Utilizing Social Media for Social HR Recruiting

Finding job candidates with the skills your company needs can be a challenging responsibility for any HR professional. That’s why human resources managers, recruiters and hiring managers are embracing social media, which offers several advantages that can make a big difference in recruiting success. In fact, recent research by the Society for Human Resource Management reveals that over half of organizations currently use social media for recruiting and hiring.

Social media can also help companies streamline employee engagement, keep an eye on the competition and perform a variety of other HR functions. Collectively, these activities are referred to as Social HR.

Why should employers embrace social HR?

Social media allows certain HR activities, such as recruiting, to be accomplished on a much wider scale than traditional methods. It helps companies engage with a wider audience, build brand awareness, target top candidates and improve on the effectiveness of their recruitment efforts without a significant increase in costs.

Social media makes it easy for current employees to refer their own contacts, too. This can help further spread your message and expand your talent pool. If you want your company to be found by talented candidates, social media is a must. It’s where connections and conversations are happening in the business world.

Leveraging social media for HR and recruiting

Social media is a powerful tool to help companies reach their HR goals. Businesses can easily leverage social media channels to reach targeted audiences with job postings, engage with candidates and answer questions. It’s a practical way to build relationships and source talented candidates who may not even be actively looking for a new position.

Savvy HR managers are also using social media to tell their organization’s story, using Instagram photos, blog posts, Tumblr and Pinterest pages, and Twitter and Facebook posts. At the same time, a growing number of job seekers are using these social networks to vet potential employers and choose the company they want to work for.

Social media is also a great tool for listening, monitoring, learning and collaboration. It’s always a good idea to listen to what current and potential employees are saying about your company. When appropriate, you can join in the conversation, but be sure to avoid controversial or contentious conversations.

Social networks offer countless resources to help HR professionals keep up with news, technology and trends. Sharing and collaborating are the norm on social media, so if you have a challenge or question, you are sure to find help on the thousands of HR blogs, forums and social chats that are just a search away.

Five steps to establishing a social recruiting strategy

Having a social media presence is just the first step to Social HR. It is just as important for forward-thinking HR managers to implement a solid social HR strategy.

1. Identify your goals – What does your company need from social media? What are you trying to accomplish? Establish and document your short-, mid- and long-term goals.
2. Write a guiding statement – Establish what job seekers can expect from your company and what the company will ask of them in return.
3. Define your culture – Figure out what makes your company uniquely different. Why do current employees enjoy their work? What will attract more top talent to your organization? Communicate the pluses of working for your company.
4. Target your best-fit employees – Your social recruiting strategy should be targeting candidates who will work well with your current employees.
5. Strengthen the culture – Focus on the skills and personalities of the candidates you’re recruiting to strengthen the company culture.

Once the strategy is established, it can be executed throughout the company social media accounts. Remember to keep your online content relevant, fresh and updated, and always avoid the hard sell. Interacting with potential hires will keep them engaged while building trust in your company. Encourage employees to spread the word about open positions through their own social networks.

Social media has transformed the way we learn and communicate in our personal lives. Now, organizations are increasingly incorporating it into their strategic planning for recruiting, hiring and other HR functions.