You’ve posted on countless job boards, done dozens of interviews, and after all that you still aren’t able to find good talent. But what if the issue in your hiring process is not what you’re doing – but where you’re looking?
If you’re a hiring manager or small business owner you can’t just hope that the right candidates will find you. To find real talent, you need to be where the right candidates are: social media.
Social media sites are some of the most active social forums online. It’s where passionate professionals share their personal milestones, and because people share so much about themselves there, social media can also give you a clear sense of a potential candidate’s sense of judgment, for better and for worse.
Not convinced that social hiring is for you? Then consider that online hiring site Glassdoor reports that nearly 80% of job applicants use social media in their job search. In other words, most types of job posts on social media are totally free!
Even better, it’s likely that much of what you or your employees are already doing on social media can be used to find great talent. This includes sharing an opening with your network to posting about the amazing company culture on Instagram to sharing job descriptions with professional groups. Hiring on social is helping more companies than ever widen their search — and find their perfect candidate.
Post in social media groups
Whether you’re a small business looking for your next sales person or local health clinic looking to hire fresh graduates, you’ll want to be active where the talent is – in professional and local job groups on social media!
Consider sharing your posting with specific university groups on Facebook, joining local professional groups on LinkedIn, or joining the conversation on more niche social sites like Reddit.
Be sure to use your company’s hashtag or any hashtags relevant to your location or job opening like #salesjobs or #HiringLA to get your post in front of those who might not see it otherwise. Taking these steps will allow you to put your job description in front of exactly the right people at the right time and in the right place.
When it comes to hiring, you can also get help from within your organization. Just setup a employee referral system and watch the resumes flow in.
Talk to potential candidates
Engaging in two-way conversations with candidates is just as crucial as consistently posting on social media. After posting, be prepared to answer (or refer to your HR) any follow up questions about your post, whether they relate to your company, compensation levels, or other topics. Answering these questions on your post also helps to build a personal connection, filter out candidates who aren’t the right match, and create excitement in those who are!
Share eye-catching images – and grab your candidate’s attention!
Another excellent way to get noticed — and attract top talent — is by sharing an image or video job posting.
Anything from a simple ‘we’re hiring’ post to a short video about your amazing company culture can help get you the candidates you need in no time. For a great visual post be sure to include your:
- Company name
- Candidate job title
- Company logo and brand colors
- Contact information
Remember that your dream hire is liking looking at a number of different opinions, so you’ll want to make sure that your post looks as good as possible to stand out. If you have no design skills, no need to panic; most companies use a simple job posting template, like those shown here, to make their posts look as polished and professional as possible. Try our wanted posters to get started.
Create an employee referral system
Most companies already have employees who are already active on social media. So why not offer them an incentive to share even more exciting things about your company with their large networks?
While some employees refer candidates because of a financial incentive, many are also motivated to refer out of a desire to help their friends or the company. By creating an employee referral system and offering incentives, whether in the form of cash, company recognition, or even an extra day or two of PTO for anyone hired, you’re more likely to connect with the great talent that already exists within your employees’ networks.
Put up a hiring banner on Linkedin
Whether your company has a couple of hundred followers on LinkedIn (or none at all), putting a hiring Linkedin banner up on LinkedIn helps you to connect with your company’s top fans and reach new talent who may not have noticed you otherwise.
LinkedIn is often one of the first places that prospective candidates go to look for jobs and research your company, so using a Linkedin template to create a good looking banner will be sure to get you noticed by the right people. Make sure to keep your hiring banner simple, visual, and include your company name, logo, and brand colors.
Show off your company culture
Another bonus of encouraging your employees to share about your company is to help build your brand authenticity. It’s one thing for your company to talk about how you’re the best workplace – but it’s another thing entirely for prospective talent to hear it directly from current employees.
Make sharing positive content about your company easy by providing and sending your employees with premade social content, like fun pictures from your company party, quote images of awesome employees, or short videos of your latest and greatest product. LinkedIn even lets you automatically notify all of your employees (and encourage them to share, hint hint) any new social posting.
This soft approach to promoting your company culture may not immediately get you stacks of resumes, but it is certain to solidify your brand image and help get your posts and company organically recognized by larger audiences.
Take these six steps to find your dream candidate!
Hiring doesn’t have to be a hassle, especially if you can leverage social media to find amazing talent.
Finding your dream candidate in their natural environment is now as simple as posting in social media groups, conversing with potential candidates, and sharing eye-catching job posters to get attention.
Remember to also to use a name badge creator for creating employee name tags to give to new hires.
Then once those steps are in place, close the deal and ensure a steady stream of top hires by creating an employee referral system, putting up a hiring banner on Linkedin, and encouraging employees to post and show off your excellent company culture. Your next great hire is waiting — now it’s time to start sharing and get social!
New to PosterMyWall? Use our now hiring flyer templates and design tools to create eye-catching hiring ads and find the perfect fit for your company.
Senior editor at PosterMyWall.
