There are overwhelming positives to the fact that social media has become so interwoven with the process of recruiting and hiring employees. Now, you have access to the best candidates with just the click of a mouse. How do you make sure you find them? Start by avoiding these common pitfalls.
You Start Looking Before you know who you’re looking for
What do you need in a prospective employee? Knowing your recruitment audience will help you with your social media strategy. Write down your hiring priorities, and don’t be afraid to imagine the ideal applicant for your business. Then research where these sort of people spend time online. With no research, you’ll be lost in a sea of Facebook party photos, unable to find any solid leads.
Your Recruitment Style Resembles Aggressive Marketing
Things aren’t like they used to be. Whether you’re looking for workers or customers, social media is about building a relationship, not hiding behind a faceless company marketing scheme. Don’t send form messages. Don’t start pursuing candidates before you know much about them, and before they know much about you. A staffing expert who specializes in finding competent leasing consultants advises recruiters to build trust with their target market before actively pursuing potential hires. Let your recruiting process be a marathon, not a sprint, to avoid putting valuable applicants off.
You Fall into the Trap of Quick Judgments
Yes, Twitter and Facebook can say a lot about a person, and these days many people know to keep potential employers in mind when they’re posting. But in reality, you can’t know everything about a person from social media. Be wary of writing off a candidate because of social media or becoming attached to someone who might be less dazzling in person. The traditional hiring methods still apply.
You aren’t Keeping up with the Two-way Street
No matter how many wonderful people you discover on social media, none of them are going to be inspired to work for your business if you don’t look appealing to them, too. This means keeping your profile up to date, posting great content, and generally building a strong online presence. Individuals are more exposed online, but so is your company, so you want to make sure it’s looking good.
When you approach social media recruiting with a clear strategy and know what you’d like to achieve, you’ll be surprised how effective it can be. The internet has a way of bringing people closer together, and it can bring the future of your business right to your doorstep.
