It’s fair to say that recruitment agencies have, like the rest of the UK and global economy, a tough time of late. Effective recruitment processes, from before lockdown was instigated, have been quashed and this has left many recruitment agencies and the wider recruitment industry looking for ways to find top talent in new ways. With the vast majority of the country either twiddling their thumbs on furlough or working from their spare bedroom/a hastily created home office, recruitment agencies have been given a unique opportunity. More than ever, people are looking at their current work situation and truly evaluating what it is that is important to them. Recruitment agencies should leverage this, and the opportunities social media affords (we'll explain all this later), to get quality candidates who are disgruntled in their current job into an open position at a new company!
Saying that 'social media is effective for recruitment agencies' is kinda like saying 'water is good for you' - it's fairly obvious. In fact, social media platforms are a great tool, oftentimes an essential one, for virtually any business in any industry, from small businesses, consulting firms, recruiters and business coaches to tech companies and mortgage brokers. Specifically though if you're in the recruitment industry then social media is a really effective tool, especially during lockdown.
The trick to social media is using social platforms over a long period of time if you ever hope to see results. A successful social strategy requires strong branding, captivating content and a strong message throughout. Once people see that you're consistent and providing relevant information then you're on the road to success.
We're all in limbo at the minute and this has left a lot of people, namely your target audience, thinking that the job market has ground to a complete and utter standstill. Now, while recruiting has slowed a lot during this lockdown, it has not stopped entirely. As a recruitment agency, you should be using your social media platforms to notify potential talent that your recruitment agency is still full steam ahead and looking to fill open positions with the right people. Using your social media platforms to instil confidence and reassure people you're still operating is an effective way of getting people to contact your recruitment agency.
Now is not the time to stop engaging with people on your social media platforms. In fact, engaging with potential customers on social media is essential at this time. To stop now would be to send a message that you're not interested, be active on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Engage with people in the comments section, connect with people, share blogs and articles that you find interesting. Ensuring you're a part of the community is an effective recruitment tool particularly when we do go back to normal and the best candidates will be wanting to speak to recruitment agencies. You want to be the first company they think of.
Application forms are all well and good but recruitment agencies should be willing, flexible and open to do elements of their business on social media. After all, it's a great tool and a great place to bring people together... which is an essential practice of most recruitment agencies. Great candidates could be anywhere and some may not apply through traditional routes, in this unique time social media recruitment should be seen as a legitimate way to get the right people into new jobs. Like we said, if you're engaging with the community in the right way then you make people feel comfortable enough to approach you via your social media profile.
This slower pace of life we're all experiencing is an opportune time to show the right candidates, via your social media profile, what a fantastic recruitment company you are. Spend time crafting great case studies, create a web page that details how your recruitment agency got started, essentially, show the human side of your business and show why a candidate would have a positive experience working with you. The beauty of social media is that you can express this through so many different social media platforms in various ways - text, blogs, videos, slideshows. With people taking a step back to assess their current jobs, finding a recruitment agency that broadcasts how much they care could convince them to approach you.
It's a gloomy old world out there at the minute - uncertainty, pandemics, job losses, separation from our loved ones. So, if nothing else, spread positivity on your social media feed. Stand out from other recruitment agencies and establish yourself as a fun company that while aware of the global issues, is doing its best to spread positivity through its online presence. Don't be afraid to break away from the norm, after all, these are not normal times! Post a funny video that is trending, talk about a topic that's got nothing to do with recruitment, create content to show people where they can help/donate. Be a recruitment agency that is giving out positive experiences and is just doing nice things on social media, you'll be surprised about how impactful this will be in the long run.
It can be tempting to ignore social media and focus on other things... don't! Things are going to go back to normality in the months to come and people will start looking for jobs and companies will be posting them. Stopping social media now is only going to damage your business in the long term, especially in such a competitive industry.
The team at Social Hire have a great deal of experience in running social media for recruiters across the UK. They recognise how important it is to have an effective strategy in place and how using social media is a great tool for a variety of goals be it lead generation, brand awareness or for drumming excitement about a future event. If you're a recruitment agency looking to expand your social media presence or taking what you've already done to the next level then book a call with the team at Social Hire today.
The team at Social Hire never just do social media management.
What the Social Hire gang loves is making a difference for our clients, and we don't want to waste your, or our resources on campaigns that aren't right for your organisation, if it doesn't get your organisation the difference you need - we prefer a better approach. When your business utilises social media management, Social Hire get your brand the exposure it needs and offer your business the lift it needs to improve.
Our digital marketing managers are the wizards that can give you the insight you need to develop your business. Have you had enough of making complex personnel choices that don't work well for your digital presence?
Our group of specialists are an organisation that helps our clients boost their online marketing by offering social media management services on a monthly basis.
You might like these blog posts 18 Social Media Stats You Need to Know Right Now in 2018, How To Get More Mileage Out Of The Content You Already Have, 40 Feedback Phrases That Help Employees Feel Empowered, and 5 Digital Marketing Trends Small Businesses Should Adopt.