Social Recruiting: Myths, Facts, and How to Do it Right

<div class="grey-callout"><h2>Key Takeaways</h2><ul>
<li>Social recruiting: Utilises social media platforms to find active and passive candidates, enhancing traditional recruitment methods.</li>
<li>Employer branding: Developing a strong employer brand on social media can complement recruitment efforts but requires significant time and resources.</li>
<li>Targeting challenges: Paid advertising on social media can reach specific audiences but must be carefully managed to avoid discrimination.</li>
<li>Content strategy: Frequent, engaging content tailored to the platform is essential, though results can vary and are not guaranteed.</li>
</ul></div>

‍

What is Social Recruiting?

Social recruiting is a method of finding active and passive applicants using social media platforms. It can also be called social media recruiting, social hiring, and social recruitment

Employers can use social media sites to promote jobs by broadcasting job adverts, or by encouraging employees to share content on their own accounts. In the past, employers attracted lots of followers who they could broadcast adverts to for free. Now employers normally need to pay to advertise, although this does come with the benefit of better targeting.

Furthermore, social media can be used to generate an employer value proposition, which enhances other recruitment efforts. Whilst it is very time-intensive to create regular content and engage with jobseekers, it may be suitable for employers with larger resources

Crucially, social recruiting can only complement other Applicant Attraction Channels and cannot be a predictable source of applicants.

‍

<span class="grey-callout"><p><span class="text-color-purple">Warning:</span> Most influencers who recommend using social media have an agenda, so I’d like to provide some balance in the overhyped world of social recruiting.</p>
<p>Many companies professing “social media is the most useful recruitment tool” are trying to sell consulting and software. They often give seemingly impressive statistics, such as “81% of jobseekers use Facebook to look for jobs”, which is ridiculous because not even 81% of jobseekers have a Facebook account! They also seem to ignore the fact that social media usage is declining worldwide (except for the United States), and only 14% - 25% use it for work-related activities (GWI, 2023).</p>
<p>Case studies about companies that have benefited from social media are usually from well-resourced and well-known companies such as Disney or Zappos. They could say almost anything on social media and it would become news. Many of these case studies have nothing to do with recruitment! For example, referencing something President Biden said on social media is largely irrelevant to recruitment.</p>
<p>Although some may say “they got a great result” from social media, this usually means a single piece of content got a few likes and comments – it rarely means a candidate was hired.</p>
<p>Also, not all comments may be positive. For example, when Ryanair used Instagram to find pilots, they probably weren’t expecting the most liked comment (and therefore the most prominent) to be “Give me my f**king leg space”!</p>
<p>The main point is do not believe the hype. While using social media in your recruitment strategy can be helpful, it is not a panacea or free.</p>
</span>

‍

Which Business Should use Social Recruiting Methods?

In the past, companies with a large following were the main users of social media for recruitment. However, now that paid advertising is the main way to reach users, almost anyone can use it.

I find it particularly beneficial for:

• Tech-savvy industries: These businesses often seek candidates who are early adopters of social media.
• Creative and digital fields: Businesses in creative industries are good at creating engaging content and have a broad knowledge of social media channels.
• Organisations with strong employer brands: While building an employer brand takes time and money, once assets such as videos and pictures have been created, they can be easily repurposed.
• Organisations with a politically strong HR: The marketing department typically controls social media accounts to attract customers and prefers to maintain consistent messages rather than dilute them with recruitment topics. Therefore, you often need someone in HR with enough political clout to “align” marketing with the broader organisation’s objectives.

‍

What Type of Job Can you Fill Using Social Media?

Social media is often considered a touchpoint for raising an awareness of an employer, but the chances of filling a job using it are limited.

Moreover, the type of candidate you attract is quite limited and reflects a platform’s target audience. Whilst I hate making generalisations in recruitment because they can come across as biased, social media is more likely to attract younger generations, so it is more appropriate for early careers. Similarly, employers are more likely to recruit degree holders via LinkedIn (Atske, 2023).

‍

When Would an Employer use Social Recruitment Techniques?

