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Yes, Candidates Are REALLY Checking Your Social Media

As of January 2014, 74 percent of online adults used social media sites—and that number has likely remained the same or grown in the past twelve months. It stands to reason that at least some of those 74% are prospective candidates, and some of them have checked your contribution to social media. So what do you give them to look at and keep their interest, and how can you leverage social media to turn candidates into employees?

Engage the passive candidates. Nearly half of those employed today would consider leaving their current position if another, better opportunity arose. You can become that opportunity by finding out where your candidates go online, such as sites devoted to a specific field or industry, and make your company a presence, or even create your own group to foster relationships without obvious promotion. Focus on opportunities for growth, not just the position, to pique interest. It’s about selling your company to them.

Utilize social media for branding. While most job seekers don’t use Facebook and Twitter for actual job searches, they do use both sites frequently. So make your company a presence by staying visible through frequent and relevant updates and hashtags. Let them know about company events and milestones, interests outside the company (anything you donate time/money to, local events you’re involved in, etc.), workplace culture, and industry updates. Help candidates develop interest so when they do look for other places to work, they want to come to you.

Be creative. Don’t just stick with the big social media and industry-based sites—go to college and alumni websites and offer workshops or classes candidates can attend. Give them something so they’ll want to come to you…and they’ll come in having just learned something applicable to the job. Or get really creative: Use Google Business Tour, as one Australian company did, to show prospective candidates the building and its layout, or create a game that only savvy people in the industry would have the interest and knowledge to play. What can you do to go beyond the usual job postings and quirky “We’re looking for a creative type with a sense of humor who doesn’t just build a sandwich; he crafts it” taglines?

Social media does just what the name says: It has the power to bring people together, to connect. How will you use it to connect with the candidates you want? For help in your endeavors, reach out to the Thousand Oaks recruiting experts at PrideStaff to see how we can help as well.

 

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