If social recruiting is the future, then the future is now!

94% of companies are using social to recruit, but as often happens with the introduction of new technology, many of these companies are applying outdated strategies to these new mediums for hiring.

They focus on just one network: LinkedIn, and just one form of content: The job ad…

This version of social recruiting is outdated, and ineffective. Especially considering that:

Only 14% of LinkedIn users even check their account on a regular basis! – Click to Tweet

To drive applicants to your jobs, target the right talent with your content, and build a strong employer brand, using multiple networks collaboratively is the most effective strategy.

Why employers need to build diverse, multi-network social recruiting strategies if they want to win the war for today’s talent!

14.4 Million Job Seekers Have Used Social Networks to Find a Job

73% of companies successfully hired a candidate with social media

42 percent say candidate quality has improved and 31 percent saw an increase in employee referrals.

93% of companies use LinkedIn for recruiting, 66% use Facebook, and 54% use Twitter. – Click to Tweet 

Only 36% of job seekers are actually active on LinkedIn.

40% are active on Twitter.

83% are active on Facebook.

Don’t drop LinkedIn from your strategy though, as LinkedIn still drives more actual job views than any other social network.

If reaching a large quantity of job seekers is a priority, then it’s best to use all three networks!

What about reaching different types of talent?

To reach users over the age of 45 both Facebook and LinkedIn top Twitter

To reach millennials Twitter is your best bet: 45% of Twitter’s users are between the ages of 18 – 29.

If you need to reach more women, LinkedIn is not for you.

LinkedIn is primarily used by men, their user base is 67% male.

Twitter is balanced with an equal percentage of female to male users.

Facebook wins the war for women, with 58% female users.

Unless we count Pinterest boasting an 80% female user base!

What about education?

64% of LinkedIn users have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

40% of Twitter user’s have a degree, compared to Facebook’s 30%, which is especially interesting considering that Twitter’s user base is also younger than Facebook’s!

The type of content you share also effects who you reach, and how many candidates apply for your jobs.

700 video are shared on Twitter every minute.

Job posts get 36% more applications if accompanied by a recruiting video.

40% of people respond better to visual information than plain text.

What does it all mean?

The size, demographics and engagement level of the audience you reach depends on which social network you choose and what content you choose to post.

“Organizations with an integrated approach to talent management have an 87% greater ability to hire the best people.” – Click to Tweet

You’ll reach more job seekers on Facebook, but your actual job posts will get more views when posted on LinkedIn.

You’ll reach more millennials on Twitter, but you can’t actually post a full job description in 140 characters.

YouTube doesn’t receive a high level of traffic from job seekers, but recruitment videos are one of the best ways to increase application volume.

The real takeaway here is that diverse social recruiting strategies work better!

The best social recruiters use image based Twitter posts with hashtags to drive traffic to your Facebook Page where you can share full length job ads alongside recruitment videos, and even create a career site where candidates can apply. They share job ads to LinkedIn to capitalize on the high level of views they’ll receive, but also share a shorter version of your ads to Twitter. They mix up their content, ask questions, and share more than just job ads!

For tips on how to incorporate multiple social networks into your strategy, check out last weeks article 🙂

For an easy way to automatically share job posts to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, check out Jobcast enterprise.

For an easy way to make your life just a little bit happier, check out this adorable video:

Happy social recruiting!

Sources:

• http://www.smartinsights.com/managing-digital-marketing/marketing-innovation/digital-marketing-statistics-2014/

• http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/08/social-media-update-2013/social-media-sites-2012-2013/

• http://www.careerealism.com/recruiting-new-rules/#!boVKvN

• http://socialmediastrategiessummit.com/blog/state-social-recruiting-u-s-2014/

• http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/30/pew-social-networking/

• http://socialmedialondon.co.uk/using-social-media-recruitment-infographic/