Recruiting is a completely different landscape than it used to be. The internet has revolutionized the job search and hiring process, and if you are not capitalizing on the new technologies and expansive reach afforded to you through digital recruitment channels, your company is losing out. In today’s article we discuss the various ways you can leverage your social media plan to recruit and hire top IT talent.
Creating a Relationship
The modern IT employee is looking for more than just another job. Their talents are so in demand that they really do have the opportunity to pick and choose who they work for and what their employment situation looks like. An important aspect of talent outreach involves creating a positive relationship with potential candidates simply to attract their interest to your company and prospective opportunities. A great way to do this is through your various social media platforms.
LinkedIn and Facebook are particularly powerful networking tools. Use engaging and personalized content to get the attention of local talent, and be unique and targeted in your approach to recruiting through these channels. Make good use of your brand and put greater emphasis on your daily interactions with candidates through engaged conversation, valuable content, and a mentor-mentee tone of voice. These elements alone will help build trust and interest in your company and will inevitably draw the interest of talented professionals.
Start with a Plan
It’s not enough to post to social media in an ad hoc manner. Employers need to approach this method of recruiting in a strategic and methodical manner, much the same way they approach marketing or managing finances. The most important step is developing a strong content marketing plan which helps define your target audience, goals, competitors, benchmarks, schedule, and distribution plan. Focus enough attention on each unique platform while also making sure you have a strong element of branding and consistency across all your social media outlets. This is also an excellent point to identify cross-promotion opportunities for your content, such as linking to blog posts and videos in your tweets or email newsletters, or sharing relevant content in the digital communities and forums where you generally recruit prospective candidates. The content you create in your social media channels is a valuable recruiting tool. Don’t let it go to waste.
Identify Your Cheerleaders
Word-of-mouth and positive recommendations are easily the strongest recruiting tool available to you. It is critical to identify and engage these evangelists to help you attract new talent. Encouraging referrals is a great place to start, but with the tools of social media at your disposal, a simple “share” of a job description can make an enormous impact. Consider soliciting and producing testimonials and success stories from existing or past employees, as these case studies make for excellent recruiting content. These all help boost your reputation and build trust with prospective recruits.
Work with a Top IT Recruiter in Virginia
ESGI brings well over 20 years of information technology staffing to industry leaders who understand the importance of obtaining the best IT talent by partnering with an ethical, reputable, quality-focused staffing firm. Contact our recruiters today to get started on finding the best IT job candidates for your openings!
