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Social Media As Your Most Valuable Hiring Tool
Posted on Oct 23, 2012 by Amanda Jones, Social Media Analyst | Subscribe to this RSS feed |
I honestly can’t remember a time I wasn’t using some kind of social media network.
Now at the age of 26, my best guess would be before 1996. When I was a 10-year-old, I began using ICQ to chat with my friends.
As a member of “Generation Y," I grew up using the very first social media programs and definitely in the thick of things as social media evolved. Since most adults my age had a similar experience growing up, that’s a fairly large target audience getting its news and information from social sources rather than more traditional means. While this may not seem crucial to your business’ hiring strategy, it absolutely is. If you haven’t done so already, it is time to brainstorm, develop a plan, execute and start reaping the benefits of social media.
So, what does this mean for your business?
- When current employees are active on social media, you have free recruiters
- Social media allows your company to connect with potential employees
- Social media offers you a wide range of free job posting tools
Most energetic and technologically sophisticated job seekers aren’t limiting themselves to typical methods of searching the companies “careers” page anymore. They are taking advantage of the reach and power of their social media networks.
If I am looking for a new role and just saw a tweet or Facebook/LinkedIn post regarding an open position, this tells me several things:
- The company is eager to fill the role
- The position is still available
- The company is “with it” and would potentially be a fun place to work
- And since it came in via my social networks, I probably have an “in” or potential contact to help me land the position
And we’ve “been there, done that” here at Vox Optima when it comes to using social media as a hiring tool. We advertised our latest openings through social media alone. With a mix of management posts on personal pages, the Vox Optima social network profiles, and paid social media placements, we got not only qualified candidates, but dozens of them.
In addition to appealing to potential hires, social media offers insights and intel to help weed out candidates who may not be a great fit for your company. If someone applies for a position, connect with him or her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or whatever method may be available.
This will give you an idea of the type of person they are. If they are tweeting about a “stupid job interview,” wishing they landed another position, or posting their latest “Jackass” audition video, you might decide they may not be the most valuable new hire for your company (I know people this has happened to). Take advantage of these free research methods available.
Social media isn’t for everyone, but if you want to stay up to date with what more than 50 percent of companies and even adults are getting connected with in 2012, you should give it a try.
However, be sure to develop a plan first. You wouldn’t go into an interview without first doing the proper research, would you? Market research, determining a proper social media channel, and developing an execution plan are simple steps you need to take before taking advantage of the wonderful world of social media.
Vox Optima’s top social media analyst, Amanda designs and manages social media programs that integrate media relations, communication strategy, and brand development that help build effective and responsive communities. A die-hard Hokie and all-around sports fanatic, when she’s not working for clients with the rest of the D.C.-based team, she’s at Nationals Stadium, a Wizards’ game or other sporting event. Connect up with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or go old school and shoot her an email.
Tagged: social media, social media marketing, employment, human resources
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