Avoiding the Top 4 Social Recruiting Mistakes
By Tess Curle Taylor, PHR, CPC
If you are actively using social networks to source and recruit top candidates online, there’s a good chance that you may be making some serious mistakes that can cost you in the long run. Why? For one, there is no set-in-stone method for recruiting via social networks. While some recruiters have a system for making social networks work for them, others go at it haphazardly with no clear direction at times.
You Cannot Afford to Make These Social Recruiting Mistakes
A recent Huffington Post article brought up some of the top mistakes social recruiters make when tapping into this valuable resource. As a Human Resource and Recruitment professional myself, it was quite the read. And some of the statistics on social media usage and recruiting were intriguing as well. Just consider for a moment that:
- 91 percent of all recruiters use social media to screen candidates (based on a Reppler social media monitoring survey)
- Nearly one-fourth of all American adults regularly check their social media profiles several times per day
- 61 percent of adults under the age of 30 use social networks and a rising number of those over 50 do too now
Social networking has taken the recruitment world by storm, leaving many to wonder if they are using this resource efficiently to find candidates, or not? The Huffington Post article forced me to see that in some ways, I may need to tighten up how and why I use social networks for checking out candidates. Here’s what the article revealed about the top social recruiting mistakes:
#1 – Not having a social media strategy in place
The author Sajjad Massud, CEO of Simplicant, indicated that one of the biggest mistakes a company can make is not having a social media plan in place. Likewise, many companies leave the social posting to an inexperienced staffer, instead of having a dedicated social media professional on board. This all but destroys any company branding that might have reeled in better candidates.
#2 – Not actively engaging with talent enough
Social networking is about connecting with and then engaging others through relevant dialogue and insight. So many recruiters get this wrong. It’s because we are conditioned to keep candidates at an arm’s length, rather than let them get to know us. Stop making this mistake! Instead, share interesting content and engage talent on social networks for better results.
#3 – Not measuring success by using social analytics
The very foundation of online marketing is analytical data, which tells you how effective your efforts have been. When you are not using them for your social networking activities, it’s like going to the doctor for medical care and not leaving with a treatment plan. Use your analytical data to see when the best times are to post content, what is popular for attracting talent, and how well you are doing.
#4 – Not honoring the candidate experience
Is your social media presence an inviting one, easy to navigate and learn more about your company’s career opportunities? If not, then you could be making the ultimate mistake in social recruiting – not paying attention to the candidate experience. Take the time to see your social recruiting methods through the eyes of a candidate. Use this as a way to plan your recruitment strategy and increase the odds that you will attract better candidates to your doors.
Avoid these mistakes as you move forward in your social recruitment activities.
What does our team do?
At Social Hire, we don't just do social media.
Isn't it time to stop making difficult personnel choices that don't work well for your online marketing?
We're an organisation that helps our clients boost their social media marketing by providing social media marketing on a monthly basis.
You might like these blog posts Key Social Selling Takeaways for Your Small Business, Can Social Media Improve Workplace Productivity?, 5 Small Social Media Mistakes Which Can De-value Your Brand, and 5 Ways To Promote Your New Facebook Page.
