Social media boosts talent acquisition and the hiring process.
According to the article, “5 Ways Social Media Is Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition,” Sajjad Masud claims that in a recent study, “more than 60% of adults are connected to one or more social networks and of those, 23% of their online time is spent entirely on social networking activities.” Although many people use social media for recreation, companies are attempting to do their part in increasing the productivity of time spent logged in. With more companies posting available positions to Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, social networking has become an excellent resource for job seekers. For some, finding common ground and establishing a connection with the interviewer can help land the job, and with social networks, common interests can be determined much faster. Social media shouldn’t be the only form of employment recruiting, but neglecting it completely could limit the variety of qualified candidates.
Read the advantages of using social media for talent acquisition in an excerpt from the article.
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1.It’s Personal
Hiring has always been concerned with people, and the relationships formed through social media between
candidates and employers are even more imperative.
While candidates can reach out to key recruiters, companies form entire networks or talent communities to connect
and engage with candidates. Social media is a tool that caters to sharing interests and engaging in conversation, making it easier to find a suitable candidate early on. After all, we do it so much everyday that it becomes a natural process.
2. It’s Transparent
Social media users tend to be self-aware of their brand because of how visible their activity and interests can be. Because of this, we must always anticipate some sort of reaction or feedback. No longer are your strategies and tactics a secret from those outside the company — they are fair game for criticism, even by the candidates themselves.
Though your recruiting activities can open a Pandora’s box of negative comments, it’s still a good way to find new perspective on what you may be doing wrong and how it can be better.
3. It’s No Longer Just For HR
Social media talent acquisition allows for entrepreneurs and CEOs alike to find candidates directly, quickly and with a reduced cost-per-hire — especially for startups that lack traditional HR personnel or funds for a recruiter. However, social recruiting is not to be taken lightly; just because you can find candidates on Facebook doesn’t mean you should throw away the rule book.
4. It’s Marketing
A solid plan, a target audience, metrics and data are all required for effective social recruiting. With the introduction of Brand Pages on Facebook, your organization isn’t any different from those selling a product — instead, you’re advertising a place of work.
Through brand management, content creation and engagement, candidates and employers alike see the value of social
interaction for talent acquisition. It’s instantly measurable and targeted to something that older processes simply can’t match.
5.It’s Being Shared
Employees on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are contributing to the efforts of recruiting through their own posts and tweets. Not only are open positions getting distributed as pieces of content to vast networks of people, but it’s also facilitating the use of social referrals — one of the best sources of quality candidates. Job seekers are finding ways to take advantage of social referrals by keeping in contact and engaging with key members of companies.
