3 Secrets of Social Media for Recruiters

This is a guest post written for UK Recruiter.

For recruiters, finding the perfect candidate for a job can be a lot like dating. You see people that are awkward at first but turn out to be great given time, people who seem great upon meeting them but eventually are nightmares and a lot who are just not a good fit. As a recruiter, you are not only filling a job opening, but finding a the person that will be dedicated to the company and work well with others in the organization. While you may have to kiss – or interview – a lot of frogs to do this, there are some ways to help simplify the selection process, with social media being one of the best. Here are three ways that social media can help you find your ideal candidate.

– Post Job Openings on Social Media Sites
The first step in any recruiting process is to post the job opening. There are several sites that are excellent for this, the most common being Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. While most companies post job openings on its business website and sites like Careerbuilder or Monster, the advantage of posting positions on social media sites is that it gives you a larger applicant base. Additionally, posting to these social media sites makes it easier for your job posting to be referred to someone who could be a good fit. Using social media allows you to not only share job openings, but it also opens the possibility that members of the site will do some of the legwork for you.

– Look at the Social Media History of Candidates
One of the greatest things that social media sites have given recruiters is the ability to look at an applicant’s social media account. While some people do keep their social pages hidden from the public, many people allow anyone to at least view their posts or history. Additionally, even if someone’s profile is not public, you are able to view their friends information and posts. This is a treasure trove of information about your applicant that can give you a good idea of what type of employee this person would be.

Without delving into the personal life of the applicant, there are a few things to look out for. The first is to see if the person complains about their employer or work life on a public forum. While everyone is entitled to say they had a long day or tiring week, posts discussing disliking customers or complaining about a boss should raise red flags. Someone that would discuss specific issues about work on a public forum is likely to do the same if they work for you. Another warning sign pops up if the candidate frequently posts about drinking or engaging in questionable behavior. Most employers do not expect their employees to live lives without recreation, but you want an employee that will be serious about their job.

– Converse with Candidates Before the Interview on Social Media Sites
Once an applicant responds to a post describing an open position, this allows a dialogue to take place that allows you to vet people before asking them in for interviews. Most social media sites have an internal messaging system that will allow you to ask potential employees about their work history, experience and goals. This allows communication that is much more flexible than phone calls to establish if someone would be right for a position without ever having them come in for an interview.

This blog post was written by Sam who is a blogger and writer who is inspired by the success of Timothy Sykes.