Social media recruitment – the latest craze or just a phase?

Social media has proved to have made a significant impact on online recruitment. In fact, some of its underlying principles – engagement, transparency and speed – are just a few lynchpins of a successful recruitment campaign.

So it seems only natural that social media and recruitment would be linked.

Many organisations continue to find it difficult to attract candidates with the right skills – despite high unemployment. There is also a strong focus on delivering more for less, with reduction of costs at the top of businesses’ agendas.

There’s a misconception that social media is ineffective when it comes to recruiting, brand awareness or even return on investment. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Just look around, companies of all sizes and all industries have embraced social media to varying degrees. And those who have embraced it are already one step ahead.

Social media recruitment is a great way to build communities and engage with your future talent pipeline. Just by integrating it, you can tap into new pools of talent – passive candidates who previously may have not looked at your company before.

The nature your business operates will determine what social networking channels you use. For example, B2C companies will typically focus their efforts on Facebook, whilst those in B2B service industries will flourish using LinkedIn.

Why integrate social media recruitment into your hiring strategy?

- High unemployment means job seekers are trying different ways to engage with you
- It can provide long-term results and brand ambassadors
- Free to set up, and relatively cheap to maintain
- Complements your existing recruitment strategy
- Use it to build communities that, ultimately, will become future talent pools

As an employer, have you found success using social media as part of your recruitment campaign? Which channel do you find the most effective? Share your thoughts below.