The recruiting landscape is fast becoming ultra-competitive. For instance, 7 out of 10 employers testify that they have a hard time getting qualified candidates to join their team.

If that’s how you feel too, one way to differentiate your brand from competitors is to build a solid social media recruitment strategy. 

It’s easy to see why that’s a smart move. The people you want to hire already hang out on social media platforms. As a company, what you need to do is a strong brand that pulls in strong, engaged candidates.

In this article, we’ll be sharing tips on how to ensure your job posts on social media attract the right fit candidates. But before that, let’s quickly examine what social recruitment is.

What is social recruitment?

Social recruitment is the process of attracting applicants for vacant roles within your company using social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

This recruiting strategy requires you to do more than post #WeAreHiring updates to your brand’s social media feeds. Instead, it involves how you position your brand online and build relationships with prospective candidates, all with the aim of getting the best people to show interest in joining your team.

Social recruiting has gradually become more popular as the years roll by. 

The stats don’t lie: 91% of employers already use social media as part of their hiring strategy. And on LinkedIn, 40 million people come online to search for jobs every week.

The key to making this work for you is to remember that social media isn’t a one-way street–it is give and take. 

Do you want to get the best people interested in joining your team? Provide upfront value. And make it clear that they’ll get even more by working with you.

For the rest of this article, we’ll focus on how you can optimize your social media job posts to attract the best candidates.

What information to include in a social media job post?

An ideal social media job post should compel the right fit candidates to express their interest in working with you. 

So what information makes a social media job post ideal? They’re outlined below.

• Indicate clearly that the post is a job ad. Why? Because you want the people you target to recognize it for what it is. Use phrases like “We are Hiring” and “Join our team”.
  
• Provide enough contextual information. Details like job title, location, and qualification should be immediately available. It will allow interested candidates to quickly decide if they want to further explore your opportunity.
  
•  Provide concise information on how to apply. Should they send an email or a dm? Or do you want them to visit a separate web page with more information on the job? Whatever you decide, don’t leave your prospects wondering what their next steps should be.
  
• Keep your post specific and straight to the point. Again, it is social media. Aim to be concise with your delivery. Only highlight the most important information.
  
• Leverage hashtags to increase your social media reach. You can always use hashtags relevant to the position you’re hiring for, the industry your brand operates in, and if needed, your location. 

The points above will help you set the foundation for a proper social media job post. But there are a few other things you can do to increase your applicants’ engagement levels.

Some of them are:

• Flaunt your brand’s culture. Company culture is an important factor for 46% of job seekers. If it is that important, then it makes sense to show how great your company’s culture is by creating visual content of your colleagues working together to get things done.
  
• Leverage the power of employee advocacy. Think of employee advocacy as word-of-mouth marketing but pioneered by your own colleagues. Ask them to share information on vacant positions on their personal pages.
  
• Help the applicants visualize how they will make an impact on your brand. You’ll get a lot of mission-driven individuals. You need to help them understand how their actions in the role will benefit your brand, your customers, and the wider community.
  
• Highlight your brand’s strength to set yourself apart. You want to make it as easy as possible for candidates to decide that you’re the best choice for them. A way to do that is to flaunt relevant awards, certifications, and recognitions that you have achieved. It’s an easy way to make a good impression. 

We’re hiring: social media posts examples

Advertising your vacant roles on the different social media channels your brand has a presence on requires you to consider each platform’s audience.

Content delivery style varies from platform to platform. And in the next few sections, you’ll discover ways to tailor your job ads for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

We’re hiring: LinkedIn post examples

When it comes to job search, LinkedIn has some of the most mind-blowing statistics. For instance, according to the platform, 101 job applications are submitted every month. And 8 people are hired on LinkedIn every minute.

It makes sense too. LinkedIn, being the largest social media platform for professionals, is where people go to find professional advice and build their professional network.

Your job post on LinkedIn should include the following:

• Details of the role
• Testimonials from existing team members
• Professional tone
• Link to the application form
• Hashtags to reach more people

One brand that got this spot on is Spreetail.

Spreetail was accepting applications for internship roles within its organization. But rather than post a generic call for interested applicants, Spreetail created a video that featured current interns and their managers.

These people talked about what it is like to be an intern at the company and the benefits successful applicants will get from their time with the company.

We’re hiring: Facebook post example

Facebook is the OG of social media platforms. Boasting 2.9 billion users globally, the platform brings together people from all walks of life.

Does that mean you’ll be able to find qualified candidates for every role you might need? No, it doesn’t.

If you search for “hiring” on Facebook, you will find out that most of the job posts are geared toward part-time workers and hourly positions. If these are some of the roles you’re looking to fill, then yes, you might have a chance on Facebook.

The things your Facebook post should contain include:

• A relaxed tone–Facebook is different from LinkedIn in that aspect.
• Branded hashtags.
• Visuals of the experience people will gain in the role.
• Instructions on how to apply.

This job post by Love Shack Ldn fits the bill perfectly. 

The post showed the team taking pictures together, indicating a closely-knitted group. And in the copy, the job description, requirements, and next steps were concisely broken down.

We’re hiring: Instagram post examples

When you think of hiring, you generally won’t think of Instagram. Why? Because the platform has a reputation for being lighthearted and informal. After all, it is a photo and video-sharing app.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t snag a right-fit candidate for your team on Instagram. It is possible, especially if your brand already has a solid following on the platform and you can match the platform’s tone.

If you want to get job candidates off Instagram, take note of the following things.

• Match Instagram’s general tone–light-hearted and personal.
• Use inviting visuals
• Provide instructions on how to apply.
• Be generous with hashtags. Use a combination of niche, general, and branded hashtags.

On Knackventures’ Instagram page, they use a funny meme to stop people’s scrolls on Instagram. And then went on to clearly explain what the role is about and what next steps interested candidates should take

Conclusion

Social media should play an important role in your recruitment strategy. To make it work for you, you first have to create a compelling employer brand. This involves showcasing how much value your colleagues derive from working in your organization and how much impact your brand has on the community.

And when you’re ready to request applications, ensure that your copy and visuals fit with the social media channel you use.