Use social media after you have published a job advert on a job site or employer career page. Then you can direct applicants from social media to a better platform where they can learn more about a job and apply.

‍

<span class="purple-callout"><p>Need some expert help? I'm available for advice or practical assistance. Get your free consultation.</p><p>You may also find my best-selling talent acquisition book helpful, and I can post a job on the UK's leading job sites for only £199.</p></span>

‍

How Much does Social Recruiting Cost? Time vs. Money

Social media recruiting is not free, and many employers are surprised to learn how expensive it becomes. It appears low-cost because creating a profile and promoting posts organically are free. However, a big cost is the time needed to create content that develops interest in your business and builds relationships. Remember, your (and your colleagues’) time is money.

Frustratingly, it is also becoming more challenging to reach users organically, so you need to pay to reach your target audience for consistent results.

‍

Do Employers Have any Guarantees when Using Social Media in Recruitment?

No, because it is advertising. A social media site has little influence or control over what is advertised, so cannot be held responsible for the outcome.

‍

How to Use Social Media for Recruitment

Social media is constantly evolving, and sites that are popular one year may be superseded the following year. The big social media channels that can be adapted for recruitment are X, Facebook, Instagram/TikTok and LinkedIn. (LinkedIn for recruitment is unique and is covered in its own article.) 

Social media can be used in four distinct ways:

1. Promoting jobs organically.
2. Promoting jobs in paid search results.
3. Promoting an employer brand.
4. Reviewing applicants’ social media profiles.

‍

1. Promoting jobs organically

In the past, employers were encouraged to attract lots of followers, but now that’s a bit like being rich in Monopoly, as there are fewer opportunities to “organically” reach followers. Here are some current options:

• Linking to job adverts: When you advertise a job, share a link to the advert on social media accounts. Sharing will potentially reach a few followers and may be found in search results. However, here is a warning: many users do not like these posts interrupting their feeds.
• Employee referrals: Ask employees to share a link to the job advert on their social media accounts. It is a straightforward way to get your colleagues involved in your social recruiting strategy, and you will potentially reach a few of their followers. (I have more information about employee referral schemes.)
• Posting on social media groups: Join relevant groups and promote your job advert. Again, many users do not like this, so tread carefully.

‍

2. Promoting jobs in paid search results

Paying for your job to be shown is the quickest way to broadcast your advert to a targeted audience, including those who are not your followers. For example, your advert could be shown to users who meet specified criteria, such as working age, living in a specific geographical area, and with particular interests.

However, targeted advertising can be a double-edged sword: you must be careful not to discriminate. Social media algorithms may even be inadvertently discriminating. A campaign group, Global Witness (2021), submitted a claim to the UK’s equality watchdog suggesting that job adverts posted on Facebook were disproportionately viewed by genders stereotypically associated with those roles.

‍

<span class="grey-callout"><span class="text-color-purple">Tip:</span> Some paid social media adverts collect an applicant’s contact details. For example, an applicant may click “Learn more”, and their contact details are automatically sent to the employer. By allowing an applicant to easily express an interest, application rates dramatically increase. Whereas if you redirect jobseekers to your employer career page to start their application, you will lose a significant amount.</span>

‍

3. Promoting an employer brand

Promoting an employer brand is one of the most time-consuming uses of social media, making it less feasible for SMEs.

It involves regularly creating and sharing content about your company culture, values, and employee experiences to attract jobseekers. The content should strive to spark conversations that engage users and are sometimes entertaining. Do not exclusively focus on your job postings.

Employee advocacy is also helpful, as it allows employees to share their thoughts and experiences about a company. Importantly, it should be employee-led content that allows their own thoughts and personality to shine through, so it is authentic, credible proof that staff enjoy working at the business.

‍

4. Reviewing applicants’ social media profiles

Some hiring managers use social media to learn more about a candidate’s professional experience, interests, and values.

It is not a valid method of predicting an applicant’s future success in a job. Researching applicants using social media is not ideal because hiring managers may be using very superficial and inaccurate information to form judgments.

