Yesterday’s Advisor covered the pros and cons of using Pinterest for recruiting; today, recruiting on Instagram.
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Perhaps even more than Pinterest, Instagram has traditionally been viewed as a “fun” social media platform with few if any business applications. But that’s starting to change in a big way. Especially if you’re looking to attract young, tech-savvy workers, Instagram may be exactly where you want to be with your recruiting efforts.
Veronica Segovia, until recently the employer brand manager at PR software company Vocus, used Instagram as an opportunity to “make contact with passive candidates, to show them that Vocus is a cool, young, fun company,” she says, quoted on the RIVS blog. “Our original goal with Instagram was to attract entry-level sales talent of about 21–30 years of age.”
Digital marketing agency HelloWorld actually used Instagram to extend a full-time marketing coordinator position to plugged-in applicant Samantha Bankey, who saw the social media posting and accepted within minutes, according to Erin Osterhaus, writing on new-talent-times.softwareadvice.com.
“If your company is seeking young professionals who are social-media savvy, you already employ a social media recruiting strategy, and you happen to be in an industry that uses social media as a business tool, Instagram could very well help you find your next crop of new hires,” Osterhaus writes.
Social Media Sourcing: No Stalking
Take care when you perform social media sourcing that you don’t come across as creepy to job candidates, warns Dingee. You don’t want to come across as a stalker! The people you contact are going to want to know how you found them and how you know they can effectively perform XYZ tasks.
Maintain transparency, advises Dingee. Explain how you found them. “You’re not hacking; you’re searching the Internet for publicly available information,” she says.
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Remember that Social Media Works Both Ways
Social media is a great tool for finding exciting new job candidates, but it’s equally important to remember that job candidates are using social media to find you, too. Accordingly, you need to invest time and effort in making sure your organization has an active, professional presence on all of the major social networking sites—even if you’re not looking to fill any positions right at the moment.
Your social media accounts are an extension of your company brand. Be sure that all of your company profiles are professional and convey the image you’re looking to project—both in the look and in the content. Any messaging should be consistent with the company values and strategy, as candidates will be looking at the account (among other sources) to gain a sense of the organization.
Additionally, it goes without saying that you should have, and enforce, a comprehensive social media policy at your workplace that clearly delineates what employees may say, and not say, about your organization on social media channels. Striking the right balance between professionalism and employees’ rights to express themselves can be legally challenging, so it’s a good idea to have a local employment lawyer review your social media policy on a regular basis—at least once a year.
Social media invading the recruiting arena is just one facet of the brave new world of HR. Are you prepared for changes that are unparalleled in scope and impact?
- Employees all over the world, many of whom you’ve never met in person
- Technological advances and big data
- Talent management challenges like Millennials managing Baby Boomers you once thought would have retired years ago
- Big data on everything from hiring strategies to retention predictions
- Sweeping regulatory changes in the areas of health care, immigration, and privacy that have necessitated massive changes in the way you do business
- And the new normal—doing more … with less
HR 2015? Time to get planning with BLR’s new HR Playbook. Find out more or order here—HR Playbook: HR’s Game Plan for the Future.
It’s a lot to keep track of—and it’s not going to get easier. To help you get your head around big-picture strategies for 2015 and beyond, HR’s Game Plan for the Futureprovides a detailed rundown of trends, case studies, and best practices in the following areas:
- Recruiting and Hiring
- Onboarding
- Social Media and Technology
- Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
- Flexibility and Work/Life Balance
- Outsourcing
- Diversity
- Talent Management
- Employee Engagement and Retention
- Succession Planning
- Telecommuting
Find out more or order here—HR’s Game Plan for the Future.