Social media can be a great tool for recruiting candidates online. You can run searches using keywords to find people already in your field and reach out to see if they are interested in new opportunities. It also gives you a more complete picture of who people are outside of the office as well as their highest priorities.
That said, using social media does not come without pitfalls. Here are some of the most common mistakes that occur when businesses use social media as a tool for recruiting.
Social media can give you information you’d never dream of asking in an interview–information that's traditionally protected in order to avoid potential discrimination. For instance, a quick perusal of a prospective employee’s Facebook profile can reveal the following information:
Of course, it’s illegal to take these aspects into consideration before you make a decision to hire a person, so recruiting via social media is a risky proposition. To be safe, be sure to consult with your legal department if you choose to use social media as a tool for recruitment. A better practice may be to look at a person’s social media account after a face to face meeting has occurred.
Social media contact cannot take the place of a personal interaction with a candidate. Messaging through an instant messenger is not as effective as a phone call, and a phone call is not as effective as an in person conversation!
A candidate’s ability to interact in person or via telephone can be vastly different than their ability to communicate through written word. The trick is to analyze their communication to find out if a person will fit in with your office culture. The best way to get a good feel for a candidate’s potential for compatibility is to meet them for a one-on-one conversation. Using social media should be something that you add to your toolbox, not the only thing in it.
We are living in a time where sharing personal information on social media can vary wildly from generation to generation. Millennials are much more likely to put a lot of information on LinkedIn and Facebook, not to mention the habit of Tweeting their thoughts and photographing their meals to share on Instagram. Their social media platforms will likely be up-to-date, but don’t assume that’s the case with all social media users. This does not mean you should dismiss a candidate who doesn’t have much activity on social media sites, thinking they might not be looking or interested in work.
Also, there are different thoughts on what specific information is appropriate to be sharing on social media. You do not want to be too quick to judge someone who shares a lot or someone who seems reserved. There are AI tools that can pull out personality information from a candidate’s language usage on social posts, no matter how active they are on the platforms.
It takes a lot of attention and time to build up a following online and interact with a community online, particularly if you want to use social media as a tool for recruitment. There are keywords that need to be used, SEO that should be taken into account, and relationships that need to be built in order to effectively use social media as a recruitment tool.
Social media will not give you a quick and easy solution to recruiting needs, it takes time and energy. If you’re not fully committed to taking the necessary steps that will enable you to use it effectively, perhaps you should consider recruiting through other channels.
A part of the time commitment associated with using social media for recruiting is spent updating your own online presence. You cannot interact with potential candidates online and have a sparse profile of your own. Model what you expect to see from job candidates. If you frown on too much personal information, be sure that your own profile stays professional.
Do you expect candidates to post regularly? You should schedule posts to ensure that your social media account is always up to date. Make sure to take the time to include information about yourself and your company that will attract potential candidates to your page. All your contact information should be current at all times.
If recruiting via social media feels overwhelming, consider working with a company that can help you navigate each platform with ease. GoGig uses social data profiles to assess candidate personality and desires in a completely automated fashion for your company to save time and money. This is a professional network that provides warm leads with passive candidates, expediting your recruiting process. Click here to see a demo today!