Using social media to find top recruits

Of course, social media also remains a vital tool in assessing cultural fit and flagging unprofessional behaviour.

Here is how to use social platforms to find top recruits.

Is social media an effective way to recruit employees?

Recruiting on social platforms is a very effective way to find top talent, and it offers a multitude of advantages that are especially beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Below, we outline the most notable benefits of incorporating social media in your search for the ideal team member.

1. Expand the candidate pool

The traditional recruitment process is mostly passive: company ABC prepares a job posting and waits for potential applicants.

But what if a great candidate is employed elsewhere and hasn’t been searching for a new job? What if they haven’t come across your opening, but would be open to exploring new opportunities for the right one?

“Actively looking for candidates on social media will help you reach passive candidates, widening your reach and expanding the pool of potential hires,” explains Pascale Boulianne, Senior Advisor, Talent Acquisition at BDC.

2. Reduce hiring costs

Using social media to find top talent can help you reduce your hiring costs for two main reasons.

First, posting an open position can often be done at a minimal cost on a social platform, while traditional channels such as job boards and print media can be more expensive.

Second, using social media will limit your reliance on head-hunters and other external recruitment agencies and services, which often charge significant fees for their work.

3. Build your authenticity

Approaching candidates directly, rather than relying on recruitment agencies, will position your company as a genuine, authentic brand.

“Nobody knows your business better than you,” says Boulianne. “When you reach out to a candidate yourself, you can have a more personal approach and show truly who you are, tailoring your message to show how your values match your candidate’s.”

What types of social media are used for recruitment?

Companies use two main types of social media when it comes to recruitment: professional platforms, like LinkedIn, and non-professional platforms, like Facebook and Instagram. Here is a quick overview of the main social media platforms and how they work.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform where users create profiles resembling resumes, connect with professionals, join groups, and engage in industry-related discussions. Being designed specifically for professional networking and job searching, it is a powerful platform for companies trying to find qualified candidates. Its search engine, for instance, is robust, with filtering capabilities that allow recruiters to target candidates based on specific criteria such as skills, experience and industry.

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking platform where users create profiles, connect with friends, join groups, and engage with content through likes, comments, and shares. While not primarily designed for professional networking, Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world with more than 3 billion active monthly users. Combined with the fact that it has sophisticated advertising tools, this platform is very effective platform for reaching a diverse pool of candidates. Recruiters can create targeted ads to reach users based on demographics, interests and behaviours.

X (formerly Twitter)

X is a microblogging platform where users share short messages with their followers. Users can also engage with the content by liking, sharing and replying. Twitter's real-time nature and extensive use of hashtags make it suitable to broadcast job openings, engage with potential candidates, and participate in industry conversations.

Instagram

Instagram is a platform centered on visual content where users share photos and videos with their followers. With over 2 billion active monthly users, it ranks as the third largest social media platform globally, offering access to a vast pool of potential candidates. Its emphasis on visual content provides an ideal opportunity for showcasing company culture and portraying the work environment through engaging visual content.

Which social media platform is best for recruitment? 

Many social media platforms can play a role in small business recruitment. However, LinkedIn remains perhaps the most powerful one for professional and executive roles.

“When it comes to administrative or technical positions like mechanic or forklift driver, on the other hand, it might be more effective to do a recruitment campaign through Instagram and Facebook,” says Johanne Kucey, CPHR and President of RecrutXL, a consulting firm specialized in recruitment, talent acquisition and HR management.

Since those platforms cater to a wider public, companies can go beyond LinkedIn’s pool of predominantly white-collar professionals in order to reach a wider base of potential candidates.

“Another thing to keep in mind is that Facebook is now losing steam among the younger generation, while Instagram, for instance, has a younger user base,” says Kucey. “Platform popularity across different generations is important to consider as it will have an impact on the potential candidate pool.”

How companies are using social media technologies to recruit employees 

There are two main ways to use social media to recruit employees.

The first is more passive: companies prepare a job description and post it on their social media platforms. They can also do an ad campaign. They then wait for candidates to apply. The second way consists of actively searching for and approaching candidates.

“I’m not a big believer in the post-and-pray approach,” says Johanne Kucey. “Approaching candidates may take more time, but it also leads to more success, particularly for roles impacted by a shortage of talent.”

Here is a general step-by-step guide on using social media to recruit employees:

1. Prepare a job description. Make sure it accurately reflects the responsibilities of the role and what kind of candidate would be most successful. The description should also be compelling and professionally written.
2. Publish it on your different social media accounts. Do not forget to include attractive visual content to communicate your employer branding. It can be a picture of the working environment, a video of the team manager presenting the role, or even an illustration highlighting the awards you have won in the past.
3. Ask the hiring manager to share the post in their network.
4. Collect job applications and approach candidates who have matching experience by sending them a personalized message. Narrow down the list to a handful of potential hires.
5. Organize in-person interviews. Once you have a few potential candidates, you can initiate the traditional interviewing process.