4 Small Business Social Recruiting Tools You Need to Know About

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With social recruiting becoming a popular topic for businesses, it was interesting to receive this article from Andre Lavoie, CEO of ClearCompany, which explores the ways that small businesses can use social media as an effective recruiting tool. The insights here should be really useful to small businesses that are keen to stay on top of the social recruiting trend.

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Small businesses have very different needs than their larger counterparts -- especially when it comes to hiring. For startups, mom-and-pop shops and small businesses, hiring can either make or break a business. In fact, according to a 2013 CareerBuilder study, a single bad hire can cost employers upwards of $50,000. For that reason alone, small businesses need to make each new hire count.  

Since job seekers now use mobile devices and flock to social sites in search of jobs, small businesses should take advantage of social media, as a low-cost, highly effective way to recruit. Here are four ways small businesses can use social media, to stay on top of the social recruiting trend:
 

1. As a branding tool

The best way for small businesses to attract talent is to showcase company culture and employer brand via social media. Just as you use social media to learn more about candidates, job seekers use social channels to take a look under the hood and see what it would be like to work with you.  

In fact, CareerBuilder’s 2013 Candidate Behavior Study revealed that 62 percent of candidates surveyed check you out on social media to make sure what you’re “selling them” about your brand is true.

That being the case, small businesses should use social media as a branding tool:

• Generate interest in your brand by sharing interesting and relevant content.
• Use visual tools, like video, to showcase your company culture online.
• Encourage employees to act as brand advocates on social media.
• Address negative comments or reviews as soon as possible.
   

2. As a networking tool

Social professional networks, like LinkedIn, have taken center stage when it comes to recruiting. As a matter of fact, these networks are now the fastest growing source of quality hires globally, increasing 73 percent over the past four years, according to LinkedIn’s 2015 Global Recruiting Trends report.

For small businesses, especially, social professional networks serve as a powerful networking tool. For starters, it can turn your group of connections into employer brand advocates, which is crucial in attracting new talent. And on LinkedIn, Groups provide the perfect platform for companies to expand and share their knowledge, find like-minded professionals, and build relationships with potential future candidates.

Once connections are made, use LinkedIn to share and invite others to industry-related networking events -- both online and off. FourSquare is another great way to learn more about candidates, specifically what events they’re attending. This can help recruiters cater their conversations to candidate interests, as well as identify similar networking events they might want to attend. With social media, networking is made easy.       
 

3. As a candidate engagement tool

While sites like LinkedIn might be ideal for reaching out to potential job candidates, popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter are great platforms for engaging job seekers. Small businesses looking to get their name out, as well as attract more talent, should strive to build a strong online community. Rather than just posting content and waiting for it to be discovered, start actively engage and interact with other users.

One way to do this is by hosting or participating in Twitter chats, in which users meet at a specified time to discuss a certain topic. By using a designated hashtag, others can easily follow and join in on the conversation. Engaging with users not only looks good for your overall brand, it also speaks volumes to your employment brand.    
 

4. As a sourcing tool

Social media is a budget-friendly tool for identifying and screening candidates. It’s an even better tool, however, for getting in touch with today’s growing number of  passive candidates.

With 75 percent of professionals referring to themselves as “passive” candidates, according to the LinkedIn report, it’s more important than ever for small business owners and recruiters to capitalize on the passive candidate pool -- and social media is the key.

Unfortunately, because passive candidates aren’t actively looking for a new position, they can be harder to find. With social media, finding passive candidates requires little effort. Social sites like Facebook and LinkedIn provide users with both personal and professional background information on people, which makes it easy for recruiters to identify and get to know naturally elusive candidates.  

Not to mention, it makes reconnecting with previous applicants much easier. Passive candidates are not actively searching for new job opportunities, but engaging with them via social professional networks and enticing them with a top-notch employer brand could spark thoughts of a career move.

What are some other ways small businesses can use social sites to recruit quality candidates? Share your tips in the comments!
 

BIO:

Andre Lavoie is the CEO of ClearCompany, the first talent alignment platform that bridges the gap between talent management and business strategy by contextualizing employees’ work around a company’s vision and goals. You can connect with him and the ClearCompany team on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

 

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