To keep with the times, recruiters are now turning to social media to seek out new talent for their organizations. This brings forth a large pool of qualified applicants, provided they adopt the right approach. While carrying out social recruiting, headhunters should keep the following points in mind.
Being Current and Relevant:
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the social networking sites most used for social recruiting. The new generation of employees is quick to get onto the new features regularly introduced by these sites as well as onto new social networks, so it is important that recruiters create an account with all applicable forms of social media and stay active there. Maintaining an up-to-date organizational profile and keeping abreast of the latest technology reflects favorably with the readers and portrays the right brand image of the employer.
Encouraging Two-way Conversations:
It is not enough to create and enhance content on social media. Readers need to get engaged, so that they respond with comments, likes, queries and feedback, thereby setting up a bi-directional channel of effective communication. These responses should be analyzed for more focused recruitment efforts. A successful talent hunt does not begin and end with posting job openings online; headhunters can share newspaper write-ups and put up videos about the company and interviews of current employees. They can focus on the fun aspects of working with this firm; for example, team-building activities or contributions to society. Job seekers need to be enticed to keep coming back for content.
Adding Content Wisely:
Social media has great potential for recruiters, but it comes with risks. Any content is public and can even become viral overnight. Content should never be posted before it is thoroughly reviewed, until headhunters are satisfied that their message is conveyed as intended and cannot be used against the organization in any way.
Making Maximum Use of the Social Networking Sites:
Employees use advanced infographics and various multi-media applications to build their online resumes, including audio and video content. These allows headhunters to connect with candidates on a more personal level, understand their interests and personalities, and build relationships. They can also harness the power and reach of the social networking sites to advertize available positions within your organization. Referrals from people holding respectable positions in other companies can be a great way to tap into quality talent that might otherwise have not been accessible.
Creating Mobile Websites and useful Site Apps:
It pays to understand how job seekers are accessing the increasing number of apps on social websites through their smartphones and mobile tablet devices. In this way, smart mobile recruiting strategies can be implemented for employment opportunities to grab the attention of the right target audience. An organization having a distinct mobile website allows the new-age job seeker to have a good browsing experience while checking out their background, while mobile job apps ensure that they do not miss out on job alerts. These features create a good first impression and strengthen its brand reputation.
Social media is the new wave that recruiters and headhunters have to ride on. It is no longer an optional recruitment strategy, but an essential part of it. It allows a more personal, collaborative mode of operation to HR teams and employers, provided they make the best use of it, without misusing the privilege to infringe on the candidates’ privacy. Social recruiting does not make the task of headhunters easier or faster; rather, it offers them new ways to do the job better.