A report from Jobvite suggests that the UK lags behind the US on social recruiting, with 60% of recruiters not using social media to recruit. The question is why are more recruitment firms not using it?
The average UK social media user spends over 2 hours per day on Social Media. With 38 million active social media accounts it’s never been as easy to reach an audience that will be perfect for the next job your advertising.
But while it’s never been as easy to reach a wide audience, it’s also becoming more difficult to engage with them as well. Solely posting jobs that you have available is not going to cause your recruitment firm or business to be memorable, and attract the very best candidates.
Engagement is key
Making what you post on social media engaging is key to getting started with social recruitment. And making sure that the content you create engages and targets your ideal audience – be it potential new clients or new candidates – is critical.
Define a target audience and discover what they would like to see from your posts. Find out their interests, the type of activities they would do and where they would go. And go and talk to these types of social media accounts.
Talking to others, responding to any messages and questions that you receive in a timely manner will all help to build an audience that will help you find the best candidates for your job opening.
Content
Mix up your content. Think about how you use your own social media accounts – it’s usually on your phone. Make your content have scrollstopability – don’t become another post or account that a follower just scrolls past when looking at their account. Use images, videos, animated gifs or anything that screams for your content to be looked at and engaged with (ideally in a positive way!)
Segment your Audience
Some of your audience may not be interested in everything you post – and that’s fine. If you’re a general recruitment agency with multiple industries then every post may not be suitable for every person.
So segment your audience. Use paid advertising options, such as Facebook Ads, to create specific content for a specific audience defined by your ideal candidate. If you’re looking for a care worker then somebody who is interested in volunteer works or charities might be someone who would match the values that your client or you are recruiting for.
Platforms to use
While LinkedIn can be a great tool and resource to find out about candidates, don’t forget about using others such as Facebook and Twitter. Reach people on the platforms that they are on the most often and reach ‘passive’ candidates.
By Helen Pritchard – Blue Sky Digital Marketing
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