Whether you use it to plan your social life, keep abreast of the latest news, or just to keep up to date with friends and family, it’s likely that Facebook plays a pretty significant role in your life. The social network giant has over a billion registered users, and during December 2014, there was an average of 890 million active daily users. In short, it’s an integral part of modern life, and there’s no denying that it’s shaped the way we communicate and interact.
All things considered then, why do so many business owners shy away from using it to recruit their talent? Most turn to LinkedIn if they decide to add social media to their recruitment strategy, and whilst that isn’t a bad idea, it limits success if it’s the only online tool that they use.
Why? Because LinkedIn attracts mainly white-collar professionals, whilst Facebook has users from all industries and job roles. Facebook has the tools there ready for you to use, but business owners often never give it a second thought when it comes to attracting skilled candidates. This quite simply needs to change.
Success with Facebook for recruiting can be pretty simple when you know how, but rushing in without a strategy is of course not advisable. Thinking about upping your social recruitment game? Then here are some top tips for you to consider:
- Think carefully about your budget. Facebook is generally free to use, but if you want to make sure your job adverts are seen by the right people, you’re going to have to invest in some paid adverts. Don’t let this put you off though – there are options to suit every budget, and it often offers a fantastic return on your investment.
- Consider your social recruiting and social marketing strategies as they are very closely tied. Whether you’re running a one-man band or a multinational corporation, it’s vital that there’s a synergy between recruitment and building overall brand awareness. These things will happen on the same platform, so it’s important that everyone’s singing from the same hymn sheet.
- Ask your audience to share the vacancies with their friends. Your advert might appear in the news feed of someone who isn’t interested in your role at the current time – but they may well know someone who might be. It seems like such a simple tactic, but including a note asking readers to share the advert with their contacts can be very effective.
- Don’t necessarily ditch LinkedIn, or any other recruitment tool, in favour of Facebook. To find the best candidates, it’s not usually wise to have all your eggs in one basket. If your more traditional methods are still bringing great results, keep using them. It’s all about learning and evolving, adding new strategies where they seem appropriate.
- Be aware that social media doesn’t just have an impact on how you recruit. Once your staff are working within your business, you need to think about how their social media usage could have an impact on your business. Banning it outright at work might seem sensible in terms of boosting productivity, but take this approach with caution. Social media can be a great source of new information, and a flexible approach often has its benefits. Make sure that your social media policy addresses both sides of the coin.
LinkedIn might still have the reputation as the go-to social network for recruiters and business owners. If you want to make sure that you stand the best chances of finding the right people for your roles, it could be time to look into your other options.
Want to have a no-obligation discussion about how I could help you to get your recruitment right, first time? Give me a call today for a no obligation chat.
