How to Use Social Media Services as Recruiting Tools

Social media – everyone hears these words not only on the Internet but also in TV and radio programs. When social media came into the picture, it became a pop culture. A lot of social media websites are starting to emerge. First, there was Friendster. It was said to be the most popular social networking sites in the late 90s to early 2000s. On this website, users could send emails, and post photos and testimonials with each other.

In the mid-2000s, Mark Zuckerberg developed Facebook. This service is much better than Friendster. It lets you chat with your friends and share photos and videos online. Since then, it has become the most popular social networking service on the Internet.

However, the evolution of social media doesn’t stop there. If you search for it online, you will find hundreds of them. Every site has different purposes. For example, people use Twitter and Instagram to connect with their favorite celebrities. YouTube, on the other hand, lets you share and watch videos uploaded by its users.

If you compare all social networking sites on the Internet, you will find what they share in common. That would be connecting us with other people wherever they may be.

As the years went by, the use of social media services has expanded. Nowadays, people use it to promote brand awareness. Entrepreneurs use it to advertise what they offer as it is the cheapest way to market a product or service. But did you know that you can use it as recruiting tools? This article will discuss how you can use social media as a recruiting platform. However, you need to know the different uses of these services and their benefits.

Social Media: More Than Just a Communication Tool

Ironically, there’s no exact definition for social media. Yes, its primary purpose is to bridge a gap between many people wherever they are. However, as the technology advances, so does the social media. Nowadays, you can’t just use it for communication. There are numerous ways to use this service.

One of the things that you can do on these platforms is to collaborate with your team. Collaboration tools are a form of social media. It connects several people and allows them to work on a particular project simultaneously. You just need to share it with your teammates, so they can access the platform. An example of this type of media is Google Docs.

Another use of this site is brand monitoring. It’s the least favorite form of social media, but it’s the most useful tool for brand tracking. As the name suggests, it monitors the reputation of the brand online. An example of this service is Brandwatch.

Lastly, you can use it as a social media recruiter. It works like brand monitoring. The only difference is that you’re assessing applicants, not products. Many companies have joined the bandwagon. They post their available positions on these platforms and evaluate their candidates at the same time. By visiting the candidate’s profiles, they can assess each applicant according to their posts.

4 Reasons for Using Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

Now you know its many uses, it’s time to discuss why you should use it as a recruitment platform. There are four reasons for using social media to recruit people. First, it’s the best place to look for job seekers. Though there are websites made specifically for this purpose, only a few people use them.

What could be the reason for this? Is it because most job seekers today are millennial? Maybe, but does it matter? The answer is no. According to iCMS, it’s beneficial for companies to use it for recruitment. The reason is that they conducted a research with regards to this matter. They found out that it has helped increase the application rate by 30%-50%.

The second reason is the cultural shift. Nowadays, people don’t just get the job because of the income. They have become passionate about their work. They want to work in a field that they love.

With the help of social media services, employers can look for applicants who are purpose-driven.

Let’s use LinkedIn as an example. We all know that this site is for professionals. Reid Hoffman developed this website to connect companies and workers together.

As the years went by, its purposed has changed a bit. Nowadays, users use it to find a job that fits their interest and skills. Surprisingly, it’s also where they found 41% of their employees. Hence, they know that their staff isn’t just there to earn a living. They work in the company because of their purpose and their passion.

Thirdly, it provides transparency for both parties. As an employer, you want someone who can fulfill their work without complaints. You want to work with a person who has a positive vibe. That way, other employees will feel the same thing.

For the candidate’s part, on the other hand, you want to work in a company that has a good image. You want to work with a strict but understanding boss. If you found a supervisor who acts like this, there wouldn’t be a problem with your working relationship.

Unfortunately, you could only know these things once you worked with them, but that was then. With these platforms, you can assess the company or the candidate. You just need to search for their profile on these websites.

As for the company, you can look for reviews online. These articles will tell you what kind of reputation they have. Hence, you can pick a firm that has a good name not only to consumers but also to their staff.

Lastly, it’s not the “same, old” networking website anymore. Going back to its uses, you can say that this platform is more than just a communication tool. You can use it as collaboration and recruiter tools. You just need to create a group or a page that users can follow.

How to Use Social Media as a Recruiting Tool

Due to the reasons above, we can say that social media is one of the top recruiting tools. So how can you use it to hire new employees? Here is a list of popular social networking websites and how you can use them as online recruitment tools.

1. Twitter

It’s a micro-blogging site used by many people to post whatever they like. Many people create a Twitter account, so they can follow their favorite celebrities or tweet their feelings.

So by what means would you be able to utilize it for selecting workers? Simple! You just need to promote the vacant post on this site and use a relevant hashtag to your tweet. That way, applicants will see it, even if they don’t follow you.

2. Facebook

As stated earlier, Facebook is one of the favorite social media services today. People use it for communication and entertainment, but you can also use it for hiring people.

To do this, you must make a career section on your FB fan page. Use it to post your job openings. In that way, friends and followers alike can see your ad.

3. Google+

This site is probably the latest social media service in this list. It lets you add many people and put them in your circle, which serves as a group. For example, you can add your siblings and parents to your circle of family. As for your colleagues, you can put them in the “people you know” circle.

The good thing about Google+ is that applicants and employers can use it to find what they want. For the candidate’s part, you simply need to add the companies to your circle. In that way, it will be easier to find out if there is a job opening in a particular firm.

As for employers, they just have to post the requirements for the available positions. It will help them find the right person for the job.

4. Pinterest

Like Google+, Pinterest is also a relatively new social networking site. It lets you post photos and share it with your followers. For this reason, many people wonder how they can use it as a recruitment management system.

To do this, you need to ensure that your posts are attractive. Use pro cameras to snap beautiful, high-quality photos. So that once an employer checks your profile, he may consider you as one of the most desirable candidates.

However, you can use it if you want to work in the art industry, such as photography and computer graphics (CG). Hence, if you’re not working or interested in these fields, use another service instead.

These are just some of the services that you can use as recruitment websites. If you want to learn more about these platforms, then you should read some recruiting tool reviews. These articles will tell you what you need to know about these sites.

Are you looking for reliable social media recruitment tools for your company? Read the reviews of recruiting software provided by CrowdReviews.com. Our website will help you choose a service that fits your needs.