Recruiting on social media is always a headache for managers, as they need to create a long-term development strategy. Furthermore, social media continues to dominate the internet as the leading communication channel. It's not just a tool to connect with people, but also a place to find talent. It's no surprise that 90% of recruiters use social media to search for, recruit, and select talented candidates. Therefore, millions of companies are competing fiercely to attract talent.

Understanding this concern, we will summarize 7 key steps to building an effective social media recruitment strategy. In addition, you can identify the right social media platform, select the right candidates, and approach them through various communication channels.

7 STEPS TO BUILDING A RECRUITMENT STRATEGY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR RECRUITMENT
Choosing the right platform is crucial in your recruitment strategy. According to Harver, 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find candidates, 55% use Facebook, and 47% use Twitter. Similarly, the content you post also plays a vital role. Compared to Twitter and Instagram, LinkedIn is considered more effective for blog posts. Therefore, clearly define your expectations and ensure you choose one (or several) platforms that align with your industry trends.

2. SPECIFY YOUR APPLICANT TYPE WHEN RECRUITING
Finding the right candidate is no easy task. You might be proud of your excellent job advertisement, but if it's in the wrong market, no one will apply. Especially with social media recruitment, you need to identify the type of candidate you want to hire.

Some questions to help you better understand the type of candidate your company truly needs:

- Are you looking to hire recent graduates, experts, or mid-level professionals?

- Do you have any specific requirements such as work ethic, background, or family status?

Additionally, you can save time by creating a candidate profile and focusing your strategy on that. This will help filter out unsuitable candidates early and encourage other applicants to submit their CVs.

3. ESTABLISH A CONTENT SCHEDULE
Attracting talented candidates requires persistence and perseverance. Ensure you prepare thoroughly by planning your recruitment content weeks in advance. Scheduling not only automates pre-planned content but also makes your job postings more visible to potential applicants. Regular posting increases the chances of candidates seeing your job openings. However, don't overdo it, as posting too frequently can lead to being blacklisted for "spam."

4. BOOST ENGAGEMENT – ESSENTIAL IN RECRUITMENT
Typically, when job seekers are looking for jobs, they will react immediately to those they find appealing. Ensure this happens when you post a job opening. Therefore, you need to add motivational and inspiring messages to your job advertisements. Motivational phrases like "sign up today - change your tomorrow" should be incorporated into your posts. They are easy to understand and more appealing to social media users. This makes it easier than ever for them to consider and ultimately decide to submit their CV.

5. ESTABLISH RULES AND REQUIREMENTS
When writing job descriptions, you need to pay attention to every detail. Before posting anything, you need to define and review the entire recruitment process. Social media recruitment strategies differ from traditional recruitment when it comes to rules. What you need to do is set rules regarding the format and rules for your candidates' CVs. However, don't expect every CV to be perfect. In that case, those who don't follow the rules will still be accepted if you hire them.

6. COMMUNICATION VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
The nature of social media is to promote direct communication. Therefore, they can be a powerful support for any potential candidate. Candidates are likely to ask more about the position, the company, and the recruitment process. Instruct your social media channel manager on how to answer any related questions. This will make your social media recruitment process more positive for candidates.

Never ignore any messages, as they may perceive your company negatively. Facebook and Twitter tend to show that pages that frequently respond to messages are more likely to be active than those that don't. Therefore, demonstrate your goodwill by answering all questions.

7. DON'T MAKE CANDIDATES WAIT
Social media inherently encourages quick response times and information turnover. Follow this logic if you plan to use social media for recruitment. When CVs arrive, make sure you contact candidates as soon as possible. Or you can create automated messages to ensure candidates have a positive experience.

Companies sometimes get a bad reputation when you intentionally ignore direct messages. Remember that anyone who sends a CV is showing they are desperately in need of a job. Show them your appreciation by responding and scheduling interviews as soon as possible. This can minimize negative experiences with the company.

CONCLUSION

When using social media for your recruitment strategy, you need to focus on the quality of each post. Furthermore, you must create a positive impression on candidates by maintaining and fostering interaction with them. Of course, this is not easy at all. However, if you are serious and persistent, your application will be much more effective than expected!

Source: TopDev