Which social media platform will engage the best talent?
Today’s talent pool has widened on a global scale. Emerging technologies and post-pandemic working practices have broken barriers, providing opportunities for a growing number of people through hybrid and remote working.
Every organisation wants the best people. To gain access to the best people, you need to work beyond traditional recruiting methods and leverage the power of social media to capture the attention of the right people. After all, 4.62 billion people use it. That’s more than half the world’s population. Recruitment is marketing. Employers should take advantage of social media to engage, retain and attract talent.
5 steps to social media recruiting
While social media gives you access to a large volume of potential talent, you need to refine your search to find the right talent for your organisation. To do this, you need to understand which platforms are best for your organisation and brand.
1. Identify the ideal talent you’d like for the role
Who is the role best suited to? Consider the skills and experience you’re looking for and the possible demographics of this person. For example, if it’s an entry-level or early- career role, you might be looking for someone who recently graduated or started working in the last 1 to 2 years.
2. Find out where people spend their time on social media
If you’re recruiting for a junior role, try platforms like TikTok or Snapchat, which typically have a younger audience. It’s worth talking to existing employees to find out which platforms they use most.
3. Understand the platform
Sign up! See how other organsiations are recruiting on the platform, and take note of the most effective hiring content. Find out what options you have and whether the platform would work for your brand and organisation.
4. Build your brand profile
Whether you decide to use one or multiple platforms in your recruitment strategy, if you understand your target audience and implement the content they engage with, you are more likely to attract the right people to your organisation.
5. Build your personal profile
It’s easier to build authentic relationships when you’re posting as a person, rather than a brand. While it’s important to post as your organisation, you should back this up by reposting, sharing or commenting as yourself, the employer. Potential talent are more likely to engage with a profile with a face, rather than a logo.
The difference between popular social media platforms
Here’s some basic information about how different platforms can work for engaging talent.
Research shows that 40 million people look for jobs on LinkedIn every week, so it’s safe to say it’s a great place to start for all industries looking to recruit. In fact, 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn. While it was traditionally viewed as a networking platform for professionals, it is now the most popular tool for both job seekers and recruiters.
LinkedIn is a common choice for professional industries like finance, services, marketing and technology. Its self-publishing feature allows leaders and experts to establish themselves as thought leaders. If you’re looking for senior positions to fill, LinkedIn is a great place to start.
Instagram is a visual platform, making it the perfect platform to source talent for creative roles in industries like fashion, entertainment, arts and hospitality. It’s the original home of the influencer and is a place where employers can express their brand identity.
As a recruiting tool, Instagram is vastly underappreciated, with only 11% of recruiters using it. But that might be changing. Instagram made the news recently when a group of farmers turned to the platform to find employees. This demonstrates the importance of being open-minded when deciding which platforms could be a suitable recruiting tool for your organisation.
Facebook has a wide demographic, with a cross-section of generations using the platform for both personal and business purposes. It focuses on community, bringing people together through live and virtual events. It’s commonly used by industries like not-for-profits and health and wellbeing.
TikTok
TikTok is increasingly used by recruiters to attract a generation of fresh, young talent. It’s a good choice when looking for younger people with an appetite for quick, consumable content.
In 2021, TikTok launched a pilot program called TikTok resume, allowing job seekers to create quick online candidate profiles. With 62% of all US TikTok users aged between 10 and 29, the program primarily targeted entry-level job seekers. Employers jumped onboard to use the new resource, with brands like Shopify, Target and Chipotle actively using the platform to engage with talent.
Snapchat
Similarly to TikTok, organisations have piggy-backed on the audience of Snapchat to source new talent. A digitally-savvy generation of potential candidates are on full view to potential employers.
According to reports, Snapchat has a user base in Canada of up to 12 million daily users, 82% of whom are millennials. As one of the largest employers of youth in Canada, McDonald’s combined Snapchat social media and employee recruiting in a campaign they called Snapplications. They asked candidates to upload a 30-second video CV to the platform, which they could share on the company’s hiring portal. Not only are McDonald’s jumping on the back of a ready-made audience, but they have a tool to collate potential talent. It’s a smart way to transfer the power of social media to your own benefit.
Twitter is great for roles that require good communication, since Twitter is one big conversation of opinions and comments. It’s ideal for the media, entertainment and marketing industries, which rely on a social media presence that reflects society's current landscape.
One way employers use Twitter is as a search engine for potential talent. You can search hashtags to find people working in the field who may be tweeting about the industry. You can also use hashtags that relate to the job role.
Wrapping up
As they say, if you keep doing the same thing, you’ll get the same results. This is also true of social media recruitment. Step outside your comfort zone, and try other platforms. You’ll reach a new and diverse audience and might attract new talent.
In a market where 37% of job seekers are passive, social media can help. Passive talent may not be looking for a job, but they’re still potential candidates, and you might reach them first if you use social media to recruit. Social media is a resource. If used correctly you can engage and attract new and diverse talent.
For more insights, visit the Heart Talent blog.