Written by Mairead Simons

In such a competitive landscape, it’s important that businesses adapt in order to attract the best talent. Social media is a tool that can prove to be extremely beneficial to recruitment when used to its full potential.

Here are a few ways that implementing social media use into your recruitment strategy can assist in your search for the best candidates:

• Advertising your brand:

With almost every adult in the country now having access to social media, recruiting using these platforms is a great way to get your brand across multiple networks, working as a great advertising tool for your business. Showing that you are hiring and expanding your company can both entice candidates to your brand as well as make social media users aware of your company message.

• Reaching a broader audience:

96% of job seekers use social media when conducting a job search. The average social media usage of internet users was 2 hours 27 mins as of October 2021, suggesting this is a great way to reach a larger audience. The younger generation has a reputation for being the most active on social media, so if you are looking to inject some youth into your business then using platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn will work well.

• Reaching passive candidates with ease:

Using social media to recruit is a great way to attract ‘passive’ candidates or candidates who aren’t actively looking for a position. Rather than relying on candidates applying for your role, using social media means you can target your ideal candidates and you are able to explain your opportunity to them, which may well make them realise that what is on offer is greater than their current position. Some candidates will not be happy in their role however may not yet have taken the jump into searching for a new role, so sending a message with your opportunity can work well in these situations.

• Increasing your network:

Social media allows recruiters and businesses to use fellow employees, professional connections and prospective candidates to amplify messages to a wider audience. Starting to create a network through social media, by connecting with talent, can be a great tool to assist recruitment. This can potentially lead to a situation where you have exceptional candidates ready and waiting for when a new role comes your way.

When using social media though, you do have to be mindful of the quality of the applicants or candidates you may find. For example, anybody with a LinkedIn profile can apply for a job with one click, and Facebook doesn’t require a CV upload from applicants. Therefore, you may have to fine-tune your searches on social media to make sure you are appealing to an audience who have a genuine interest in your company. 

Social media is also a great way to make the most of the talent out there, without extra costs. Most social media sites are free and easy to access, so for small businesses in particular this is a great place to start.