More and more companies are discovering the benefits of using social media for their recruiting activities. For a lot of businesses, it has become one of the crucial methods of finding qualified employees. However, with benefit there comes a risk. Many recruiters unknowingly make simple mistakes that have probably cost them a few potential employees. Luckily, these errors can easily be avoided once your firm is aware of them. This article presents 5 common mistakes that recruiters make on social media and explains how you can avoid them.

Not creating a clear plan

Before you start creating social media profiles and posting content, you should define clear objectives and a strategy on how to reach these objectives. Businesses tend to be present in multiple social media platforms without explicit goals. Who is my target group? What platforms should I use? What are my goals and how can they be measured? These are important questions that recruiters have to ask themselves before starting their own social media journey.

Thinking every social media platform is the same

Most young people know the difference between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. However, many non-digital-natives have yet to realize that there is a difference between these channels. Most of all, small and medium-sized companies that have been in their respective business for a long time and are new to the social media world should obtain information about the purpose of each one. Once this is done, distinct strategies should be developed for each platform. Businesses should keep in mind that some content may work on Facebook but may have negative impacts on LinkedIn.

Underestimating the time requirement

A lot of companies make the mistake of thinking that social media recruiting can easily be done in addition to regular activities because it does not take a lot of effort and time. However, if recruiters want to use social media for their benefit and have a successful performance, they should appoint at least one person that commits fully to this task. If the strategy is then applied with dedication, companies can benefit highly from this new form of recruitment. However, businesses should also keep in mind that it can take a long time and hard work before positive effects can be seen.

Not engaging the audience

Even if the right channels are chosen and the company posts frequently, some strategies still might not work. One reason can be that the company is posting the wrong content. It is important to engage the target groups with content they are interested in. It is also always helpful to post pictures and videos to highlight your content. Users are more likely to notice posts like these and engage with them because they are easier to process.

Not responding to the audience

One of the benefits of social media is being able to directly interact with the audience. It is crucial to respond to messages, feedback and comments as soon as possible to show potential employees that you care about them. Companies that fail to give a response might not only lose potential employees but also worsen their brand image. They are immediately perceived as a bad employer.

Conclusion

The emergence of social media comes along with immense benefits for the recruiting world. If you avoid these 5 simple mistakes and follow the aforementioned advice, nothing can get in the way of successful social recruiting activities.