As recruiters, in 2017, We each create our own personal brand on social media as well as conform to our employers values (hopefully) by sharing company infographics, articles, and vacancies.
The social media platforms which recruiters use spans LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and even Pinterest. Type a prospective candidates or employees name into Google and one of the highest results will be that person’s social media links. Worst case scenario, a future employer or recruiter refuses to engage with you because of your pics from that drunken night in Ibiza when it seemed like such a good idea to go skinny dipping…..
What perception does that social media profile give to a potential employer?
Here are my tips of dos and don’ts for recruiters on social media.
Do:
- Share aspirational articles and ensure you use the source links and @ the contributor or author as this creates a better opportunity for shares.
- Create original content that is relevant to your business community and insightful. Using quotes, facts, and figures to substantiate your findings.
- Have continuity across your platforms: your profile picture for LinkedIn should be professional but show you are approachable. Your Facebook and Twitter ones can be more fun and show your personality.
- Change your settings so you have to approve any photo tag that someone is adding of you to ensure you control what images are attributed to you.
- Comment accurate, insightful and helpful comments on other people’s statuses. Share relevant feeds to your own timeline.
I believe it is imperative to have a strong social media presence within your business network and it baffles me when professionals don’t optimise the channels available. The first thing I do when I meet/or am approached by anyone is to at least look on their LinkedIn. If they are prolific on other platforms too, I openly ask for their links so I can follow them.
Cast your net widely in terms of who you follow and use the #follow4follow #like4like on Instagram to encourage mutual followship.
Don’t:
- Pictures of you in your mankini are not ideal if you’re applying to be a CEO so perhaps think twice before posting pics on your social media if you have a public profile.
- Comment with anything nasty, inflammatory or derogatory on anyone else’s post.
- Write a status which insinuates something negative, or worse still rant about a candidate or client or infer anything negative to your network. If you have an issue, take it up with that individual personally and privately – no excuses.
- Share irrelevant posts – maths quizzes, pictures not related to your sector or network. Does your audience have an interest if not, don’t publish it.
- Across your personal social media channels, refrain from posting embarrassing pictures or videos which could come back to haunt you.
- NEVER moan about your employer or colleagues ever – someone WILL read it and you could get fired.
- Remove a connection without really considering the impact of then effectively taking their connections out of your disposable network too. You can unfollow someone’s feed instead or hide their activity from your timelines.
So in conclusion, remember one GOLDEN rule when it comes to posting anything on social media: Your digital footprint lasts FOREVER so your post will remain on the internet for ever too.
