Social Media Recruiting: How to attract new talent with social media!

Social media recruiting has become essential in modern recruitment as labor markets and the way people search for jobs have fundamentally changed. Digital transformation has not only shaped companies but also candidates.

You can find the definition and best practice examples as well as the most important channels and trends for talent search via social media here.

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Social recruiting is a method of recruiting in which companies use social networks and platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find and approach potential employees.

This not only involves publishing traditional job advertisements, but also building an attractive employer brand through regular content and interactions. This form of recruiting allows companies to reach both actively searching candidates and passive talents who may not even be consciously looking for a job.

In contrast to traditional recruiting, which mainly takes place on job portals, newspapers or career fairs, social recruiting relies on direct and informal communication via digital channels. It offers a greater reach and enables targeted addressing of specific target groups - for example through tailor-made advertisements or the inclusion of employees as brand ambassadors. Companies can thus authentically convey their corporate culture and values and position themselves as an attractive employer.

Social recruiting has developed over the last two decades as a reaction to technological change and the spread of social networks. Its origins lie in the early 2000s, when platforms such as LinkedIn were launched that digitized professional networks. Companies quickly recognized the potential of using such networks not only to search through resumes, but also to specifically target talent.

The growth factors of social recruiting are closely linked to the rise of social media and the change in user behavior. As social life increasingly shifted to the digital world, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram offered companies new opportunities to reach candidates in their everyday lives.

These networks have revolutionized recruitment. Instead of waiting for applications, recruiters can now proactively approach potential candidates, regardless of whether they are actively looking for a job or not. In addition, social recruiting allows for a deeper involvement of Employer
Brandingby allowing companies to present themselves in a variety of ways and provide interested parties with up-to-date information in an easy manner. This digital transformation has significantly expanded the reach and efficiency of recruitment.

Social media recruiting uses a variety of platforms to reach different audiences and find the right talent. Each platform offers unique benefits and tools that enable companies to communicate effectively with candidates. The most important platforms are briefly introduced below and their respective uses are explained.

Recruiters pursue two basic strategies on social media - either in combination or individually. The direct approach focuses on the targeted search for the best talent and actively approaching them. With the indirect strategy, companies position themselves as attractive employers and build long-term relationships with potential candidates.

It involves posting job advertisements and actively approaching potential candidates via social networks. This means that companies can publish their open positions directly on the platforms and target suitable candidates using precise search functions. The advertisements should be clear, appealing and optimized for the respective platform in order to achieve the best results.

Direct outreach allows you to not just wait for applications, but proactively attract the attention of talent who may not be actively looking for new opportunities. Companies should actively engage in discussions, respond to comments, and network to build relationships with potential candidates. This can be done through regular interactions in groups, participating in industry discussions, and sharing relevant content.

The indirect approach focuses on the long-term development of an attractive employer brand through regular, authentic content and interactions. It's about presenting the company as an attractive place to work by sharing insights into the company culture, employees and everyday working life. Content is king - whether with videos/stories, images or texts.

By consistently providing valuable content, companies can capture the interest of potential candidates and build strong brand loyalty that makes it easier to meet future recruiting needs. Videos and images provide visual and emotional appeal that work particularly well on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Blog posts can provide detailed information about career opportunities, employee interviews, or industry trends.

By implementing the following tips, companies can optimize their social recruiting strategies and run more effective recruitment campaigns.

Analyze your target group: Based on the demographic characteristics, interests and behaviors of the ideal candidate, you can select suitable platforms and content. LinkedIn, for example, is ideal for professionals and managers, while Instagram and TikTok appeal to younger, creative talent.

Use clear, concise copy and an attractive design that is tailored to the respective platform. Use high-quality images and clear calls to action (CTAs) to attract attention and encourage interaction. The mobile friendliness of the landing page (career page) is particularly important, as many users access social networks via mobile devices.

