Around 45 percent of Germans use social media platforms. Companies also recognize the potential of social networks and advertise there for new employees. You can find out how you can use social recruiting for your company here.
Why recruit via social networks?
Employee recruitment aims to reach potential new employees. This can also work on social media. Because there you can present your company attractively – just like a product. This is called social recruiting, social hiring, or social media employee recruitment. Potential job candidates are specifically addressed, and the company becomes active and does not wait for applications for a job advertisement. Companies therefore often “apply” to interesting candidates – not the other way around.
The number of social media users is steadily increasing and users spend a lot of time on the platforms: The Digital 2020 Report for Germany by Hootsuite and We Are Social states that users use the internet for around 4 hours and 52 minutes per day – of which 1 hour and 19 minutes in social networks. This is exactly where you should address potential employees. Your advantage: You can search for suitable employee recruitment candidates in a targeted manner and contact them directly. In this way, you also address users who are perhaps not actively looking for a job. This is called active sourcing.
Employer branding: Show what your company stands for
Give potential candidates insights into your company and define your corporate image. The so-called employer branding stands for positioning and communication as an attractive employer and aims to create a so-called employer brand. Show structures, processes, and above all values of your company – because authenticity arouses interest and sympathy. With employer branding, you can attract new employees and convince them to join your company’s employee recruitment.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What makes your company?
- What makes your company stand out as an employer?
- What does your company stand for and what are your long-term goals?
- What sets you apart from other companies?
- What benefits do you offer your employees?
- Why should existing employees stay in your company?
- Why should new employees start at your company?
With these answers, you can define your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) – your unique selling proposition as an employer. The term is based on the Unique Selling Point (USP), which emphasizes the special features of a product.
Why is an EVP so important?
A holistic EVP is the central element of your employer branding. If you know what the essential characteristics of your company are, it is easier to work on your employer brand and to actively communicate it.
With a good employer brand, you not only address potential new employees but also your existing employees. Employee recruitment works internally and externally. Happy employees work more productively and effectively. So create a recognition value and address applicants and employees.
Content strategy and the right approach
With your value proposition and employer’s value proposition, you can develop a communication plan and content strategy. Because: Your content must be convincing in terms of content and pursue a strategy.
So first think about which recruiting channels (social media channels) you want to use to address potential employees. According to Statista studies, Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp, followed by Instagram and TikTok, are among the most popular social media platforms in 2021. Of course, the choice of the right platform depends on your company and your target group.
Reading tips
Which target group uses which social media platform? You read that here.
Once you have decided on a platform, the planning of your content follows.
- What would you like to show potential employees – and at what time interval?
- What material do you need ( photos, videos, articles, etc.)?
- How can your employees become “brand ambassadors”?
You should also think about addressing potential employees. On Facebook and Instagram, communication is loose and you can address users as “you”. Business platforms such as XING and LinkedIn prefer to be addressed professionally with “Sie”.
Use a business account on Instagram
On Instagram, you can address the younger generation in particular with creative pictures and motivating videos. Recent studies show that most Instagram users are between 25 and 34 years old. You can use the comment function or the Direct Messenger to exchange ideas with your followers and respond to them individually.
You can give exclusive insights, for example into the team, with the story function. Instagram Stories are available for 24 hours and are then deleted. Here, too, you can think of a concept for keeping your followers up to date. For example, accompanying a team member in their daily work. Post photos or short videos throughout the day to keep your followers engaged.
The business profile offers you insights and statistics on your contributions. See how many impressions and reach your posts are generating. You can see how many users have looked at your posts and how many users have seen your posts. It also shows your profile views, your top posts, and story highlights. With this information, you can constantly improve your content and plan it in a targeted manner.
Reading tips
No plan on how to get a business profile? Read our how-to: create an Instagram business account.
Examples of success – this is what social recruiting can look like
The British telecommunications company Vodafone operates its own recruiting channel on Instagram. The Group regularly provides insights into the company and shares information on career opportunities. Followers get to know employees in a takeover format and can ask questions about the area of responsibility or the application process.
