Wow! Has the job market changed or what? Back in the day when people were looking for work, they pounded the pavement, mailed their resumes, and answered want ads in the paper. It was much simpler back then before technology took over the world! Now, tech-savvy job seekers don’t look in the paper, they turn to the hundreds of job listing sites out there, and we’re pretty darn sure they don’t buy stamps.
The fact is millennials are now the largest generation in our country’s workforce, and to reach these potential employees, you have to meet them where they are: online. This is especially crucial for manufacturers who are desperately trying to bridge the skills gap.
Enter social recruiting. Sure utilizing job listing sites is great, but it’s just not enough.
59% of employees today say a company’s social media presence has an impact on their decision when choosing their workplace. Can we get another “Wow!”
Clearly, social networks have become an indispensable marketing tool, not just for gaining customers, but also employees. Let the skills gap bridge-building begin! Find the employees you’re looking for by following these social recruiting tips:
Showcase Your Culture
Don’t just post about your job opening, post pictures of your workplace and employees. Highlight things your company does to encourage employee happiness, like company outings, community events, enjoying lunch with the boss— those types of occurrences that give recruits an inside look at what it’s like to work with you beyond the actual job responsibilities.
Get Your Employees Involved
Nothing tells a prospective employee that your company is a great place to work more than a current employee talking you up! Involve your team in the recruiting process by having them spread the word about your job listing, share the post and even better, share their own experiences. A series of posts featuring quotes from your employees explaining their favorite thing about their jobs could be incredibly motivating to prospective talent.
Reach the Right People
There are plenty of ways to ensure you are attracting people who will actually be a good fit for your business. Social ads are a great option since they can be customized to target specific locations, demographics, industries, and more, and filter out those who don’t fit the criteria. Being able to narrow your target in such a way is often well worth the investment.
Of course, there are several things you can do that do not have a price tag attached, like simply making sure your company profile is completely filled out on all platforms, using job-specific hashtags, and utilizing LinkedIn’s built-in job search and find capabilities, which by the way, allow you to describe your perfect candidate!
Pick the Right Platforms
LinkedIn is known as the professionals’ platform, so it’s usually a given to make sure you’re actively seeking employees there, and with Facebook’s billions of users, that’s pretty much a no-brainer too, but what about the other platforms? Should you tweet about your job opening on Twitter or post it on Instagram? If you’re not sure, try asking your current employees what social platforms they use most. Chances are, similar types of people will be partial to the same ones.
Negate Negative Comments
Whether they’re having a bad day or they’re disgruntled for some reason, people often air their complaints publicly on social media. Be ready to protect your brand by dealing with negative comments in a positive way. Resist the urge to delete (unless vulgar or off-topic) or ignore remarks— it’s better to acknowledge them as soon as possible. Here’s how:
- Use an online service that tracks your online engagement and notifies you of conversations that mention your brand or use keywords you have set up. That way you can respond in a timely manner.
- Never lash out or be defensive. It’s important to keep your cool, be professional and present a solution. This shows others that you care and are willing to do what it takes to rectify a problem. Excellent customer service switches the focus from a negative to a positive.
- If negativity continues, take it outside! Once you acknowledge the situation publicly, offer to continue the conversation via phone or email. If things continue to escalate, you should then report it.
Get a Sneak Peek
You can bet job seekers are checking you out online. The thing is, nothing says you can’t do the same! In fact, it’s actually a great idea to use social media not only to attract candidates but also observe how they use social media themselves. You can often find people’s work experience and education history in their profiles or on resumes they’ve uploaded on LinkedIn. You might find skill endorsements here as well.
Looking at their social pages can also give you an idea of their personality, hobbies, and interests which can go a long way toward determining if they would be a good fit with your culture and team. You may even be able to get a glimpse of who they are networking or interacting with, what businesses and industries they follow, content the share, and so on— these are also great ways to determine who’s right for a role in your company.
Gone are the days of waiting for prospects to come to you. Take advantage of social media to proactively recruit exactly the employees you want and need. Simply put, if you want to tap into the massive millennial workforce, the first step is to get social (unless, of course, you need some help — then the first step would be to contact Revel).