A successful CTA is clear and action-oriented. Phrases such as "Apply now" or "Learn more" should be prominently placed and linked directly. CTAs should be designed so that they immediately catch the eye and make the next steps simple and understandable. The use of buttons and concise requests can significantly increase the conversion rate.

When running targeted ads on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, you should use the specific ad types. Test different formats like carousel ads, video ads, and stories to find out which ones perform best. Defining your target audience in advance is essential to display the ads to suitable candidates.

Storytelling is a powerful tool to authentically present your company culture. Share real stories from employees, provide insights into everyday work life and convey your company's values and mission.

Encourage employees to share their experiences and successes on platforms such as LinkedIn or to appear in testimonials. These personal recommendations strengthen trust in your company and can increase the visibility and attractiveness of your job offers.

In order to evaluate and continuously improve the success of your social recruiting campaigns, it is important to monitor relevant metrics and use appropriate analysis tools.

Important KPIs (Key Performance Indicators):

• reach: Shows how many people have seen your job postings and content. A high reach increases the visibility of your campaign.
• engagement: Measures the interactions (likes, comments, shares) with your posts. High engagement shows that your content resonates and your target group is actively involved.
• Number of applicants: The number of applications generated by your social recruiting campaigns is a direct measure of the success of your measures.
• Conversion rate: Shows the percentage of interested people who actually submitted an application compared to the total number of visitors to your job posting or careers page. A high conversion rate indicates that your job postings are effective.
• Cost per hire: Calculates the costs involved in hiring a new employee. This includes advertising costs, costs for placing ads and possibly the costs of recruiting tools. A low cost per hire indicates that your campaigns are cost-effective.

To measure these KPIs, you can use various analysis tools that the corresponding platforms usually have integrated (e.g. LinkedIn Analytics, Facebook Insights, etc.).

To continuously improve your social recruiting campaigns, regularly analyze the data you collect and use it to optimize. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Data analysis: Investigate which platforms, content and ads deliver the best results. Identify patterns and trends in the collected KPIs.
2. Adaptation of strategy: Based on the insights, optimize your campaigns. Adjust content, targeting and budget allocation to achieve better results.
3. A/B testing: Conduct A/B testing to test different ad variations or content formats to find out which ones are most effective.
4. Get feedback: Collect feedback from applicants and internal stakeholders to identify further potential for improvement.

By regularly measuring success and data-based optimization, you can ensure that your Recruiting campaigns are effective and continuously deliver better results.

Depending on the industry, there are different best practices that show what successful recruitment on social media can look like. Here are 5 examples:

technology: In the technology industry, companies often use social recruiting through targeted, professional platforms such as LinkedIn and special developer communities. They rely on technical blogs, webinars and code challenges to showcase their expertise and attract talented professionals. These approaches help position the company as an innovative and attractive employer in the tech sector.

Healthcare: Healthcare Recruiter use social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn to provide information about their work environment and career opportunities. Through informative posts and videos about everyday work and the special advantages of the working conditions, they can specifically address and win over specialists such as doctors and nursing staff.

Crafts: Craft businesses use visual platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to present their work results and everyday work. With pictures, videos and success stories from employees, they provide authentic insights into the work and thus build trust among potential skilled workers and trainees. Local networks and Facebook groups help to target candidates.

Education/Science: Educational institutions and research institutes rely on LinkedIn and Twitter to attract academic professionals. They share professional content such as research results and career paths to demonstrate their expertise. Webinars, scientific discussions and alumni networks are used to attract talent and promote career development.

Retail: Retailers use Instagram and TikTok to reach young audiences through creative, visual content such as videos about everyday working life. Facebook ads make it possible to specifically reach local candidates. Behind-the-scenes insights and interactive content make working in retail attractive and lower the threshold for applications.

If you have concrete If you are looking for examples of successful social media recruiting, check out this post.

