Today’s job seekers aren’t focused on newspaper classified ads anymore. Naturally, they’re looking at online job listings and corporate website careers pages, as well as searching for possible opportunities through social media. Recruitment and employment branding campaigns are now allocating resources toward social media outreach.
I’ve compiled the latest best practices to help you get the most bang for your HR buck. While many of these tactics can apply to social media marketing in general, they’re especially relevant to reaching job candidates.
Share at the right time.
Try and catch people during
relative moments of downtime. The conversion experts at Crazyegg
suggest the times below.
These are optimal times based on industry research – but
remember that it just helps to share, period!
Start a conversation.
Think about your posts as
content marketing.
The following topics make for great posts:
- Ask your audience a question – What do they want to know about your company? What leaders do they admire? What inspires them about work? Invite some engagement.
- Clear hiring language – Make prominent use of direct phrases like “We are hiring” or “Join our team,” so readers will immediately understand that employment opportunities are available.
- Inside look – Give potential candidates an inside look at what it’s like to work for you. Share employee interviews, day in the life info, videos or even tours of your organization.
- Celebration – Have employees post everyday events and happenings to show that your company is a great place to work. Include photos, videos and hashtags like #officeparty, #TeamOuting or #LoveMyCoworkers.
- Industry insights – What are the latest trends in your industry? Keep it simple, with just one key topic or stat in your post.
- Highlight your culture – What’s most special about your organization? Pick one area, like training and development, and focus on that for a post.
- Community news – Is there anything special going on in the community where you are trying to recruit?
- Comments from recent hires – These are especially effective.
Hone in on the right keywords.
- Google search – Search for the name of the position(s) you’re trying to fill. See how people are talking about skills and experience.
- Social media – Check out some industry professionals on Twitter or LinkedIn to see what lingo / inside terms they use.
- Google AdWords – Use the Keyword Planner to see what variation of key words, phrases or job titles is getting the most hits.
Check these basic boxes.
- Update the first 200 characters of your company’s LinkedIn profile to let people know you’re hiring on the very first glance.
- Avoid buzzwords. Keep your language simple and authentic to grab attention. Corporate buzzword phrases (such as “provide dynamic solutions,” “think out of the box,” “hit the ground running,” etc.) are a turn-off.
- Make sure your company’s profile states that the business is an equal opportunity employer.
- Do not make statements the could be construed as a promise of employment or business opportunity.
Use the Disney Experience as a litmus test for recruitment.
Every social post you make should convey the essence of your brand.
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Jim Ellis has over 20 years of experience in marketing strategy and implementation throughout a variety of industry sectors. Since 1999 he has been with Signal, a digital agency based in Wilmington and Raleigh, North Carolina. Signal has proven strengths serving as the “local agency” for global companies, generating solid results in web design, brand identity, mobile app development, digital strategy and more. Jim provides counsel to many of the agency’s largest clients with an eye toward integrated communications and a vast knowledge of both traditional and modern practices. As a songwriter and musician with a business degree, he believes his artistic/corporate “dual personality” gives him added perspective to be an effective liaison between clients and Signal’s talented creative team. Originally from Ohio, Jim graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration.
