A quick checklist for hiring in the social space

If you still think of Facebook and Twitter as purely the domain of humble brags and dinner photos, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Here are five ways HR can improve its talent acquisition process through social media, courtesy of guest poster Anand Deshpande.  

Here’s a rundown of Deshpande’s overall strategy:

Target your search

More than 2.55 billion people will use social networking by the year 2017, according to some reports. Abut while a recruiter’s aim may be to cast a bigger net through social media, there is a point of diminishing returns. Failure to target your search can be a drain on time and resources. Instead, aim your social media efforts directly at the best candidates. While large social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook may put you in touch with massive pools of candidates, industry-specific websites, blogs, and forums deliver a relevant, captive audience.

Use a multi-channel approach

While targeting your audience through social media is important, refrain from limiting or restricting the channels through which you reach out. Research shows that the average job seeker uses a whopping 15 sources during a single job hunt. Recruiters who engage candidates across the comprehensive spectrum of touchpoints can expect more comprehensive results.

Use what you’ve got

Your employees are your strongest assets. Failure to leverage their social network connections for job applicants can result in missed opportunities. Internal recommendations can help you locate employees who will not only possess the right skills, but are also more likely to be a solid fit for your company culture. Encouraging your employees to post about job openings on their own pages simultaneously widens and narrows your reach.

Follow the Golden Rule

Today’s job applicants not only have access to more information — they also have louder voices than ever before. Employees who have a bad experience during the job hunt are likely to share this information via social media. It’s particularly important, therefore, for recruiters to keep the applicant experience in mind at all times. This means a commitment to transparency, communication and follow-through along every step of the recruitment process.

Build your brand

Your social media strategies are an essential part of selling your brand to both active and passive job seekers — particularly at a time when 77% of all full-time workers are open to new job opportunities. Social media isn’t just useful for getting your job openings in front of candidates; it’s also useful for positioning your company as a sought after employer. Ultimately, you’re not just building your brand; you’re also building relationships.

And remember: just as you’re vetting candidates via social media, they’re also vetting you. An uneven, poor, or absent social media presence can remove you from the running. Consistent, comprehensive and compelling communication is more important than ever in the brave new world of social media recruiting.

Anand Deshpande is customer success manager with WittyParrot, a cloud-based SaaS company focused on communication and content collaboration with analytics among sales, marketing and customer support functions.