Using Social Media to Grow Your Talent Network
With the labor market being so competitive, companies have to do everything they can to reach as wide an audience of candidates as possible, and social media is one of the best ways to do so. It is always a good idea to be constantly building your talent pool for future hiring purposes so you aren’t scrambling to find great candidates. By building a strong follower base, you have the opportunity to connect with a wider pool of people than you would using traditional methods.
Almost everyone we know is on at least one social media site, so it makes sense to turn to these outlets to build your network. You never know where you’ll find your next great hire or professional connection. In this post I’ll share a few tips for professionals who want to build their talent networks on social media.
- Post frequently to gain credibility. Post thoughtful articles, surveys, videos, infographics, etc. that are interesting to the type of candidates you want to attract. The more you post, the more likely your posts will get liked or shared, which opens them up to an even wider audience.
- Write original content. In addition to posting frequently on your social profiles, you can take it a step further and write original content such as blog posts and articles. Once you write a post you can publish it on LinkedIn and all of your followers will get a notification, meaning more people are likely to read it. I also advise sharing the link to your blog post on Twitter and Facebook, using hashtags to generate more views. Topics you can write about include trends in your industry, advice for job seekers, and hiring best practices. This tip ties back to my first one, by posting interesting original content, candidates will view you as an interesting and credible person whom they will want to connect with.
- Highlight your company culture. We have addressed this subject in past posts but I really can’t emphasize enough the impact of a strong employer brand on social media. Employer brand refers to the way a company’s mission, vision, and corporate culture are perceived online, in this case on their social media pages. You can use your LinkedIn page to promote your employer brand so that candidates understand what your company is all about- and if they like what they see, they’ll want to connect and potentially apply to positions with your company.
- Follow up with new connections. This may seem tedious, and perhaps you won’t be able to reach out every time you acquire a new connection, however it is a nice touch to send a quick note when you connect with someone new. You will develop a rapport and set the stage as a friendly, professional contact.
- Use a conversational tone. Without being overly casual, a conversational tone on your social media profiles shows you are a person, not a robot. Also, be sure to comment and share people’s posts, demonstrating that you are engaged and interested in them as well.
- Join groups on LinkedIn. Not everyone utilizes this feature of LinkedIn, but it gives you direct access to like-minded people within your industry. You can connect with people you “meet” in these groups.
- Use Twitter. Twitter is probably not the first social media platform that comes to mind when you think of finding talent, however it can be very useful for building a strong network of candidates. Twitter is in general a more social network than say, LinkedIn. The ease of being able to follow anyone instead of sending a connection request to someone you have to already know allows you to acquire an even larger network. If you have an eye-catching bio and interesting tweets, potential candidates will see it’s worth following you. Be sure to use relevant hashtags to ensure the right people are seeing your posts.
All of these tips take extra time and effort, but they are worth it if you can carve out some time to dedicate to social media. Using social media to grow your talent network is an easily accessible and cost effective way to ensure you always have candidates on your “bench.” The simplest way to approach social media can be summed up in this simple phrase: be social. Share, comment, post, engage, and be genuinely social on your channels and your network is sure to grow as a result.
Bristol Associates, Inc. is an executive search firm with over 50 years of excellence in recruiting nationwide. Bristol specializes in recruiting for the Casino Gaming; Hotels and Resorts; Travel, Tourism, and Attractions; Facilities and Concessions; Food and Beverage Manufacturing; Restaurant; Hospital and Healthcare; and Nonprofit industries.
If you’re interested in working with Bristol Associates, click here if you’re an employer or here if you’re a candidate.
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