The days of handwritten letters are all but over. Social media means that communication happens anywhere, at any time, and to a variety of people. It’s enabled users to connect with their family, friends, and colleagues worldwide. Not surprisingly, companies have jumped on the social media bandwagon to build and reinforce their brands, using social media to target specific groups based on information provided in profiles.
For recruiters and human resources professionals, LinkedIn has become the gold standard of social media platforms in the hiring process, offering a look at candidates’ work history, recommendations, and skills. Yet some recruiters and human resources professionals are taking to Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to communicate and begin dialogues with potential candidates.
These platforms have become more than just a place to post family vacation pictures and trade jokes with friends and family. Social media has transitioned to a place where employers and candidates can meet each other, start dialogues, and move to the next step in the hiring process, whether that’s a resume submission, a phone interview, or an in-person interview.
However, some recruiters, human resources professionals, and executives believe social media may be detrimental to the hiring process, even though social media can help recruit top candidates faster. By turning the recruiting process into a dynamic discussion, engaging both candidates and employees, it can also foster employee retention and engagement. These engaged employees are more likely to refer top candidates to their employers, and this adds a strategic bent to the hiring process.
It doesn’t matter whether a candidate is passive or active; that candidate is using social media for her job search. When companies go where the candidates are, they are able to start a conversation and develop a rapport that will help both the candidate and the company determine if they are a good fit for each other.
Companies that learn to use the various social media platforms available to them, including Twitter and Facebook as well as LinkedIn and Google+, are able to tap a wider pool of candidates and learn more about the candidate. The candidate also benefits by learning more about the employer in a more informal dialogue and can demonstrate social media savvy as well.
But each platform, from LinkedIn to Facebook, Twitter to Google+ and beyond, has its own unique quirks and etiquette. In our next post, we’ll discuss how to use each platform to a company’s advantage during the hiring process.
