Benefits of using social media for Recruiting

Recruitment is of the utmost importance if you’re looking to succeed with your company. There are many tools that a company can use to find and recruit the top talent. At times it can be tricky for a company to choose an appropriate recruitment tool that meets the specific needs of that company.

Most will source candidates through job boards, agencies, traditional media platforms, referrals or social media. Over the last few years, social media has revolutionized business functions and operations. However, some businesses have not yet acknowledged the usefulness and reach of social media.

By utilizing social medial to recruit employees, a business has several benefits. Below are some of the most important ones:

1. Cost-effective

Sourcing for candidates via social media platforms is very cost–effective compared to traditional methods of recruitment. As a matter of fact, creating a social media account is free. Traditional recruitment methods require a firm to pay a premium to advertise through traditional media channels (TV, billboard, newspaper or magazine) and hope that a large number of candidates will see the job advert.

The value and benefits of social media recruiting exceed its cost, and therefore the resulting return on investment (ROI) is significantly better compared to other recruiting programs.

2. Access to Passive Candidates

One of the key benefits of recruiting via social media is the ability to reach passive or potential candidates who are not necessary searching for a new job position. Most traditional recruitment channels have failed to identify the talent gap that employers are looking for.

However, social media allows employers to identify and reach potential candidates who have the right qualifications but are not thinking about changing their current jobs. Social media activity makes passive candidates aware of new job openings that may motivate them to consider leaving their current job for another, better paid one.

Access to passive talent and candidates is the major reason employers that are recruiting via social media are killing it.

3. Increased Visibility and Larger Reach

Statistics indicate that over 60% of internet users use social media on a daily basis. When doing the recruiting via social media, an employer is able to reach a larger and more diverse pool of job seekers. Social media platforms allow companies to recruit talent from communities or forums of job seekers.

It also allows potential employees to join forums or communities where they can sift through to find job opportunities. Some social media sites allow employers to filter and match jobs depending on qualifications, skill levels, salary range, experience and titles.

This way, employers can engage with a large audience and target candidates with the right set of skills or qualifications for the job easier than ever before.

4. Shorter Time to Recruit

Recruiting via social media enables candidates to respond immediately through different social media platforms and thus employers can fill vacant positions faster. This reduces the time needed to hire. When employers use social media to attract and communicate to potential candidates, they create a good relationship with the candidates.

As a result, there are high acceptance rates among the candidates. This reduces vacancy rates that could have costed the company time and resources.

5. Better and Higher Quality Employees

Research shows that companies that recruit via social media have better and more productive employees than companies that use other recruiting programs. This could be due to the fact that candidates who frequently use social media may be more innovative and tech-savvy.

They also tend to be aware of emerging trends in the business world. This means more creativity and productivity in the firm. It could also increase employee retention rates since most of those hired have skills that match the company’s needs.

Companies can also use social media platforms to screen candidates. Social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn provide numerous details and information about a potential candidate. This helps a company select the best candidate.

However, a firm should note that it can expose itself to many legal risks if it uses social media to screen candidates. The law requires employers to request permission from candidates before performing any pre-employment checks on them.

An employer can avoid these legal risks by hiring a qualified HR manager, hiring a screening company or conducting social media screening only after interviewing a candidate.

6. Competitive Advantage

The internet and social networks have played critical roles in business functions and operations. Therefore, using social media to recruit employees gives a company a competitive advantage over other firms that are not using social media recruiting. Social media recruiting portrays a business as tech-savvy and dynamic to emerging trends.