Social media has been a growing force in recruitment for at least the last five years, but LinkedIn alone may no longer cut it.
Workable, a global hiring software firm, advises that “9 out of 10 companies use social media to attract, source, and engage with qualified candidates. More than half of all professional recruiters rate candidates sourced from social media platforms as ‘highest quality’.”
But the popularity and usage of certain social media can be ephemeral. How can recruiters stay on top of the trends while presenting their best selves?
Millennial recruitment is getting more personal
Recruiters are taking social media recruitment a step further by utilizing popular live social applications like Snapchat, the photo messenger app, and Tinder, the location-based dating app, to make connections with candidates.
Recruitment Grapevine highlighted a few examples of Snapchat and Tinder use for recruitment. New York City based mobile marketing agency, Fetch, used Tinder to connect with and recruit 22-year old Sam Weidt for an internship. After matching up with nearly 300 Tinder users who were asked to share their best chat-up lines, and several interviews later, Weidt was selected as the best match. He described the process as “low pressure’’ and leaving him feeling somewhat “vulnerable” because the company could see his profile.
The emergence of social profile geo-filters
In another case, Space150, a digital advertising agency headquartered in Minneapolis, MN used Snapchat’s newly developed geo-filters to target young talent for internships.
In a Digiday article, Melissa Murphy, the HR Director at Space150 said, “Being in a creative and tech-savvy industry, we’re always trying new ways to recruit talent – and Snapchat is where all the youngsters are.” Space150 is also active on other major social media channels, including Instagram where they encourage a lot of creative input from both employees and potential candidates.
Best practices for using social media apps in recruitment
What are some ways that companies can best use Tinder, Snapchat, and other social apps to recruit Millennials?
Make the right connections. Lauren Jung, Founder at TheShelf.com said on Quora that recruiters can and should connect with influencers in each space. An example of such an influencer: Branden Harvey who runs Snapchat campaigns for large organizations like UNICEF, Paramount, and ABC Family. By partnering with brand partners and influencers, companies can expand their reach and attract candidates based upon their interests, not just their job qualifications.
Take full advantage of creative ads and geo-filters. Siofra Pratt, who writes at Social Talent, shared more details on the way Fetch used Tinder to recruit their intern (including how the company dealt with those who were decidedly not swiping Fetch for an internship), as well as how other companies used social media apps. JP Morgan Chase, the financial powerhouse, is using its own geo-filters and paid advertisements to target competitors in events like the Corporate Challenge race in London and New York. It makes sense that runners in these events may have what it takes to compete for jobs at the prestigious firm.
Post exclusive clips and pictures of life in your company. It's a great option for maximizing use of social apps. GE uses Snapchat to capture the attention of millennial candidates through its Owen campaign and series of fun YouTube videos, in which a young man named Owen shares his career adventures and mishaps. This is a comical way to help younger candidates relax a little and take the time to apply for work, without feeling so threatened.
For those looking for more guidance, one example of a useful guide is the one published by Social Talent about the use of Snapchat and Instagram in recruitment.