It is also debatable whether this practice is legal. Some employers argue they are purely reviewing publicly available information that applicants have allowed anyone to access. From my perspective, I do not believe you should view a candidate’s social media profile without their consent because of various privacy concerns, albeit I accept that their LinkedIn profile is work-related. I will let you decide with your HR or legal counsel.

‍

General rules of social recruiting

• Post very frequently: Because posts will quickly get buried in a user’s timeline, you must post frequently to increase visibility. Additionally, most algorithms prioritise new posts, with many “old” posts being overlooked if they are more than one day old.
• Include a salary: Many employers fail to include salary details in job adverts. Whilst the space is quite restrictive, not advertising a salary leads to a significant drop in applications.
• Adopt a click-bait mindset: Use impactful first sentences to engage users. Examples include asking a question, making a problem statement, creating a knowledge gap with only part of the information available, asking, <span class="text-style-email">Can you guess?</span> or <span class="text-style-email">This will make you...</span>
• Be short and snappy: Social media users typically have short attention spans.
• Use interesting images: Images are crucial to make your content stand out. The most effective images will be of your staff and the work environment, or a picture of a job advert. Refrain from wasting a good post with a bad image – avoid stock images because you need to look authentic and on-brand. Instead try AI-generated images or apply filters to make images more unique. You do not need to overthink it because your content will only be visible briefly, and if you are linking to third-party content (eg. a news website), an image will often be taken from the source.
• Avoid black and white images: In testing they don’t cause eye-fixations as easily, and a black and white image of a single person can be misinterpreted as an obituary!
• Try short form videos: These are concise, often edited within the app and can include captions, filters, stickers, music, and funny audio clips.
• Upload videos natively: Social media sites prefer videos uploaded directly (aka natively) rather than embedded from third-party sites such as YouTube. When including videos, use subtitles because many viewers won’t have their sound turned on at work (but avoid allowing auto-subtitles because they look unprofessional when wrong, for example, “We sauce the very best...”).
• Publish posts natively: Whilst there are tools for scheduling content, many social media algorithms prioritise content published directly via their site, especially “live” posts.
• Shorten long links natively: If your links are too long, avoid using tools such as Bit.ly, as many social media sites prefer their version.
• Remember a call-to-action: Employers frequently forget to tell candidates how to reach them! Provide an email or phone number, and ensure it is in the description and the image. Unfortunately, some employers use emails that are hard to remember (eg. buildyourfuture@acme.com, or joinourteam@acme.com). Make it memorable and simple (eg. jobs@acme.com).
• Encourage engagement: Algorithms generally prioritise popular posts. Encourage readers to <span class="text-style-email">Tag your friends who you think will be interested</span> or simply <span class="text-style-email">Like to Apply today.</span>
• Utilise hashtags: Incorporate relevant hashtags like <span class="text-style-email">#vacancy</span> or <span class="text=style-email">#job</span> to increase visibility in jobseekers’ searches. Use location-specific hashtags like <span class="text-style-email">#Colchester</span> to help jobseekers find jobs in your area. Typically, two hashtags are sufficient.‍
• Engage with others: “Liking” someone’s post is a form of voting and showing appreciation; comment if you have something valuable to share; “re-post” content to your connections; “mention” someone to attract their attention; “tag” them if they feature in your images. These all provide helpful signposts for your followers.‍
• Use direct messages (aka “DMs”) appropriately: Because it is rare to have public conversations about changing jobs, use direct messages and email to continue a conversation.‍
• Stay engaged: Regularly check your direct messages and promptly respond to enquiries, showcasing your organisation’s quick and efficient communication.‍
• Don’t be “me, me, me”: An excellent rule is “If you wouldn’t do it at a party, don’t do it on social media”. For example, you wouldn’t walk up to someone at a party and tell them about you incessantly and that they need to do something for you. They would just walk away. Instead...‍
• Be warm and genuine: To build a connection with “followers”, be human. For example, showing a picture of your team celebrating a birthday at work is much more authentic and believable than saying, “We treat our staff like family”.‍
• Be careful with memes: Memes are photos or videos with a humorous message. However, they can sometimes be off-brand or misconstrued, such as using images from The Wolf of Wall Street.‍
• Try to elicit an emotion: To achieve more impact, it helps to inspire a positive memory and emotion: amusement, interest, surprise, happiness, hope, excitement.‍
• Don’t rant: Recruitment can be frustrating, but don’t start criticising candidates who haven’t arrived for an interview, taken another job offer, or something similar. Your followers do not know if it is a joke, and you appear as if you can’t manage your emotions or the recruitment process properly.‍
• Keep your profile “public”: This lets all users find and engage with your content (as opposed to having a private profile where only your followers can see your content).‍
• Company vs. professional/personal profile: Each type of profile has trade-offs. Company profiles are less authentic, do not resonate well with jobseekers and can conflict with customer marketing messages. Whilst professional/personal profiles attract more jobseekers, it can be challenging to get the right tone, and you need to avoid controversial topics.

