In Part One of Social Media in Talent Acquisition, we covered the basics of social media for talent acquisition. We learned about the benefits of having a social media strategy, frequency, and tone. We will dive deeper into organic and paid social media strategies in Part Two. We'll discuss using these strategies to attract and engage candidates and build your employer brand. We'll also provide an overview of the following steps you can take in developing your social media program for talent acquisition.
So if you're ready to take your social media recruiting to the next level, let's go!
Social Media Strategy - Organic
Social Content Ideas- People:
- Open Positions - Write a post as if you are selling the position, not just the job posting.
- Employee News, including new hires, promotions, employee tenure milestones, etc. (These also provide good content for your marketing team.)
- Leadership Profiles are a good way for recruits to see who they’ll work for and identify common interests.
- Joining a new trade association or professional group as a representative of ACME Company, promoting the organization and the team members.
- Polls are great tools for recruiting and retention. Ask questions that are engaging and that people will want to answer. (Keep in mind that results are shown to those who engage.)
- Bios – let your potential recruits see who they may be dealing with, and current employees see the interests of their coworkers.
- This can be handled with a short Q&A that can be copied and pasted into the body along with a link to Human Interest or that person’s LinkedIn profile.
- If someone has a unique interest, ran a marathon, or volunteers with a great organization, highlight that activity.
- Everyone loves swag. Arrange and post a photo of the new swag before you hand it out.
- Candid photos and professional headshots with fun captions
- Videos of teams working together, tours of the offices, events, and activities typically perform well.
Social Content Ideas - Corporate Culture:
- Employee activities and events (i.e., training, holiday parties, etc.)
- Any time an ACME Company employee speaks, let people know ahead of time and provide a post-event photo. If possible, maybe live stream a snippet from the event.
- Attending industry events, trade shows, sales meetings, etc.
- Focus on a physical office location each month and post about cultural and fun office facts specific to that place, i.e., photos of the Bay from HQ or some perk those people can take advantage of
- Celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity, but do so cautiously.
- Take photos and/or videos and talk about training exercises.
Teamwork:
- To quickly increase a post's impressions (or visibility), encourage team members to share corporate posts with their network.
- Establish guidelines for posting regarding how and what team members comment on when reposting. Tone and voice should mimic the company message and allow the individual some room for self-expression.
- Ask team members to post about their experiences with team members, clients/customers, vendors, etc.
- Encourage individuals to post before, during and after company events for activities such as conferences, retreats, kickoffs, etc. (HR or the team hosting the event should include relevant hashtags for the event as well.)
Social Media Strategy - Paid
Facebook:
Depending on the generation you’re speaking to (or recruiting), you may want to include Facebook in your paid social media employment strategy. Older Millennials and Gen X tend to respond to boosted posts and some banner ads. (As a rule of thumb, you will need to manage your organic account and ensure it shows company culture.)
Tips
- Schedule hiring events or announce your attendance at job fairs. (It’s helpful to post a photo of the hiring team's plans to be at the booth or leading the event, so they’ll know who they’ll be meeting.)
- Post photos during the event to show what your booth or the venue look like.
- Post photos (or videos) after the event and thank people for visiting your booth.
Linkedin:
Utilize all of LinkedIn’s paid employer features. It may be helpful to take the tutorials or a short course through LinkedIn Learning to maximize the impact of the program. LinkedIn allows for free job posts that flow organically into the newsfeed, but there are also paid banner ads that can be targeted to users that fit specific work experience, education, location, etc. needs for a position.
Instagram:
Instagram can be a great tool to attract and recruit top talent for your company.
Tips
- Highlight company culture: Use Instagram to showcase your company culture by posting photos and videos of employees at work, company events, and other behind-the-scenes glimpses of your workplace.
- Share job postings: Post job openings on your Instagram account and use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience. You can also use Instagram's paid advertising options to promote your job postings to targeted users.
- Encourage employee participation: Encourage your employees to post about their experiences at the company and use a branded hashtag to collect and share these posts on your company's Instagram account.
- Utilize Instagram Stories: Instagram Stories are a great way to give potential candidates a glimpse into your company's day-to-day activities. Use Stories to showcase office life, employee events, and other behind-the-scenes moments.
- Engage with potential candidates: If someone shows interest in your company through Instagram, take the time to engage with them. Respond to their comments and direct messages and use these interactions to build relationships with potential candidates.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social media is a powerful tool for talent acquisition. It enables companies to build a strong employer brand, widen their candidate reach, engage with passive candidates, and foster meaningful connections throughout recruitment. Embracing social media as part of the talent acquisition strategy is essential for staying competitive in the ever-evolving job market. Have questions? Let’s chat!
Visit The Consultancy Group to learn more about how we can partner with you, or contact one of our experts.