Benefits of Social Recruiting
Why should you make social media part of your recruiting strategy?
Here are three big benefits of social recruiting.
Connect with more candidates.
A passive candidate isn’t actively looking for work but is open to new opportunities. Traditional recruiting strategies and job boards won’t reach these potential employees—but they make up 70% of the candidate pool.
Social recruiting helps you get your job listings in front of candidates that you wouldn’t otherwise reach. Passive candidates might not be scrolling through job boards, but they are scrolling through their social media feeds. This allows them to see your company’s posts and decide if they’d be a good fit for your organization.
A passive candidate might stumble across your job listing on their feed. If they do apply, it’ll be because they think it’s a great fit for them—not because they’re desperate to leave their current role.
Save money and time on hiring
In general, it costs businesses over $4,000(Ksh455,800) to hire new talent. It takes forty-two days on average to fill a given position.
Social media recruiting can save your company time and money. Sponsored postings on job boards are expensive—and you can’t guarantee that you’ll reach candidates that fit your open role.
When you leverage your employees’ networks and the power of word of mouth, you’ll reach more potential recruits in less time and for less money.
Showcase your employer brand
In 2017, 47% of job seekers pinpointed company culture as the main reason for wanting to leave their current company. Social media lets you share your company culture and values alongside your job postings—and gives potential candidates an inside look into life in your workspace.
To highlight your employer branding on social media, you can:
- Share employee-generated content (EGC).
- Inform your audience of company benefits and initiatives.
- Encourage employees to post on social and interact with interested parties.
Compelling Stats on Social Media Recruitment
These powerful statistics showcase the benefits of social media recruitment for building the best team, and how social media works to help you find top talent.
The Majority of Companies are Using Social Media for Recruitment Today
Surveys showed that at least 84% of organizations are currently using social media for recruitment and that 9% of those who don’t yet use it are planning to. Organizations that don’t want to be out-recruited by competitors or left behind should make sure they are also taking advantage of the trend. Developing social media guidelines is a great first step to launching internal and external social media programs.
Social Media is Where Millennial Candidates are Looking for Jobs
A study from the Aberdeen Group revealed that millennials are changing social recruitment practices: 73 percent of millennials (18-34 age group) found their last position through a social media platform. So, if you want to target the youngest and most motivated group in the workforce, make sure that you use platforms that appeal to them.
Social Media is Where People are Spending Time
Studies show that people are spending A LOT of time on social media. In fact, if global social media usage continues to look like what it does today, the average person will end up spending more than 5 years of their life on social media. For that reason, it’s smart to recruit where people are spending their time.
People Use Social Media to Find Relevant Content
Social media is an excellent resource for people who want to discover branded content that is interesting to them. In fact, a study by Marketing Sherpa showed that at least 58% of U.S. consumers use social media to follow brands.
If someone finds your company (or the available jobs at your company) via social media, they either sought your profile out or it appeared to them because they expressed interest in relevant/related topics or organizations. Therefore, if someone connects with you for a potential job position via social media, it often means they are engaged in your branded content or relate to your company culture content making them stronger candidates.
Social Media is a Great Opportunity to Harness the Power of Word of Mouth Recruitment
Leverage employees to amplify messages further through employee advocacy and social referral programs. According to a survey from Monster, 65 percent of respondents would consider a new job opportunity if they heard about it through a personal connection. Word of mouth promotion tends to be effective no matter how it happens. In fact, studies by Nielsen show that 92% of people will trust recommendations that they get from friends and family over any other kind of marketing, promotion or advertising.
Social Media is a Good Place to Find Passive Job Candidates
Sometimes, the best candidates are those not actively looking for a job. Maybe they already have a position (but could be wooed away) or maybe they are just not seeking the type of job you’re offering. Despite not actively looking for a job, passive job candidates can often be the best fit for a position, and social media has proven to be a great place to find these candidates. A survey showed that 82% of organizations currently use social media in order to successfully recruit passive job candidates.
You Can Still Get Ahead With Social Recruiting.
While 84% of organizations are using social media for recruitment, the majority aren’t actually employing a proper social strategy. According to a 2021 CareerArc study, only 39% of employers target specific audiences (e.g. via hashtags). Moreover, only 39% of them involve their employees in sharing branded content.