The former startup Kapten & Son from Cologne also advertises its own company on Instagram. Both examples show a uniform corporate image. Vodafone manages to clearly reflect the company’s corporate identity. The logo or Vodafone red is recognizable in every post and runs through the entire feed. Kapten & Son works with a mixture of images and text images. Here, too, a clear concept can be seen. Story highlights show, among other things, everyday office life and the team.
Use career networks for social recruiting
XING and LinkedIn are leading career platforms in Germany and have been used to recruit employees for years. There are currently 19 million members registered on XING. LinkedIn has 756 million members worldwide, 16 million of whom come from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The biggest difference between the networks is the distribution area: XING is limited to national contacts – LinkedIn offers an international network.
Both networks offer additional functions that are subject to a fee and are intended to make recruiting easier. With the “Talent Manager,” suitable candidates are recommended to you on XING. The “XING Referral Manager” compares your employees’ networks and searches for suitable candidates based on your job advertisements. On LinkedIn, the Recruiter Lite subscription helps to find the right candidate for a job. Advanced search filters should make suitable candidates visible, and the tool also makes candidate suggestions here.
Opportunities and challenges of social recruiting
Opportunities
Social media in companies: Social media is also becoming increasingly popular in companies. According to a recent survey, 93 percent of the companies surveyed use Facebook in their company. Instagram is used by 78 percent of marketers. The platform has a lot of potentials because 72 percent of the companies surveyed aim to expand their Instagram presence.
Reach and target group: A decisive advantage over job exchanges is the reach of the platforms. You can reach more candidates on social media because here you will find not only job seekers but also users who are already employed and may be interested in changing jobs.
Authentic information: Unlike ordinary cover letters, social media platforms offer a different perspective on potential candidates. Private social media profiles reveal authentic information about a user and show completely different character traits than is the case in a CV. Companies can also use this for themselves. Show yourself authentically and transparently on your social media profiles, because that creates sympathy and trust among your followers and potential job candidates.
Challenges
Users are not necessarily looking for a job: the majority of all social media users use the platforms for private purposes. So you need individual concepts that arouse the interest of users in your company. The address must also be adapted to the user’s behavior. Be fun and creative to get users’ attention. On Instagram, only posts that perform well within the first few minutes have a chance to appear among the top posts.
Different target groups: Each social media platform offers a different age and target group. When choosing the right platform, you should deal extensively with the user groups and the potential of the individual platforms.
Application and selection processes: Avoid slow and cumbersome processes. Social media users expect quick and direct feedback. Offer the opportunity to apply with one click and use the possibilities of digital introductory talks.
Social recruiting: answers to frequently asked questions
Is social recruiting a job for HR or the social media marketing department?
HR management and the social media department should go hand in hand in active sourcing. Cooperation between departments is the basis for successful recruiting. Content of the job advertisements is provided by your HR department and prepared accordingly by your social media team. That requires a lot of agreements.
How much time do I have to plan for social recruiting?
Social media recruiting is not a side job, it takes a lot of time. As mentioned at the beginning, employer branding and a content strategy are important foundations for effective employee recruitment on social media. Take enough time for preparatory work and develop your employer brand. An editorial plan helps you structure posts and create a roadmap for your content strategy. Profile maintenance and optimization are also the be-all and end-all during recruiting.
What role does data analysis play?
The competition in social media recruiting never sleeps. Develop know-how to get an overview of the functions and possibilities of social media platforms. Check out successful social recruiting channels to build your strategy based on best practices. Find your USP and stand out from the crowd with creative contributions.
Conclusion
In times of a shortage of skilled workers, new methods of recruiting employees must be used. Address potential employees where they are: on social networks. The daily usage time on social media platforms is constantly increasing and is already almost 90 minutes per day. Personnel recruitment and personnel searches are therefore increasingly taking place online.
Employee recruitment offers a wide range of opportunities to address candidates directly and present yourself as an attractive employer. The basis is a uniform company profile and strategic planning of content on social media platforms.
Sources:
- Instagram users by age group and gender worldwide 2020
- New data: statistics on social media use in Germany
- Digital 2020 – Germany 90% online
- Percentage of surveyed internet users who use the following social networks in Germany in 2020/21
- Number of Instagram users worldwide in January 2020, by age group and gender
- Share of marketing decision-makers planning to expand the following social media presences in the future worldwide in January 2021
- Share of companies using the following social media platforms worldwide in January 2021