The Philippines is heavily invested in social media, according to Hootsuite and We Are Social’s Digital 2019 report. Over 70% of Filipinos are active users. Plus, the average Filipino spends over four hours and 12 minutes on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. That’s almost double the worldwide average of two hours and 16 minutes.
Though these social media sites are often used to contact friends and family, they may also be effective channels for people to find jobs. And in a hiring manager’s case — to find candidates. In fact, a recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that more than 87% of recruiters use these platforms to hire salaried employees. About 71% of them also found social media recruiting effective in filling roles quickly.
While these sites may provide you a fast way to find candidates, you still need to make sure you’re getting quality hires. Here’s what to consider when recruiting through social media.
The Platform
If you’re just starting out in your social recruitment journey, you can never go wrong with LinkedIn and Facebook. More than 74% of companies have a profile on LinkedIn, and 69% on have FB accounts. FB has a massive user base, with over 2.45 billion people actively using the platform. LinkedIn only has 610 million active users, but its function as a social media site for professionals makes it one of the best places online to find qualified applicants.
The Ad Strategy
Having a career page on FB and LinkedIn isn’t enough to bring in applicants. Fortunately, both of them allow you to create ads and boost your posts and job listings so they can reach your desired applicants. Keep these guidelines in mind when promoting your career-related content:
- Be Guided by a Candidate Persona – Facebook and Linkedin have targeting tools that let you show your ads directly and exclusively to people within a certain demographic, have a specific interest, or have x amount of job experience. Ensure you have different candidate personas for each role so you will show ads to people who are actually qualified and interested in the job.
- Make Your Posts Concise – Don’t include industry jargon. Avoid confusing job descriptions like “SEO Ninja.” “SEO Specialist” is faster and easier to understand. Use bullets and simple language when listing roles and benefits. Your applicants are likely combing through one job listing after another. As such, it’s important to create ads and posts that go straight to the point.
The Tests
Tests are crucial in finding out if your social media applicants’ skills actually match their qualifications. An employment integrity test may also be needed to gauge their credibility and loyalty. You can get skilled and talent tests from providers or you can create one internally. Brainstorm with managers from different departments to create customized exams for each role.
Targeting tools and large user populations make social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn goldmines for hiring. Have standards in place, such as applicant personas and tests, to reach more qualified candidates. With these social recruiting tips, you’ll see your hiring quality and quantity numbers rise in no time.
