Last updated on February 15, 2024
Technology is revolutionizing, the recruitment process is changing. Workplaces are undergoing a digital metamorphosis, and thanks to the rise of social media, the way people want to interact has altered too.
With the growing importance of user experience and digital networking, the recruitment industry has entered a new phase. While the traditional hiring tactics are vanishing, the largest pool of candidates is just a click away – on social platforms. Thus, if your goal is to cast a wider net for top talent, you shouldn’t overlook the necessity of fitting social media into your hiring plan.
Attracting candidates in the old days
Hiring practices have come a long way since the dawn of recruiting. Although sources of hiring talent were found in 2686 B.C. in Egypt, and the ancient Greeks executed recruitment practices too, modern recruitment as we know it today emerged during World War II. Employment agencies were established to retain workers for vacancies left by those who served in the war.
In the 1940s, recruiters used newspapers, ads, flyers, and, of course, word of mouth marketing to match the right people with positions. Job ads were completely different from what we call a job posting today: they were mainly localized, simple descriptions.
As computers gained ground and everybody had a chance to access the internet and apply for a position online, technology paved the way for an innovative job market.
With millions of jobs in the digital space, job boards, online applicant systems, and video interview options today, we have long forgotten what it was like browsing job ads in the papers or waiting for a job offer by the mail for weeks, without any feedback.
Social media rules
When social media appeared, our communication practices began to change, and the recruitment process speeded up.
Our messages shortened (“DM me”), we invented new words (“selfie”) and created icons to express our feelings (emojis).
Slowly but steadily, using platforms like Facebook or Twitter made people get used to the experience of shorter response time, continuous interaction, and instant connection. And they won’t settle for less.
Although human beings want real-time interactions, social media grants users with the opportunity to think through their responses before hitting send. Thus, 87% of your prospects won’t answer a call from a stranger, but they will respond to a text message or a reach out on social media.
A new generation
Social media has enhanced digital engagement, and its most affected group is millennials.
With a 35% presence in the U.S. workforce, millennials are the largest age group in the labor market. Growing up with tablets and smartphones, their work styles adapted to the interactive solutions of technology. Consequently, they tend to work shorter hours, are impatient about progress, and spend an average of 3 hours a day on social media. Therefore, businesses know that if they want to hire the most skilled millennials, they need to captivate them through social media.
The good news is that this generation is the most motivated age group on social media. Due to the cultural shift this medium generated, millennials focus on ‘what may be the best fit’, and they more likely apply to a position promoted via social media advertising than uploading their resumes to job boards.
Social media as a business card
Social media has a huge advantage for both candidates and the employer: visibility.
Due to the impact of social media, the tables have turned. The applicant is competing with others for the trust of the employer, and vice versa.
Job seekers and employer brands also use their social media profiles for networking, sourcing, and building recognition. There’s no other medium that could paint a more realistic picture of the person or employer brand’s true self. There’s no better way to present skills and a company culture than social media. What prospects and hiring companies share on their feeds and the reactions they get from their followers and friends conveys all the necessary information for creating a good first impression.
Hiring professionals cannot stay competitive without using social media as a recruitment tool anymore. Employee engagement is a must have in a successful recruitment strategy, and social media is an inevitable tool for attracting and connecting with candidates.
Would you like to leverage the power of social media in your recruitment campaigns? Let Boostpoint® find your future employees and book a demo today!
Sam Beiler
As the CEO and Co-founder of Boostpoint, Sam dedicates himself to empowering organizations in creating successful workplaces where team members can truly flourish in their strengths. He tirelessly works with this team to provide talent acquisition professionals with cutting-edge recruitment marketing tools that enable employers to attract top-tier talent faster.