Even if you follow all these recommendations, I would like to manage your expectations; “going viral” is often luck. No one knows how to make anything go viral, and I have never seen a recruitment post that has gone viral.

Beyond general rules, many social media channels have their nuances, some of which I have distilled:

‍

<div class="grey-callout"><h2>X (aka Twitter)</h2>
<p>X is a micro-blogging social network that is all about short updates of 280 characters or less. Given the character limitations on X, tweets need to be kept concise. Prioritise the outstanding aspects of a job and feature a quote from a colleague. If you want to expand on your message without spamming followers with loads of tweets, you can use “Threads”.</p>
<p>Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, it has undergone many changes, including the name, which was rebranded X. Sadly, many of these changes have been detrimental, and Elon’s tirades and school-ground antics (such as wanting a literal cage fight with Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook (Hoskins, 2023)) have meant many users left the platform. Therefore, it is now less relevant for recruitment.</p>
</div>

‍

<div class="grey-callout"><h2>Facebook</h2>
<p>Facebook has changed so much over the decades. At one point, they had a dedicated recruitment platform that quickly failed. Here are some ideas that have stood the test of time:/p>
<p><ul><li>Careers Facebook pages: Your business will probably have a company Facebook page for your customers. In addition to this, create a dedicated Facebook company careers page. Unfortunately, posting jobs on these pages rarely generates applications. Instead, explain what it is like to work at your company (usually through video and photos) and encourage employee advocacy.</li>
<li>Pay for advertisements: Quickly broadcast your advert to users, regardless of whether they follow you.</li>
<li>Target adverts: Take advantage of Facebook’s targeting feature, which allows you to focus on specific audiences based on location and interest. This helps your advertisement reach individuals who are more likely to be interested (but be careful not to discriminate!).</li>
<li>Engage: Encourage your current employees to “like”, “share”, and comment on job adverts from their personal accounts.</li>
<li>“Groups”: Seek out relevant Facebook groups and contribute by sharing your opinions, but do not repost jobs as users generally don’t respond positively.</li></p>
</div>

‍

<div class="grey-callout"><h2>Instagram</h2>
<p>Instagram has exploded in popularity but is still quite limited to posting images that interrupt users as they scroll through their timeline. Essentially, you are communicating through a form of Pictionary.</p>
<p>There are also Instagram Stories that essentially copy Snapchat’s format and disappear after 24 hours, meaning they have limited visibility – and it is frustrating if you piqued a candidate’s interest and they cannot find the post a few days later!</p></div>

‍

Additional Resources

• Talent Aquisition Book; The Secrets of Great Recruitment: How to Recruit Great Employees.
• Downloadable PDF guide; From Likes to Hires: Tips & Tricks for Social Media Recruitment.
• Article; Social Media Recruiting: Leveraging Social Platforms for Talent Acquisition.
• Article; Advantages & Disadvantages of Usig Social Media for Recruitment.
• Article; LinkedIn Recruitment Secrets: What Every Employer Must Know!