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Social Media: The New Recruitment Frontier?

Posted by Richard Jacobson on Feb 2, 2015 9:30:00 AM

Social MediaIt’s no secret that social media has become an integral part of today’s connected culture. In 2014, social media was already becoming a popular forum for professional recruitment—a trend that is expected to increase in the coming year.

With an estimated 74 percent of all online adult internet users active on social media, it is quickly becoming a fundamental platform for engaging young professionals and top candidates. The insurance industry is currently revamping its efforts in recruiting and engaging Millennial talent. Embracing social media is becoming a crucial factor toward success.

Social media is a great way for your organization to set itself apart and stand out from the crowd—key in today’s increasingly competitive labor market. According to a study conducted by LinkedIn and the Altimeter Group, 58 percent of employees are more likely to want to work at a company that uses social media, while 20 percent of individuals are more likely to stay with a social media savvy organization.

Recruiters are taking note and increasing their focus on social networks as a recruitment tool. In fact, 73 percent of recruiters have already reported a plan to increase their investment in social recruiting in 2015. However, despite the widespread acceptance and adoption of social media, many recruiters and hiring managers are still unaware of how to tap into the full potential of social media for their job recruitment and hiring needs.

Social Media: The New Recruitment Frontier?The key is to not only be present, but engaged. The younger generation leverages social media as a standard part of the job search. It is a major red flag to candidates if you do not have a social media presence.

What can your organization do to create a compelling and engaging social media presence?

  1. Prioritize your social media networks. When it comes to professional recruitment, not all social media networks are created equal. LinkedIn remains the top choice among recruiters, with 79 percent reporting they have found a hire through the site. As such, 94 percent of recruiters are utilizing LinkedIn, followed by 66 percent on Facebook.

  1. Create a two-pronged approach. Organizations wanting to increase the effectiveness of their social media outreach might want to consider a dual-pronged approach that combines both vetting and engaging potential recruits. Focus on LinkedIn as a tool to pursue potential job candidates while utilizing Facebook and Twitter for relationship building with strong content and unique posts. Follow insurance industry leaders and news sources on Twitter, share relevant industry news on Facebook and promote your organization’s thought leadership on LinkedIn.

  1. Share your company’s story. Making your organization interesting and relevant is important when appealing to today’s job candidates. Focus on sharing company culture posts and encouraging your current employees to share their experiences on your page. Highlight recent events and volunteer activities. Has your organization recently participated in an industry conference? Share your thoughts! Employees planning a food drive to support the local community? Post pictures and stories. Shift toward more “real” posts that give candidates a better sense of what your organization is all about. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, being engaged on these sites is also a great way for insurers to position themselves as modern and forward-thinking.

Social networks have proven to be a great source for finding top candidates, with both quality and quantity of candidates shown to improve when a social recruiting strategy is in place. Now is the perfect time to take a second look at your current social media strategy and consider revamping it for the coming year.

How is your organization using social media to recruit and retain professionals?

Strategize Your Way to an Impactful New Hire

Topics: Recruitment