Let's Talk Social Recruiting

Social recruiting. It’s certainly a recruitment buzzword. But how are we doing it?

In our annual survey, almost 25% said sourcing candidates was their biggest challenge.

So how are we sourcing?

We source candidates in multiple places. The most popular options in our survey were company databases, jobs boards and social media.

In fact, 77% use social media to source candidates. This is telling. Social is changing how we source. It gives us an unlimited pool to tap into - if we know how to use it.

Of the social media channels, LinkedIn came up trumps – with 94% using it. But Twitter and Facebook are moving up the ranks. Just under half are now using these channels to source (44% and 47% respectively). Recruiters are realising we can’t just rely on LinkedIn.

Job boards still earn the top spot in terms of where you’re advertising. This is closely followed by company websites and social media, of which the most popular was LinkedIn. However, Twitter and Facebook were also popular, reflecting the trend we’re seeing in sourcing.

One of the more interesting statistics that came out of the survey was that 72% will look up a candidate on social media before speaking to them. And of these recruiters, over half would not call the candidate if their social profiles were unprofessional.

We’re placing a lot on the social presence of our candidates. This shows that candidates need to be thoughtful when posting on social media channels that are publicly accessible. Likewise, if a LinkedIn profile isn’t fleshed out with the same information seen in a CV, red flags may be raised.

How successful is our social recruiting?

77% have placed a role using a candidate they found on social media. That’s huge.

The majority were found on LinkedIn – but almost 20% used Facebook to source their winning candidate.

Recruiters are using social to source more than ever before. Compared to our survey last year, social media has seen a massive popularity jump. And not only that, but we've seen an increase in the use of different mediums.

As we said, this year’s survey shows that 44% use Twitter to source, and 47% use Facebook. Last year, 14% were using Facebook and 10% were using Twitter. That’s a significant shift over a twelve month period.

This marks a clear change. For so long, LinkedIn has been regarded as the key platform for sourcing talent, but it is in no way the only one out there.

If you want the golden ticket, you've got to find the passive candidate.

LinkedIn is great, but passive candidates may not be updating their profiles very often or using it much, though this does depend on their industry.

So we've got to use these other mediums. Passive candidates may more likely be on Twitter and Facebook, but the challenge is how to target and connect with them.

Social is a massive resource and we must make sure we’re making the most of it. It’s not just firing off a message on LinkedIn. Everyone does that. Candidates expect it.

What you are tasked with doing is developing the same kind of relationship on social that you would in person. Follow your candidate, engage and nurture the relationship. Gain their confidence, and you can start talking roles.

It takes time, but so does any relationship. And yes, it may be frustrating when you want to move quickly.

If you’re after more information on social recruiting, we've produced an IRP Professional Guide that explores the art of using Twitter to source candidates. You can download it here.

What are your social recruiting success stories? Let us know in the comments below and join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook #iloverecruitment.

You can also view the key findings from our annual survey in our infographic.