4 Social Recruiting Blunders: Elementary Mistakes, Lasting Impact

In 2018, social media is table stakes when it comes to talent acquisition. From sourcing on LinkedIn, using Twitter hashtags to identify candidates, to building company brand – social media has evolved into a never-ending resource for finding, landing and engaging talent. In fact, as of 2018, 2.62 billion individuals (one-third of the global population) are active on social media; a number that is expected to climb to more than 3 billion by 2021.

With the amount of platforms available today – giving candidates the ability to gain insight into your employment brand, vision, values, business trajectory and leadership tendencies – even the simplest of mistakes can harm your recruitment efforts, consumer brand, employment brand, and ability to drive revenue. 

Ultimately, 75 percent of professionals found their most recent roles through social media searches. To make certain top-quality talent gravitates toward and sticks with your organization, avoid the following four simple but lasting social media pitfalls:

1. OVERINDULGENCE

If you have significant amounts of content you wish to share, but want to give your audience the opportunity to choose whether they view it, take advantage of opportunities like Instagram Stories. Attention spans are shrinking; show that you respect your audience's time and ability to choose with brief snippets of content they can opt in or out of.

2. Skirting Strategy 
Strategy keeps you honest and organized. Today’s candidates and employees have full transparency into what they're worth. They will not only reject a job offer or leave if they don't feel valued, but they will share their experiences across the many platforms available (e.g., Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, among others).

Specifically, what are you hoping to achieve and why? Who precisely are you looking to engage or attract? Are you seeking entry level roles, military veterans in need of support, graduates, senior level professionals or candidates who live in a certain geography? Defining your strategy first is perhaps the most important component of any social recruitment campaign; without targeting, you’re just posting and praying.

Build timely, relevant campaigns around hot button issues and region-specific trends. For example, the use of LinkedIn company pages has grown by more than 33 percent since 2016. Interact with users, take out targeted ads, and strive to build talent communities that keep “warm” active and passive talent (as well as buyers).

3. Candidate Experience Ignorance
If you get too busy one week then seek to make up for it the next by posting all of your missed content, candidates will recognize it. If you post only your own content, they will notice the heavy dose of self-serving. Candidates will also recognize neglect if they attempt to engage and don’t get a response. Dismissing candidates cannot be tolerated because they will leave faster than they found you, and they may never return. Look to the research:

• Nearly 50 percent of candidates say a company's “responsiveness” is the most important component of their social media interactions when reaching out to a given brand.
  
• In 2016, 18-35 year-olds had an average tenure of 1.6 years per job. By 2020, these 18-35 year-olds will make up 50 percent of the global workforce. Younger generations aren’t hesitating to leave, turn down or ignore opportunities if they feel their interests aren’t being valued.
• This extends to all generations. Professionals from 18 years of age to nearing retirement, especially in today's candidate-driven market, seek to feel invested in both personally and professionally (even at the most senior of levels).
• Each candidate has the potential to unlock more talented candidates. In fact, 85 percent of HR leaders say employee referrals are their most effective recruitment tool. And yet, just 41 percent of people would recommend their employer to a friend or former colleague. Treat your candidates and workforce like more than just a transaction – the results are innumerable.

4. Falling to Prewf Reed You’re Content
Nearly 60 percent of job seekers will bypass applying for a role if they notice grammatical errors in a job advertisement. This statistic unequivocally applies to what you post on social media. Proofreading your content takes mere minutes, while failing to do so can result in permanent loss of interest. Grammar aside, carefully reviewing your content, links and sources ensures your communities are confident in the information they’re receiving; that it’s truthful, credible and accurate.

I recently came across the following job advertisement: If your highly skilled, and enjoy troubleshooting day to day accounting issue, this is a wonderful opportunity to use you knowledge. Would this encourage you to apply?

As WilsonHCG CEO and Founder, John Wilson, states: “Trust in companies is at an all-time low – as is trust in brands and leadership – and people want to know from their peers what it’s like to be part of a given company. Social media provides a unique platform to get a real and authentic peek behind the curtain and see whether the life inside is genuinely aligned with the mission and vision.”

Convictions have never been stronger, the microscope has never been bigger, and the business impact of even the smallest of blunders has never been greater. As you hone your social media strategy, make certain you’re not bypassing the simple stuff.