There are a lot of posts, videos, podcasts and articles out there about recruitment through social tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and Twitter so I thought I would give you an honest look; the candidate’s perspective. I’ve had my share of success of finding work through social channels and I’ve been able to see what works and what doesn’t (well, what’s worked for me and what hasn’t). How and you use the web 2.0 to find your employees?
Having a homebase
It all starts with having a homebase as Chris Brogan would call it. Websites, blogs and career sites give recruiters a place online were candidates can find out more about the company and its jobs. Keep in mind that maintaining a blog is time intensive so make sure you know what you’re embarking on before you start: Do some research before and make sure your blog is not all about you, but gives me some useful advice about working there and so on.
Takeaway: Having a homebase allows you to control your postings – don’t simply rely on your ATS and job boards.
It starts with a Google search
Although Google, Bing and Yahoo! aren’t exactly shiny new tools, it’s how most job seakers (active and passive) start their job search. One of the reasons I recommended not relying on your ATS is that they usually don’t rank well (or at all) in search engines. In other words, Google can’t find your jobs. If you want to read more about SEO and HR, I have a post here.
One of the reasons that search engines are so predominant in the job search process is that, as Mitch Joel sometimes says (and I’m paraphrasing here):
We tell search engines things we wouldn’t tell anyone else.
Searches are private and personal, so with a quick search, a candidate can see what’s available in their field without creating profiles on various job boards.
Takeaway: Make sure candidates can find your openings on Google because that’s where they’re looking.
And now on to the social media stuff…
Trying Twitter
Twitter can be quite a beast – you can post jobs automatically and you can have corporate accounts, but what I’ve found worked the best was to have employees and executives help out with recruitment. Here are two stories:
- Not too long ago, I was doing contract work and a major contract ended sooner than I thought it would. A few hours I found out it was ending, I see a tweet from the head of the Canadian division of an international PR firm looking to fill digital positions. A few DMs and emails later, I had an interview. I loved the fact that I was able to interact directly with a decision maker (and not a logo). I knew more about the company through a couple of exchanges than I could have gotten from a career site or a corporate account.
- Some local web agencies are often looking for people to work in social media and marketing. Their employees are part of the community and regularly shoot out DMs to followers they feel would be a good fit with the company. That’s taking employee referrals to a whole new level.
Takeaway: I’m not saying corporate accounts aren’t worth it, but true success will come from employees’ personal touches…especially when attracting passive seekers.
Facebook Friends
There are many ways to use Facebook for recruitment. But in all honesty, the human touch is where you’re going to win in the end. I was able to get into one of the largest Canadian ad agencies by reaching out to an old colleague I had friended on Facebook. I’m not saying candidates won’t ask a question on your Page, but if they’re passive searchers, they’re gonna want Friends to reach out to them or be available for some questions. Having Friends posting and sharing pictures also helps with employer branding. Pages can be cool when I do research to see what life is like at your company though…
Takeaway: Facebook Pages have a place in recruitment, but it’s Friends that are going to be able to reach out and “sell” you as an employer.
Leverage LinkedIn
I must admit, the greatest opportunities I’ve had was through people reaching out to me on LinkedIn. People that took the time to search, find and read my profile. I’m sure job postings work fine, but if you really want to hire someone, reach out. It’s as simple as that. I know that, as recruiters, you’re busy…really busy, but that’s candidates want — a personal touch. Why not let your existing employees reach out to their contacts for you?
Takeaway: Spend some time finding the candidates you want and spend some time on a thorough profile that tells me who you are.
It shouldn’t be a suprize that the best way (according to me) to recruit using social media is to be social. Sure the ads, the customization and the automation can be great. In the end, you won’t need anything special; no super power — just be human and do the work, that’s what candidates want to see.
What role does social media take in your job search?
(Photo credit: Eneas De Troya)
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