Recruiting for Diversity - Social Media Use Demographics You Should Know

By Tess Curle Taylor, PHR, CPC

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As a recruiter, you may already be aware of the benefits of hiring candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, nationalities, genders, and industries. Diversity in hiring is what transforms any organization from a small entity to a global force. Social recruiting has become a large part of this effort.

Demographics on Social Media Use 

Yet, the most recent social media use demographics indicate that minorities are still lagging behind in the use of social networks to find career opportunities. This is something that all recruiters must be mindful of as they utilize social networks to hire a diverse population of talent. Here’s what some social media use studies have illustrated.

Advertising Age, a popular online magazine for the modern world of online marketing, released an infographic based on a social media use survey conducted. It indicated that the majority of users of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn come from the 10 largest countries. This means that a good number of smaller countries do not have a strong presence on social networking sites yet. On the upside, however, more women have adopted the use of social media and adults in the age range of 34 to 54 are the top users of this media.

 

Mediabistro, another popular source of marketing behavior studies, advised that, “16 percent of internet users are active on Twitter, and the service still skews favorably towards black and Hispanic users, adults aged 18-29, and folks who live in urban areas.” This information was based on Pew Research Center’s annual survey of social media use. Additionally, men were more apt to be active on micro-blogging sites like Twitter and Facebook than their female colleagues.

 

Today Online provided additional insight into the use of social networks in the urban vs. rural areas. It appears that the use of social networking (based on a report conducted by GlobalWebIndex), is higher in urban areas around the world. Asian users are reportedly the highest growth sector in the use of social networks around the globe, with Facebook, WhatsApp and Google + leading the way. This is not surprising since much of the movement towards greater adoption of social networking is coming from the mobile sector, a booming market in much of this part of the world.

Guidelines for Recruiting for Diversity on Social Networks

There are certain aspects of these trends that recruiters need to be mindful of as they hire for diversity. Using these guidelines can increase the likelihood that recruitment is fairer.

#1 – Establishing a branded presence on social networks that appeals to all.

Instead of creating a recruitment brand that’s focused on a certain type of candidate, recruiters must remain friendly to all candidates from all backgrounds. Using a standard brand that highlights the corporate culture and the opportunities for all to grow in a career should be the emphasis.

#2 – Accessing candidate pools on a wider number of social networks.

Limiting recruitment efforts to just one or two social networks can be discriminatory in action, because this doesn’t give all a chance to learn about the company and career opportunities. Instead, recruiters who use social networks should access candidate pools across a much wider array of social networks to reach those candidates who may not use the most popular platforms.  

#3 – Connecting with a diverse pool of candidates via mobile recruitment apps.

Mobile recruitment is a direct way to get in touch with many more candidates than what’s humanly possible on individual social networks. All recruiters need to get on board with the use of mobile recruitment apps that allow candidates from all regions to connect with job opportunities. Using mobile apps, recruiters can set up a pathway to candidates who have limited Internet accessibility. 

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