By now, most companies know that social media is an important part of their marketing efforts. However, some might not realise that social media can be a big part of establishing and promoting your employment brand. Culture is the foundation for your employment brand, and modern job seekers research company culture and workplace life using social media platforms. And we’re not just talking LinkedIn.

In fact, a recent job seekers survey from Jobvite found that people are more likely to use Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram to find out more about companies they’re interested in. Unfortunately, only 40 percent of companies in the Jobvite UK Social Recruitment Survey said they use social at all. If you’re recruiting and not using social media, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful mediums for taking a peek into the digital lives of potential candidates, showcasing your company culture, and boosting your employment brand.

For the truly creative, any platform can become a place for connecting with candidates and showing off your company culture. The key on social is to go beyond just posting jobs to truly build an online community for your employment brand.

Here are four ways of using social as a tool for recruiting top talent.

1. Identify your ideal employee. As with any marketing effort, the first step is to decide which channel is the best way to reach your target audience. In this case, instead of developing a customer persona, you want to develop a persona of your ideal employee. How do they spend their days? What are they passionate about? What do they value? What are their hobbies? Answering these questions will help you decide which channels are best for your efforts and help you develop content that will resonate with potential candidates.

 

2. Start with one and build from there. If you’re just getting started on social, the temptation might be to create a profile on as many networks as possible. However, narrowing down your target candidates will also help you identify the best platform to find them. As the most popular and widely used social network in the world, Facebook is a no-brainer and a favorite platform for recruiting potential candidates. If you’re trying reach millennials or gen z, you might consider developing a presence on Instagram or Snapchat.

 

3. Show off your culture. As mentioned before, recruiting on social isn’t just about posting job opportunities. Instead, you want to use social to provide insight into what it’s like to work in your organisation. For instance, Instagram and Snapchat stories would be good for capturing everyday office magic. You could even live-stream special events or messages from leaders within the organisation.

 

4. Get employees involved. Word of mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing, and make no mistake, recruiting is marketing. What better way to boost your employment brand than for employees to sing your praises to their friends and family on social media? What’s more, recruiters say that referrals are the best way to find high-quality candidates. Encourage your employees to promote job openings on their personal profiles, to review your organisation on sites like Glassdoor, and to participate in conversations on the branded social profiles.

 

Readers: How are you using social media to boost your employment brand and recruit top candidates?