4 Mistakes Your Social-Media Profiles May Be Committing With Job Seekers Are you putting your best face forward by using these platforms for conversations and connections?
By Heather R. Huhman Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Employer branding -- meaning an employer's efforts to attract job seekers -- is more than a hot HR trend; it's a necessity in today's workplace.
Related: Does Your Company's Branding Really Matter in Recruiting?
Branding serves as a company's identity and impacts everything from employee satisfaction and engagement to talent acquisition.
And this trend is here to stay: Employer branding was named a leading trend in LinkedIn's 2016 Global Recruiting Trends report, with 59 percent of the 3,894 talent leaders surveyed reporting that they planned to invest more in their employer brand in 2016 than they had last year.
With more hiring managers realizing the importance of, and need for, a strong employer brand, more companies are turning to social media to achieve just that. This is crucial, considering that, aside from keeping in touch with colleagues, the majority of job seekers (35 percent) use social media to research and contact potential employers, according to Adecco's 2015 Work Trends Study.
And what they find has the potential to make or break a company's employer brand.
Here are four common mistakes committed by corporate social accounts and what they say to job seekers about an employer's brand:
1. Posts are few and far between.
What that says to job seekers: "We're too busy to have fun."
Social media activity (or a lack thereof) can say a lot about a company. And a social media account that's as barren as the desert doesn't say anything good to job seekers. For all they know, the company is either so young that it's yet to establish a social presence or, worse, the company is simply too busy to have a good time and share it online.
Because job seekers turn to social media to learn more about a company's employer brand, those social accounts should be chock-full of relevant industry news and information, company culture photos and videos and, most important, engaging conversations between the company and its followers.
2. Posts are irrelevant.
What that says to job seekers: "We have little authority within our industry."
Job seekers want to work for a company they can fully and truly stand behind, and a company that lacks a sense of authority on social media isn't that. So, there's no harm done in sharing a funny video or meme here and there -- in fact, it humanizes the company by showing its employees have a sense of humor.
However, in addition to the occasional meme, social posts also need to tie back to the company, its culture and its industry. Only then will job seekers realize the company's authority within and passion for its industry.
Related: How to Develop a Stellar Employer Brand
3. Bad reviews from past employees.
What that says to job seekers: "If this person wasn't happy, I won't be either."
Hell hath no fury like an employee scorned. A negative review left unaddressed on social media tells job seekers only one side of the story. And, unfortunately for employers, 38 percent of fired or laid-off employees share negative reviews of their former employers, according to CareerArc's 2015 Employer Branding study.
While these reviews are often out of a company's control, how those reviews are handled is not. Whether the negative review comes from a past employee or a disgruntled customer, publicly address it on social media.
Respond to negative comments or reviews as soon as possible, and do more than apologize -- offer a solution. Turn your post into an opportunity to show job seekers how committed the company is to past, current and future employees.
4. Engagement is low.
What that says to job seekers: "Either this company doesn't care to engage with its followers, or people don't care to engage with the company."
Social media platforms present opportunities for conversation and connections. A social account that lacks one or both of these activities can reflect poorly on the company and its employer brand. So, put the "social" back into social media by using these networks to connect and converse with your followers about the latest industry trends, relevant news and company happenings.
To take things a step further, go beyond social media and use a social tool specifically designed to connect employers and job seekers. LiquidTalent, for instance, enables users to seek out top talent and connect and engage with them via a professional social platform.
What are some other things companies do (or don't do) on social media that turn job seekers off? Share in the comments!
Related: How to Fire Someone Without Ruining Your Employer Brand
