Can Social Media Really Help Me Recruit?
May 9, 2011
By Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment
Social media seems to be re-engineering the way we work across all areas of business.
Whilst it has most heavily impacted on our marketing, sales and branding processes, it has for many businesses become a method of sourcing referrals for suppliers, listing products, linking with associates and forming strategic alliances.
So how can social media help you recruit staff for your business – and is it a good tool to use?
There are three keys ways Social Media can play a part in your recruitment processes:
1) Social Media as part of your network:
Perhaps the most obvious and widely used social media recruitment technique is the concept of ‘word of mouth’. Our social media networks act as an extension of our existing ‘traditional’ networks – so putting it out there to all of your networks that you are currently recruiting is not a new concept.
The Pro’s: you can access a wide range of people, each of whom know (or are connected with) lots of other people. This means the news of your vacancy may end up in front of many more people than via your ‘traditional’ networking, giving you a higher chance of someone suitable applying. It’s easy and it’s free – a Facebook post linking the reader to an advertisement on your website, or even just an overview and an e mail address takes a couple of minutes and is completely free.
The Con’s: Do you want everyone to know you are recruiting? Putting it out there via your networks means the news of your vacancy could end up almost anywhere, in front of anyone. This includes suppliers, clients, competitors and staff (both past and present). There may be certain circumstances in which you wouldn’t want the news that you were hiring to be quite so public, in which case this is not a great tool for you to use. Also, by having the news of a recruitment project publicised so willingly, you may find yourself inundated with interested applicants, which may be difficult to manage from an administrative and time perspective.
2) Social Media Job Boards:
Just like Seek, MyCareer, CareerOne and all of the other niche online job boards, there are now social media job boards which are available to use when recruiting for staff. The most obvious being LinkedIn which is considered the social media site of choice for professionals looking to connect. LinkedIn has an integrated job board and recruitment function.
The Pro’s: Like all job boards, you can tailor your ad and nominate how you receive applications, queries and responses. If you are seeking professionals or executives this can be a great – why? Because it’s where the professionals are ‘hanging out’ online.
The Con’s: There is a cost in placing ads, like with all commercial job boards. For LinkedIn, it’s just under $200 per ad. Like any form of direct employment advertising, you can get a range of unsuitable applicants which need to be managed and responded to.
3) Building My Company Brand:
Social media is a great way to build brand awareness and presence; it’s one the main reasons it’s used across all industries as part of their marketing mix. When recruiting staff, this brand awareness can be used a great tool to attract top talent.
To be the best business you can be, you want the best possible people working for you. Similarly, the best talent want to work for the best company in their field. So how do you get that reputation?
Social Media can be a great way to help build this. It also builds a level of ‘familiarity’ in candidates minds. It allows you to communicate your key values and attitudes, and in doing this you will be more likely to attract talent whose views and beliefs match up to the organisations. This leads to better long term recruitment solutions, with individuals who engage more readily and fully with the organisation and their role, and who are going to be a better fit for the organisation and its team.
Overall, using Social media to recruit can be an excellent way to leverage your online networks to attract a wide range of applicants. However, like with all other recruitment methods, you should still follow through in using your other selection tools, such as interviews, reference checks and assessments to ensure you are making the best possible hiring decision for your business.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY KRISTY-LEE JOHNSTON:
- Get Organised!
- Getting the Most from Staff Performance Reviews
- Recruitment and Selection Tools. What to use when.
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Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint RecruitmentKristy-Lee Johnston is the Director of Footprint Recruitment, a Central Coast based Recruitment and HR agency which is run by locals, for locals.
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Day 10 – 30 Days of Networking: Grow your network. Refer a friend.
July 11, 2009
Welcome to Day 10 of 30 Days of Networking: Grow Your Network. Refer a friend.
Generosity is a definitely trait of great networkers. It’s rarely about “what’s in it for me?” – more often successful networkers look to share resources and information that will help others. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is treating networking as though ‘pitching’ yourself is networking.
