Many recruiters use social media for recruitment purposes and the most popular platform is LinkedIn. Some of the ways employers use social media include:
Brand management
Employers use social media to promote their brand and inform people what it is like to work for that organisation. This can be through their LinkedIn company page, YouTube or Facebook business page. Typical posts can be around ‘a-day-in-the-life’ of an employee, industry news, and careers information. These pages can provide useful information particularly when making your job application or preparing for interview.
Advertising
Recruiters frequently advertise their roles on the LinkedIn jobs board or post on Twitter and Facebook that they’re hiring. Follow these for up to date alerts on new roles. Individual employees may also post a LinkedIn update when their company is hiring or put a message on a related industry group to reach their network.
Researching candidates
A recruiter or hiring manager may look at your LinkedIn profile or other social media accounts if publicly accessible as part of the shortlisting process. They are likely to notice the average length you have been in a job and the length you have been with your current employer (if applicable). Commitment to appropriate professional organisations and examples of your work are also likely to make you stand out.
Headhunting
Recruitment consultants will frequently search LinkedIn profiles to proactively target suitable professionals for the roles they are hiring for. This is more typical with experienced hire candidates.
Referrals
Many recruiters use referrals to find quality hires so they may look to see if you have any shared connections. If you can be referred by a current employee this will enhance your chances of being shortlisted!
Recruiters’ advice for candidates:
Do:
- share details on about volunteering, professional and charity work
- engage with industry relevant events
- check your spelling and grammar on your profile and posts
Don’t:
- share publicly any details of your personal life that may cause employers to question your professionalism
- post a public selfie
- completely delete your profile, particularly if you are looking for work in communications and marketing
I think it’s worth noting that us HR professionals are not only looking for negative signs (inappropriate party photos, racist/sexist comments, etc.), but we also look for patterns and positive signs on how a candidate will fit the organization.
For example, the types of content someone shares on social media can be a huge sign of their passion/interest. If, for example, a candidate for a marketing position frequently shared digital marketing articles, this is a good sign that he’s going to fit the job. So, it’s important to try to establish your position as the expert of what you like.
Another thing is, like it or not, we do judge the book by its cover. Sometimes HRs simply won’t hire candidates with a bad fashion taste, on the wrong side of music/books/movies taste spectrums, etc. However, generally, unless it is very significant, it won’t affect hiring decision. To tackle this issue, there’s no shortcut but to continuously develop yourself to be the best version, and communicate it well on social media.
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