While there are some obvious dos and don’ts when it comes to using social media in recruitment there are also some things you should take with a pinch of salt.
But in the climate of fake news, what should you believe and what are complete lies? This week our panel help to bust some of the biggest myths when using social media for talent acquisition.
Ariel Jolo
”Don’t post on weekends”. You’ll be amazed by the amount of people who apply on Saturdays and Sundays. During the weekends there’s less noise (of course people tend to use less their phones), but get a sense of your audience and benchmark your results using different days and hours.
Another common misconception is that if you share something, your audience will read it.. Nowadays, platforms select which content gets to their users and yours might have not made the cut. Try posting it a few times over a couple of days, at different hours (don’t spam!).
Ariel Jolo, Global Employer Brand Manager, at Medallia.
Adrian Cernat
You must use every channel. We often hear this and, let me tell you, it couldn’t be more false. Don’t use them all. It’s a waste of time and resources and, most of the times, truly counterproductive. Make sure you focus on channels that fit your company and candidates and make sure you do a terrific job there.
Adrian Daniel Cernat, CEO & co-founder SmartDreamers
Sarang Brahme
• Job posting on social media is social recruiting – social is much more than just posting jobs.
• Having our employees featured as brand ambassadors on social media will result in attrition – not if they are proud and love working with your company. Great talent attracts others and it is important to leverage employee networks and business leaders in this initiative.
• LinkedIn is the only social platform for recruiting – the trick is to understand your target audience, identify where they hang out and build presence.
Sarang Brahme, Global Social Recruiting & Talent Brand Manager, Capgemini.
Carmen Collins
The “if you build it, they will come” myth. Just because you start a social media account doesn’t mean people will follow you, engage with you or even care about what you say. Social media isn’t a push medium, where you can have a one-way conversation. It’s a community, it’s about connections, it’s a two-way conversation. And it takes a lot of work.
Carmen Collins, Social Media & Talent Brand Lead, Cisco.
Cameron Brain
Fundamentally that social media isn’t relevant to recruiting. Make no mistake, every single person a company hires is on social in some form or fashion. Social is not the be-all-end-all, however it offers myriad options to identify, connect, and engage with people that just aren’t possible in any other context. Doesn’t mean you and your colleagues should give up the other things you’re doing, but if you avoid social you’re doing it at your own peril because many of your competitors are already in the game.
Cameron Brain, CEO & Co-Founder, EveryoneSocial.com.
Mark Cavanagh
‘I need a presence on all social media platforms’ – A common marketing myth which translates directly into the world of recruitment. Much like any job board, you will see different types of candidate on different platforms. Dependent on the roles you are recruiting for, some may be of more use than others and some may be of no use at all. The question to ask yourself, can I convert a follower to an applicant from this network? If the answer is no, then it may not be worth your time building content for the platform. That said, this does not mean for a second that the network could not be used for more general employer awareness and branding.
Mark Cavanagh, Marketing Manager at The One Group.
Victoria Sorensen
Volume is not the answer! Just because you have an abundance of social media profiles on every platform does not mean that the candidates will suddenly come rolling in. Just being on every site and using every tool is not a recipe for success. Engagement is key. Engaging with your potential audience with comments and interactions in their channels will give you a better response rate compare to just randomly targeting everyone.
Victoria Sorenson , Senior Talent Advisor, Oracle.
Othamar Gama Filho
Most people think that social media is either a magic bullet or a waste of time, both are wrong. Social media won’t solve all your candidate attraction problems, but it can truly help if done correctly.
Another myth that I hear a lot is that it is expensive to create relevant content, and it is not, you just need to really do your research upfront and put a couple of hours a week to curate and add your opinion to some topics.
Othamar Gama Filho, is the CEO at Talentify.
Stephanie Scher
Social media is not the silver bullet to attracting talent; social media is an important component to your overall talent attraction and talent branding strategies. We must be present where the candidates “live”. Social media is a key way to access your target talent pools.
Stephanie Scher, Talent Brand, Social Media, Vanguard.
Eva Baluchova
The biggest myth out there is that recruiters think there are not enough people on social media. We live in the age of social media; everyone is/will be online. If they are not on Linkedin, they are somewhere. Look for them! On the flip side, some recruiters think that we have to be on every social medium. Choose up to 4 and be sure you are consistent enough to get the most significant reach. Third, recruiters don’t want to be personal. Remember: people want to relate to you; they will not relate to a cold “professional” post. We are humans; we connect with humans.
Eva Baluchova, Talent Lead , Levelup Ventures.
