If you are a candidate looking for a new role, you would have seen many similar job descriptions. It’s the same role after all.
But what makes you notice some job ads more than others is the sound of the company looking for a new candidate to join their team. Whether it’s the tone of the job ad, visual branding, or the reputation of your future employer, people are not attracted to roles, they are attracted to employers.
Hiring is a signal of growth. It’s a strong sign that the business is successful and requires a wider talent pool to fulfil demand and its impact goes beyond recruitment. It’s a very effective marketing tool too. However, building an employer brand goes beyond visibility. It’s about showcasing values and commitment to people in a way that drives interest from new hires and fosters loyalty with existing talent.
When looking for their next career move, people are looking to find their second home and join a culture that suits them. As an employer, it’s your job to build an attractive offering that future employees will notice and feel inspired to join. But you also don’t want everyone to come knocking and you certainly don’t want to ask anyone to leave before they have taken off their shoes.
So, how do you ensure you reach and attract the right candidates? Through their natural digital habitat – social media.
- Showcase your values and culture, not just your open roles
Promoting new jobs isn’t an isolated experience for job seekers, candidates will often use job applications as an opportunity to explore the entirety of a business. Think of your job posts as a window into your organisation, one that offers candidates a complete view of who you are and not just a single aspect of what you do. Crafting an enticing job ad therefore, is only half the battle and employers need to be conscious of having their whole house in order. Because having one room set up beautifully whilst the rest of your home is unloved and cold will send a signal of inconsistency and leave your visitors confused. And just like confused customers don’t buy new products, new candidates can find the inconsistent experience off-putting.
The one element of a business that can’t be copied and is completely unique is its culture. By making it your competitive advantage and communicating it to both your new employees and customers, you can show the personality of your business and what you stand for. Social media is the perfect place to give candidates the peak through the windows to experience what it really feels like to be part of the team and showcasing how other employees feel about working there. Because subconsciously, when we see that others had positive experiences, we are more likely to trust their judgement, and we feel more confident in deciding to join. Not only does this positive social proof reduce risk, and reassures us about taking the leap, it also triggers our fear of missing out on a great place to work and creates aspirations to be part of it.
Whilst social media allows us to share a more polished and improved version of ourselves, honesty is essential. Showcasing a hyped up, unrealistic picture of a business and its culture might attract talent, however when they realise that the actual experience doesn’t match, they will quickly be on their way out, not only causing financial and time implications, but also negatively impacting the brand’s reputation.
- Harness the power of employee brand advocates
Employees are the soul of any business and the most powerful brand advocates, who have the power to organically influence how others see your brand. As a result, they play a key part in attracting new team members as well as new potential customers and partnerships via social media.
According to LinkedIn, on average, employee social networks have 10 times more connections than a company has followers. What’s more, people trust people more than they trust brands and a company post on social media seen by your employees’ network can go a long way, with the click-through rate on a piece of content being twice as high when shared by an employee versus when shared by the company itself.
But employees need to feel confident and encouraged to speak up and share social updates – both to communicate new roles as well as company news. Helping employees to establish their online presence and enabling a culture of social sharing on behalf of their employees can make a significant impact on their personal brand building and showcasing the nature and values of the business through an honest and transparent view, communicated from a person to a person, without the corporate labelling. Showcasing the day-to-day life as an employee will not only lead to demonstrating the feel of the company, but also find the right cultural fit amongst new hires.
- Attract new candidates through employee feedback and recommendations
Reviews and recommendations are critical in business. When we are making personal, purchasing or professional decisions – what others say, impacts us. As social beings, we are wired to seek reassurance and validation from others, especially in uncertain or high-stakes situations such as job hunting. Positive reviews from current or former employees serve as powerful signals of social validation, affirming the credibility of an employer – this social validation not only validates the decision but also fosters a sense of belonging and conformity.
According to Glassdoor, 86% of employees and job seekers research company reviews and ratings to decide on where to apply for a job, and 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand. Sites like Glassdoor are today a natural part of research when joining a company and whilst you can’t avoid negative feedback, you can proactively communicate the positive elements of your culture by encouraging employees to share a review.
Peer recommendations and referral schemes can open up a wider pool of talent and by having your existing employees sharing them, they bring an extra level of assurance that they are not only attracting high calibre candidates, but that they are also on the same wavelength as the rest of your team.
- Use social listening to understand how others see your brand
As a brand, people are talking about you and whether it’s a positive or negative narrative, social listening can open the opportunity to better understand and manage your reputation. Social listening is not only important for those outside of your organisation but should be an active part of your talent acquisition and marketing strategy. By acknowledging and acting on relevant feedback, as a brand you can send a powerful message that you care and address feedback, however negative. Silence on the other hand can cause reputational damage and send a signal that you are not interested to listen to clients and employees alike.
Social listening enables you to engage with candidates in meaningful conversations and building authentic connections. By proactively responding to questions, addressing concerns, and providing valuable information, brands can establish themselves as trusted advisors within the talent community, and as a result, increasing their visibility and credibility as employers of choice.
A significant advantage of social listening in recruitment is also its ability to uncover hidden talent pools and promote diversity and inclusion. By leveraging the wide reach of social media platforms and online communities, employers can identify talented individuals who may not have traditionally applied through conventional channels. Whether it’s reaching out to passive candidates, engaging with underrepresented groups, or tapping into niche communities, social listening opens doors to diverse talent that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.
- Engage passive candidates and build a pipeline of talent
Unlike active job seekers who actively browse job boards and submit applications, passive candidates are not actively looking for new opportunities but may be open to exploring compelling offers. Harnessing the power of social media, businesses can connect with these professionals, engage them with relevant content, and inspire them to consider new career prospects. Since passive candidates are not actively applying to multiple job openings, there is less competition for their attention which can give businesses a competitive advantage in attracting top talent before their competitors do.
Businesses that focus on providing value to passive candidates before making any recruitment pitches through educational content, career development resources, and networking opportunities that genuinely benefit their professional growth and advancement, establish trust and credibility through value-driven interactions and create a solid foundation for future recruitment efforts. However, engaging passive candidates in recruitment via social media requires a strategic approach that combines compelling content, personalised outreach, active engagement, and authentic employer branding.
In recent years, social media platforms have transformed into bustling hubs of professional networking, connecting businesses and potential candidates. What was once an area reserved for personal interactions and updates has now become an indispensable tool for talent acquisition professionals and businesses who understand and use its impact are those who will stand out in the crowded recruitment space.
