It is clear that social networking websites can be a great tool for recruiting new hires, but with so many organizations out there, which methods are the most effective?
The issue is there is no “right” way to use social media, it greatly depends on the business and the culture the company wants to represent. For example, if a photographer is looking for assistants, recruiters could use Pinterest or Instagram to see an applicant’s samples and display the photographer’s latest prints. Then there’s LinkedIn, which is the most commonly used network for professionals.
There’s so much information out there, it can be overwhelming for a human resources professional to read through all day. That’s why it is important to use HR software solutions as a way to sift through profiles that may not suit the company’s hiring expectations.
According to a study from Jobvite, using social media has allowed hiring managers improve candidate quality by 49 percent, and increase the size of candidate pools by 43 percent. Nonetheless, it is important for HR professionals to remain focused on leveraging those websites that work best for the organization.
Business 2 Community contributor Yasmin Bendror asserted that companies should focus on a limited number of social media networks because it is better to “be excellent with one or two channels than mediocre at five or six.”
Bendror’s recommendation is crucial to keep in mind because while it may be tempting to make multiple accounts, managing social media can take up a lot of time—there’s a reason why businesses are hiring social media managers.
Google+
People assume that Google+ it is not useful, but that is not the case when there are 359 million active users per month. Google+ makes it easier for recruiters to communicate with prospective applicants through “hang outs,” which are live video chats, and categorized trending topics, identified through the use of hashtags. An added benefit to Google+ is that it is great for producing results on Google’s search engine.
Unlike other networks that allow some fun with posts and videos, this one is very business-oriented. LinkedIn Groups allow businesses within similar industries to communicate with one another. The basis of LinkedIn is to “share content, find answers, post and view jobs or make business contacts,” Bendror added.
The largest network of all the ones on Bendror’s list with 1.11 billion visitors per month, businesses can use this platform to serve as a secondary homepage, posting company announcements and awards. Comments are more free-flowing here, so active communication on Facebook is essential.
With only 140 characters to spare, hiring managers have to be concise. When putting up a new job posting, consider using shortened links to make the most of each tweet. Twitter has been found to expedite communication with job applicants and clients.
Regardless of which platform recruiters use, HR software solutions can be used to summarize an applicant’s information to save time and expedite the hiring process.