Social recruiting and social engagement have become a must within any and every recruiting strategy, and this is especially true to LinkedIn when it comes to your business’s online presence.
LinkedIn latest results from the 2017 Most Socially Engaged Staffing Agencies find that UK recruiters lead the way when it comes to social recruiting, with five of the top ten global firms being British. The results are based on a staffing firms diligence in utilizing social media effectively and how they have harnessed the power of social media to build their own brand.
Based on this LinkedIn find that with more than 24,000 recruitment agencies in the UK alone, job-seekers have a wealth of options when looking for a new role. This means that the effective use of social media to engage and attract candidates, as well as new business leads, can be a huge advantage to recruiters looking to stand out from the crowd in this competitive environment.
LinkedIn encourages staffing agencies all around the world to put social engagement at the heat of their business growth strategy and here are the top 3 ways you can do so.
1. Invest in your consultant’s professional brands
A common theme amongst this year’s Top 25 most socially engaged agencies is that their consultants are far more likely to have ‘all-star’ LinkedIn profiles than the rest of the market.
Along with your company page, consultant profiles are one of the first things candidates and prospective clients see – which means it’s vital for them to be helpful, engaging and full of relevant information.
Having a completed and up-to-date profile also allows your team to build a meaningful network across the platform. So why not incorporate this best practice into your onboarding process and set your consultants up for success? Create a ‘LinkedIn Profile Checklist’, and help your consultants craft an all-star profile, full of engaging and up-to-date information.
2. Engage, don’t just broadcast
Our data shows that the most socially engaged staffing agencies have some of the highest candidate application rates within the market, and this is largely down to the level of interaction and engagement they have with their online networks.
So don’t think of social media as simply a broadcast channel; you can dramatically broaden the reach of your networks by implementing a consistent and efficient approach to engaging audiences.
To start, you can, for example, join relevant groups and engage in the conversations that are happening within them. Or, better yet, why not create your own group to reach a wider pool of candidates and become a thought leader in your specialist area?
3. Create thoughtful content
The most successful social recruiters are the ones that have taken the time to actively create content that’s relevant and will engage their followers – whether it’s helpful tips and tricks for interviews, entertaining insights or thought leadership pieces.
Investing this time into content shows that these agencies have a deep understanding of their audience’s interests and challenges – and ensures they’re creating content which will resonate with them.
Measuring the success of this content will also mean you’re able to continually improve and hone your content strategies. And if you’re in doubt about the amount you should be posting, the general rule of thumb to follow is a 3:1 ratio of content: job openings.
About the author: Melissa Furze is the Senior Insights Manager at LinkedIn. She leads a team who deliver value for our customers and members every day through world-class data analytics.
