Social Recruiting: Do’s and Don’ts with Chandlee Bryan Part II

Yesterday we shared a few ‘Do’s’ when it comes to beginning your social recruiting program. Today we’ll cover the ‘Don’ts’ and how to avoid these common pitfalls.

Content is more than text

If you aren’t producing compelling content on your social networks, chances are candidates won’t find your company compelling. Bryan believes businesses using Pinterest have the right idea--“[Pinterest] is really useful because you can show images... the trend is becoming more and more visual.” She also emphasizes the importance of putting information in context using visual tools. “One of my favorite applications is Storify,” says Bryan. “Storify allows you to drag and drop and place context around articles and resources.” She recommends companies use Storify to show their businesses impact in story form.

Don’t be boring

Maybe a business is not conducive to producing great visuals. For these companies, Bryan recommends using stories to make their work interesting. “The fact that you make a water bottle is not going to help you get 5,000 Twitter followers,” says Bryan. “However, if you say this water bottle is the first water bottle with a self-purifying system and is used in Ghana [...], I’m going to click on that.” The key to effective social media recruiting is to make a personal connection with potential candidates. When you achieve this, candidates will not only think higher of your company but be more receptive to recruiting efforts.

Don’t overthink

Businesses often overcomplicate social media. “I think one of the biggest myths about social media is that it is similar to gardening,” says Bryan. “I've been thinking about going into gardening for years and it's so intimidating because there are so many things to learn [...]. “It's much easier for me if I just do it.” You don't have to know everything there is to know about gardening in order to plant, nor do you need to understand LinkedIn at a high level to create a company profile. Social media will work differently for each company, so don’t be afraid to have your business jump into social recruiting.

Don’t focus on the numbers

Companies often focus too much on their social media metrics, emphasizing quantity over quality. It’s important to remember when you deal with social media the ultimate goal is to make a personal connection. Building a tight-knit community around a couple hundred or thousand people will get you better candidates than page with a million likes, but no interactions.

Don’t underestimate the importance of social networking

In today’s internet-based society, your online presence IS your company. For the job applicant or anyone unfamiliar with your company, their entire impression of you will mostly likely come from your online presence. Harnessing the influence surrounding this can allow you to beat out the competition and get job-seekers excited to work for your company.

Recruiting is ultimately a matter of making a personal connection. The free flow of information and the increased speed of communication as a result of social networking has made it easier for employers to find the candidates that have the desired skills. Don’t allow your business to fall behind by neglecting to build these connections and online communities early. Even if you are not at the moment actively looking to recruit new employees, hopefully these tips will allow you to recruit candidates who are excited and engaged in your community in the future.

Chandlee Bryan is a co-author of The Twitter Job Search Guide and founder of Best Fit Forward, a career coaching service. She can be followed on Twitter (@chandlee). For more about Chandlee, please see her LinkedIn page.