5 Reasons Why Your Social-Recruiting Strategy Isn't Working Despite the pervasiveness of social media, the majority of recruiters see their social recruiting skills as 'proficient or less.' Here is how to fix that.
By Abby Perkins
This story originally appeared on Salesforce
These days, social recruiting is the norm. According to Jobvite's 2014 Social Recruiting Survey, 93% of recruiters use or plan to use social recruiting, and 73% plan to increase their investment in social this year.
Despite the pervasiveness of social media, however, the majority of recruiters (82%) see their social recruiting skills as "proficient or less." And as social recruiting gets more and more competitive, that's a problem.
Is social recruiting failing to produce the results you want? There could be an easy answer.
Related: 8 Clumsy Mistakes to Avoid During the Hiring Process
Below are five reasons your social recruiting efforts might not be working – and fivethings you can do to fix it.
1. You're too buttoned-up.
You always want to be professional, especially when it comes to recruiting. But social media isn't the place for stuffy, corporate interactions. Job seekers use social media to show off their personalities — and so should you. Loosen up a little, and you're likely to see more — and more valuable — interactions on social media.
The fix: Don't be afraid to be quirky. Use social media to show off what's unique or creative about your company. Incorporate individual employees, so potential recruits can put real faces to your brand.
2. You're not connecting.
Companies often forget that social media is a two-way street. They post content without really thinking about who's on the receiving end, or how they'll react. But with social, you're not just putting an advertisement on a billboard. You're sending out messages that people can respond to. You're starting conversations — and that's especially important with recruiting efforts.
The fix: Don't just use social to advertise; use it to communicate. Pay attention to people who interact with your posts or follow your accounts. Respond to questions and comments. Start conversations.
Related: The Smart Move for Growing Companies Is to Always Be Recruiting Talent
3. You're sticking to the basics.
Every recruiter uses the big three: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. And there's no question that those sites work—they have nearly 2 billion active users combined. But there's a whole world of social media out there that many recruiters aren't even thinking about. Think outside the box and explore new social media sites, and you could be one of the first to access an untapped resource of job seekers.
The fix: Expand your social recruiting to include sites like Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Vine. They'll give you the opportunity to be more visual and more creative—not to mention reach a wider audience.
4. You're being reactive, not proactive.
In today's competitive recruiting landscape, simply responding to people isn't going to cut it. Sure, responding to people who reach out to your company is a great place to start. But that's only the beginning. To really see results, you can't wait for people to contact you. You need to find the people you want to work for you, reach out to them, and start building meaningful relationships.
The fix: Be proactive, not reactive. Find talented people who are working in your industry and reach out to them first, whether it's through a LinkedIn group or a Twitter hashtag.
5. You're not building a brand.
One of the biggest benefits of social media is that it allows you to create presences on different platforms that, while unique, all reflect your company's unique brand and message. And a cohesive brand is especially important when you're reaching out to and trying to attract potential talent. If you're not creating and promoting a unified message across your social platforms, that's a problem.
The fix: Use your brand to inform every interaction you have on social media. Prospective employees should be able to look at any one of your profiles and get a good feel for what your company is about.
What are your best practices for social media recruiting? What lessons have you learned?
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