Networking by helping to connect people is a great way to grow your own network.
Day 10 - 30 Days of Networking: Grow your network. Refer a friend.
Refer a friend/colleague/fellow tribe member and you:
- support another person – a tribe member – (There’s gotta be a feel-good factor in that, right?)
- establish yourself as someone who is a good resource of information
- build goodwill with your community (I believe in reciprocity and that generosity will be reciprocated)
- connect people who may otherwise never had met
Tip: Conditional giving is not generosity.
Which two people in your network(s) could benefit from knowing each other?
[ABN Members - I encourage you to use your Member Directory to recommend other members who's services you've used. Soon, you'll be able to make recommendations right inside of the directory and to get recommended too!]
TODAY’S TASK
Recommend someone in your network to another in your network.
Is there someone you’ve already met through 30 Days of Networking that you know has products and services a friend/colleague could benefit from?
Here’s my referral for this task:
If you’re looking to get fit, I recommend you try out Ignite Health in Surry Hills, Sydney. The owner is @darren_shaw on Twitter and he’s been a great supporter and mentor in the area of fitness, of which he has a level of mastery. His business is a private gym, and costs more than the big chains, but they’re amazing at what they do and have helped me change my fitness dramatically. And, he’s generously shared his network with me – he’s referred me to a chiropractor, massage therapist and even an architect!
Best wishes,
Suzi
Day 4 – 30 Days of Networking: Use Twitter to Get and Give Referrals
July 5, 2009
Word-of-mouth is an age old (and largely reliable) way to generate new business. Social media, and the transparency that it provides, makes word of mouth referrals more important now than ever before.
People take on board the recommendations of people they know, like and trust.
A great way to get referrals is to give them! Of course it needs to be authentic giving, not manufactured of intended to manipulate.
Let’s start with GIVING referrals.
How do we use Twitter to give referrals?
Who do you follow that you WOULD recommend? Who’s tweets give you enjoyment, knowledge, value?
As a blogger, I’m always looking for ways to improve my blogging skills and tips on how to manage, create and organise my blog posts. I follow Darren Rowse, whose Twitter name is @problogger , so I recommend him to those who have a blog, or a looking to start one.
@problogger | Follow if you blog
How to GET referrals on Twitter
This is true in offline as well as online networking: The best way to get referrals is to BE someone that people know, like and trust.
KNOW - Your tweets reveal a lot about you. They tell us what your interests are, what you know about. Your tweets reveal your humour, outlook on life, when your sharing and when you’re pitching.
LIKE – We tend to like people like us, and people whose interests are like ours. Be sure to have the real YOU show in your tweets and you’ll attract more follows that you are most aligned with.
TRUST — We trust those that do what they say they will do. Trust usually follows Knowing and Liking. Keep any hidden-agendas at bay when connecting. (I remember being in a networking relationship for a long time with someone I didn’t trust because I saw the opportunity for an important business deal. My gut feeling won and I backed out of the relationship and as a result felt free!)
The bottom line: Be someone that people want to refer. The people I tend to refer are those who are generous with their information, who are ‘real’ or are thought leaders who provide great information that I, or my community of women in business, can enjoy,
There are plenty of opportunities to sell and do business. Be relaxed about it … Lay off the hype and any over the top self-promotion. (Few people like the person, who, at a live networking event is shoving cards in people’s faces. The Twitter version of this are the over-the-top promises and ‘look at me’, ‘buy this today’ type of tweets.) Aim to add value!
TODAY’S TASK:
- Tweet something. Who are you following that you would recommend?
- Tweet a recommendation about them. Be sure to include their Twitter name (and of course the #30DNet tag).
My post for this task will be:
If you have a blog (or are starting one) I recommend you follow @problogger . His posts are consistent, generous and practical. #30DNet [FYI - that's 136 characters]
In a couple of days I’ll show you a world-wide Twitter protocol that is another great way to make and get recommendations on Twitter.
Best wishes,
Suzi