There are several challenges you need to consider when it comes to social recruiting:

Legal framework

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): You must ensure that the collection, processing and storage of applicant data is carried out in accordance with the GDPR. This means that you must provide transparent information about the use of the data and obtain appropriate consent.
• Compliance with labor laws: Make sure your recruitment practices comply with applicable labor laws. This includes not using discriminatory practices and ensuring fair opportunities for all candidates.
• Anti-discrimination requirements: Avoid discrimination in your social recruiting campaigns by ensuring that all job postings and content are neutral and inclusive.

Miscommunication and shitstorms

• Proactive communication: Respond quickly and professionally to negative comments and feedback. Transparent and honest communication can help clear up misunderstandings.
• Crisis management plan: Develop a plan for dealing with potential social media crises. This should include guidelines for responding to negative comments and escalating issues.
• Monitoring and moderation: Regularly monitor your social media channels and proactively moderate content to address potential conflicts early.

Time and resources

• automation: Use tools to automate job advertisements and applicant management to speed up processes and save resources.
• Efficient planning and budgeting: Develop a clear plan and strategy for your social recruiting activities to work in a targeted and efficient manner. Plan costs, including for advertising, additional tools and staff.
• Resource-saving approaches: Use regular, but smaller updates and content instead of one-off, large campaigns to ensure continuous presence and distribute the effort.

By being aware of and managing these challenges, you can make your social recruiting effective and legally compliant while optimizing time and resources.

Are you interested in getting started with recruiting on LinkedIn and other social media platforms? Then you should definitely consider the following points when you first start using social networks.

1. Define objectives: Before you start, determine what goals you want to achieve with the campaign – whether it’s increasing applications, building your employer brand or attracting talent for specific positions.

2. Identify target group: Create a detailed audience analysis to segment potential applicants by demographics, job profile and interests so you can deliver your content precisely.

3. Select platforms: Choose the social media platforms your target audience spends most time on – LinkedIn for professionals, Instagram and TikTok for younger talent, or Facebook for a broad age group.

4. Develop a content strategy: Decide which content formats are most effective for your audience and platform, such as videos, carousel posts or stories, and plan the content in advance.

5. Plan your budget: Set a realistic budget for your campaign that covers both ads and high-quality content creation, and adjust it as the campaign progresses.

6. Create ads: Create engaging ads with clear messages that speak directly to the user and encourage them to take action – whether through an application or an interaction with the post.

7. Set targeting: Use the platforms’ targeting options to show your ads to exactly the right people based on factors such as location, occupation, interests and behavior.

8. Run and monitor campaign: Start your campaign and track performance regularly with analytics tools to check which content is working well and which needs to be adjusted.

9. Promote engagement: Actively respond to comments, messages and interactions on your posts to strengthen contact with potential candidates and maintain interest in your company.

10. Measure success: Analyze the campaign results based on the defined KPIs such as click rate, applications or interaction rates and adjust future campaigns accordingly to maximize ROI.

Here are all 10 steps summarized as an infographic – practical for saving and sharing with colleagues:

The future of social recruiting will be shaped by exciting technological developments:

Recruiting tools based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly used for the automated pre-selection of applications and to improve the candidate experience. It can also be used in social networks, for example, to support sourcing or to optimize and target ads. On landing pages, intelligent Chatbots used and support you in the application process.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) offer innovative ways to provide realistic insights into everyday working life. For example, candidates can take virtual tours of the office using VR tours or use AR to view interactive job advertisements. While AR is increasingly finding its way into social media, e.g. through filters on Instagram and Co., which brands use to increase their brand awareness, it will probably take some time, especially with VR, until the technology becomes suitable for the masses and candidates finally experience social media in the virtual world.

In addition to the established social networks, new platforms that could be relevant for recruiting. For example, Clubhouse – an audio-based platform that allows you to participate in live discussions. Companies could use Clubhouse to position themselves in industry discussions and expand networks. As a new text-based platform from Meta, it also offers Threads potentially new ways to share short, concise updates and job opportunities and build an engaged community.

(Source cover image: freepik.com/fotos-kostenlos/frau-die-snapchat-logo-mit-seinen-freunden-zeigt-daumenzeichen-haelt_2579847.htm by freepik)