Today, social recruiting is at the forefront of recruiting and acquiring top talent. From sourcing on Facebook to using Twitter hashtags to locate candidates, social media is truly a never-ending resource for finding quality talent. Nearly one-fourth (1.73 billion) of the world’s population uses social media! Simply put, the world is connected and the best talent is connected.
With that in mind, even the simplest of mistakes can have far-reaching consequences, not only impacting your recruiting efforts but harming the organization as a whole. 1 in 6 adult professionals found their most recent job through social media! To make sure this 16-17% gravitates toward your organization, avoid the following five social media pitfalls:
1. Over-indulging in social media usage. Being proactive and persistent is great, but how much is too much when it comes to social recruiting? Potential candidates want to feel inspired and engaged by your posts, not overwhelmed and pestered. Keep content short and sweet; post during peak hours to ensure you are targeting the most candidates with an adequate number of posts. Most importantly, don’t want to fall victim to the dreaded mute button!
2. Entering the social recruiting sphere without a defined strategy. It may seem easy to post a few job ads and career articles here and there – for example, an open requisition on Twitter or Best Resume Tips on Facebook – but what is the strategy around how you are posting? What are you hoping to achieve, and how? If you post a lot of content one day but get too busy and can’t post for another three weeks, candidates will recognize the lack of attention. They will recognize neglect if they attempt to engage with you and don’t get a response. Utilize a free HootSuite account to schedule out content or leverage Facebook Insights (analytics) to find out when most of your followers are seeing posts. Further, setting realistic goals is a great way to keep sight of your social recruiting tactics. Aim for a set number of LinkedIn connections and/or posts about your company on Twitter in a given period of time.
3. Failing to define a target audience. Who exactly are you looking for as a potential candidate? Are you looking to target military veterans, graduates from a particular college or candidates who live in a certain geography? Defining who you need to reach through social media is perhaps the move important component of creating a defined social recruiting strategy. Further, 40% of job seekers, ages 30-39, are using social media in their job search efforts – make sure you are targeting the right demographic for your open positions!
4. Neglecting the candidate experience. We all get busy at times, so busy we forget to complete certain tasks or have to push them back until the following day or week. Ignoring or neglecting candidates cannot be delayed! They will leave faster than they found you, and they may never return. Each candidate has the potential to create even more talented candidates (and consumers). One great experience may result in a talent hire, but it can also unlock additional connections and a growing social media community. Take time each day to respond to candidate inquiries, and send a few “Thank you” email to candidate referrals. The perfect candidate may be just a connection away.
5. Failing to proofread or edit your content. Fact, 57% of job seekers will not apply for a role if they notice grammatical errors in the job ad. This statistic absolutely applies to job ads you post on social media or the text drafted for each Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter update. Proofreading your content doesn’t take long, but it can make a world of difference in ensuring your followers and candidates are confident the information you share is accurate and truthful.
You know what they say, “Everything lasts forever on the internet.” As you move forward with your social recruiting strategy, make sure you aren't bypassing the simple stuff!
Post contributed by Abby Thompson, Cielo Social Media Specialist. Connect with Abby on LinkedIn.