Top 3 Social Media Recruiting Mistakes

Social networks have changed everything about the way we interact with one another. The hiring process, in particular, has seen some major developments in the past decade with regard to sourcing qualified candidates and top talent across every industry.  One such development is the rising popularity of leveraging a social media recruiting strategy.

Formerly, paging through classified ads in the local newspaper was considered a great way to find and connect with employers. Now, the internet serves as a one-stop-shop for hiring managers and job seekers alike.

Social media has become a markedly effective recruiting tool, especially with platforms like Monster, Indeed, or better yet, LinkedIn. Virtual resumes are intimate, living documents; with LinkedIn, for example, empowering candidates with real-time endorsements and recommendations previously unavailable in any other medium. The stats don’t lie:

• 70% of HR managers confirmed successful hiring via common social media channels.
• 80% of employing agents affirm the possibility of finding the most suitable candidates with social recruiting.
• Talent hunting and hiring via social media are being achieved by 91% of employers.

Yet, as with any powerful technology, discretionary caution should be exercised to avoid making common mistakes.

Here are some identified social recruiting mistakes and approaches to prevent them from happening:

#1: Using Social Media Only for Publishing Job Openings

Job seekers are interested in much more than just the description inherent in your job postings. As a recruiter, simply posting job openings isn’t enough. Candidates want to know what direction they’re heading in  – what’s the company culture like? What does a day in the life at ABC Corp really look like? Will they be entering a dull, lifeless environment detrimental to professional growth, or can they trust your company to cultivate their best talent and give them room to grow?  With all of the information available on the internet nowadays, without an online presence, even passive candidates will forego job descriptions and take their business (or yours) elsewhere.

Bottom line: Don’t limit your posts to job-related openings; rather, build a following by sharing diverse, unique content.  Display employer brand, culture, and personal brand. Showcase a day in the life of an employee on and off the job. The more relatable, the better. Does your company offer childcare services? Let’s see what the daycare facility looks like! Do work perks include a gym membership? Post some footage of the top-notch equipment they’ll have available to them 7 days a week.

Does the employer contribute to any charitable causes? Showcase a fundraiser and display why your company is more than just a workplace. Giving back to the community, for some, is a deal-maker. Create and post content that highlight your brand’s uniqueness, culture, and image. Leave the job posting shop-talk to phone screenings and interviews.

#2: Not Prioritizing Interaction

You should do more than attract likes and comments. Consistent interaction with potential talents should be your priority as a recruiter. You need to build powerful connections with your target audience.

What to do: Build relationships by interacting with other users. Facilitate peer-to-peer discussions on and off the clock. Join job groups and forums – or better yet, become an admin in a group or forum to establish trust with candidates. Job seekers insecuriies quickly dissolve when they see how openly and freely you communicate.

Engaging with other posts in addition to your own is vital. Make it a point to get involved with other users – commenting, cross-posting, and even back-linking your own content in others comment sections is a great way to fortify this engagement and cultivate your online personality. This will quickly and steadily build rapport and grow social relationships with a target audience. However, bear in mind that you have to invest quality time for this purpose.

#3: Uncertainty in Preferential Candidates before Posting on Social Media

Ah, the proverbial stabbing in the dark. Without first determining who your ideal candidates are, chances are, you won’t get very far if you’re efforts are going unnoticed. More importantly, you’re probably using the same approach when you post a different job opening. In order to source the right talent pool, you need to make certain your casting the right net.

Think of it this way: A skilled fisherman doesn’t simply drop his line into the nearest body of water. Several variables are taken into consideration, like forecasting the weather and the tide – and that’s just part of his routine. He also needs to understand the direction of the current, the type of water he’s fishing in, and most importantly, the particular fish he’s looking to catch.

What to do: Think like the fisherman. Know your target – or candidate – and the essential characteristics and traits (plus goals, employment history, skills and more) you’d like them to possess.