Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are getting more popular each day. Not only private individuals are increasingly active on social media, but also almost every company has various business profiles on these platforms. Lately, HR departments have realized that social media is more than just a channel to reach customers – it can also be of great use when trying to recruit the perfect candidate. But what makes social recruiting so special and beneficial?

What is social recruiting?

Social recruiting comprises all the activities of a company to find potential employees with the use of social media. It is also called social hiring or social media recruitment. There are two ways in which social platforms can be used for recruiting purposes. On the one hand, the company could place ads for a certain target group in social networks to inform them about the company or a vacancy. On the other hand, they can initiate direct communication with users and learn about their target group’s interests by using their company profile.

Social recruiting is cost- and time- efficient

Generally speaking, creating a company profile on social media platforms is free. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you should not spend any money on social media activities. For example, some platforms offer premium profiles that cost money. Every serious company should invest into these profiles because they are affordable, offer additional features and make you seem more credible. If you want to search for candidates indirectly, placing ads will also come with a certain cost. However, compared to other traditional recruiting methods like agencies, social media is a lot cheaper. Also, it is very time efficient because recruiters can set up profiles in a short period of time and immediately get in contact with potential candidates.

You can reach more people in your target group

In 2017, more than 2.4 billion people and 71% of internet users had at least one social media profile. These numbers are even expected to grow. Obviously, you will not reach 2.4 billion people with your company profile, but this shows how widespread social communities are. The number of users you could potentially reach by social recruiting exceed the numbers of traditional methods. Furthermore, you will be able to approach people that are not actively looking for job and would have never made contact with you otherwise. With social media it is also easier to specifically target a certain group of people. You can narrow down potential candidates for example by their interests or geographical region and engage with them.

Use social media for employer branding

A good social media presence can help you increase the image of your brand in general. It is important to not only post job advertisements but also high-quality content that your audience might be interested in. If people find a well-maintained profile and are engaged by your content, they will automatically perceive you as a good employer. This will help to improve your employer brand and extend your reach as well.