When it comes to job recruiting, social media can be your best friend. It opens the candidate pool up to a degree that just was not possible a decade ago. Plus, it is relatively cost efficient. You can have dozens of qualified applicants at your fingertips in mere moments if your channels are up-to-date and effectively portraying your company – just make sure that you aren’t making these three mistakes. 

Mistake #1: Forgetting to showcase your brand

It is best not to use social media in a vacuum. This means that, if you want to use LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter for recruitment, you should also be using these platforms to demonstrate your industry knowledge and highlight your company culture. Doing so will help give potential applicants a better idea of who you are and what you stand for, cutting back on the number of unqualified submissions. Ideally, your social media channels should be a mix of media that gives viewers a sense of what it would be like to work for your company. 

Mistake #2: Not sharing the opportunities 

It is called “social” media for a reason. Your postings are meant to be shared. If you only share with your existing following, you probably will not have a huge number of candidates to choose from – or at least qualified candidates. It is best practice to have your team like and share your postings, so you can reach a larger base. You should also be encouraging your team to make referrals, especially the stand out members of your team. Think about the individuals that are helping grow your company in a positive way – by asking them for referrals, or to share the open position with their network, you can attract similar candidates.  

Mistake #3: Just waiting for candidates to come to you

One of the great things about social media is that it opens a line for two-way communication. Yes, you can post a job opening, but that does not mean that you should not also be scouring LinkedIn for your “ideal candidates” and then personally inviting them to apply to the position. That being said, when you do reach out to potential candidates (and you definitely should), make sure to include a personal touch. Let them know why you think they would be a good match for your position and why they should be interested. Otherwise, many people are likely to write it off as spam. 

One last thing to keep in mind… 

Before you hit “post” on that job listing, take a few moments to make sure it is polished. Ask a colleague or two to review it to ensure that it is free of any spelling or grammatical errors. Also, does it answer all of the questions that a potential candidate is likely to have? Does it leave out all of the fluff that might make people stop reading? This is likely the first impression that many potential candidates will have of your company, make it count!  

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash