include social media, as it’s the most prevalent recruiting channel used today.

86% of jobseekers use social media in their job search. They use social media to look for jobs, apply to jobs, engage with job-related content, and more.

How is social media used for recruitment?

A social media recruiting strategy should include both overall goals with social media recruiting, as well as unique tactics for each social media channel. On all social media channels, a business can effectively communicate a variety of things.

State and exemplify the company’s mission and values

In a survey of 5,000 adults, Glassdoor found 79% would consider a company’s purpose and mission before they applied for a job there. From your social media bio, to the imagery you use, to the tone of your copy, all these social media elements reflect your company’s values.

Share open positions

Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook have job posting features, where your company can create new pages and detail open jobs. On sites like Twitter and Instagram, you can share a link to a job posting or your jobs page, too.

Monitor your jobs page website traffic with a site like Google Analytics so you can see which social channels are driving traffic to your open positions. Encourage your employees to share open positions via social media on their personal pages to spread the word. You can create an employee referral program to motivate employee participation.

Promote your company culture

Research from the Korn Ferry Institute found that company culture is the number 1 reason candidates choose a company. Candidates look for company cultures that are inclusive and that promote employee well-being.

You can show candidates you prioritize a strong company culture by showing off what makes yours great. Share photos and videos of team-building events. Highlight diversity and inclusion efforts. Spotlight employee milestones, like promotions or years of employment. Use social media content to explain how your workforce positively impacts each other, consumers, and the community.

Research candidates

67% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates.

A 2020 survey by The Harris Poll found that 67% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates. Most hiring decision-makers (71%) agree they can effectively use social media to screen applicants.

The professional social networking site LinkedIn offers an array of business tools for employer research on candidates. Employers can:

• Find talent, including passive candidates, that match open positions
• Send personalized messages to engage candidates
• Manage a candidate pipeline using collaboration and analytics tools

Employers can also use social networks to participate in industry conversations and find influencers in their industries. These social media influencers may be top candidates themselves, or a business could connect with them to find referrals for open jobs.

Engage with followers

From answers to customer service questions, to responding to comments on a social media page, how you treat your social media followers reflects on your company. Make sure responses are friendly and personalized to show those visiting your page that you care about your followers and customers.

Which social media is best for recruiting?

You can essentially use any social media platform you’re on, from TikTok to Snapchat, as a recruiting tool for your business. The following are some social media best practices for popular social networks that you can use when recruiting employees.

LinkedIn

• Invest in LinkedIn Recruiter tools to streamline your hiring process.
• Post open positions on your company page.
• Reach out to potential candidates to ask them to apply or refer you to talent.
• Ask company leaders and employees to participate in LinkedIn Groups to share industry expertise as company representatives.

Facebook

• Post jobs on business pages.
• Share job openings as Facebook updates and ask for referrals.
• Share content that exemplifies company mission, values, and culture.
• Engage with followers and provide customer service.

Twitter

• Tweet links to open positions.
• Engage with influencers in your industry who can refer members of their audience to jobs.
• Promote a positive, strong company culture.

Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok

• Post content that reflects what makes your company culture attractive.
• Make it clear where to find your open jobs, either through a custom post or by featuring a jobs link in your bio.
• Engage followers respectfully and positively to reflect well on your company.
• Consider trending features like TikTok Resumes as a way to expand your hiring strategy.

Measure your social media recruiting strategy to optimize your results

Depending on your workforce, open jobs, and company culture, one social channel may deliver more powerful recruiting results over another. For example, if you’re looking for marketing interns, you might have more success on TikTok than you would Twitter. If you’re a B2B software company hiring salespeople, LinkedIn might be your best recruiting tool.

Regularly evaluate your social media metrics. Analyze which channels provide the most engagement and where your target talent is most likely to spend their time. You can also research advertising options on each channel when you want to post jobs as ads.

As you hire, survey new employees on where they found your job posting and if they used any social media channels to research your company. By listening to employees and analyzing your social media data, you can continue to refine your social media recruiting strategies.