Eyes on the prize: traditional media vs. social media recruitment

Social media recruitment has really shaken things up for recruiters and HR staff.

But, how is it different from traditional media recruitment? And, what else can you achieve by bringing social media recruitment into your company that you couldn’t do already? Stick around to find out.

Traditional media recruitment

When a real pro’s on the case, traditional media recruitment can be sophisticated, compelling and effective — to an extent.

But, it’s a closed method. You craft your message, choose the best place to advertise, then just cross your fingers and wait for candidates to get back to you.

Traditional media recruitment sources are well established and host ads in places where candidates expect to find them. These methods can be supported by social media to extend a job ads reach and increase your chances of finding that perfect hire.

Social media recruitment

Pre-interview

How much do you want to know about your candidates pre-interview? Everything, right? Well, that’s what social media recruitment gives you. Detailed profiles that let you see endorsements from previous employers, and check out how they might fit into your company culture.

One thing that just can’t happen with traditional media recruitment is pre-interview communications. By taking your recruitment online, you can chat with candidates in a less formal setting, and keep them interested in the run up to the interview.

Branding

Social media recruitment should be an important part of your overall social media strategy. It shows the world your company’s growing, and always on the lookout for those candidates with super skills.

And, as it grows your overall social media reach, your presence as an online brand should get a major boost, making you more visible to candidates and customers alike. When all these extra candidates start checking out your company, your social media recruitment channels can become your employer shop window. This is where a strong employer brand comes in.   

Reach

What really sets social media recruitment apart is its increased reach. Social media recruitment posts can be instantly sent out on your network, then shared — either with people who might be interested or en masse. This means your vacancy can be seen by more candidates in a greater number of areas.  

Candidates

To reach your A game on social media, you need to be proactive. Creating an appealing profile and keeping a whole network of connections engaged takes initiative, dedication and social skills. All of these qualities would surely come in handy round the workplace.

Future-proofing

Social media recruitment is exploding. This isn’t the end of the story though and recruiters need to keep up with developments. Recruitment won’t ever go all traditional again, though; what comes next will build on the foundations of what social media recruitment has already become. So, it makes sense to engage with it now.

Cost

Best of all, social media recruitment costs basically as much as you’re willing to spend on it. You can make a big splash with just an Internet connection and a couple of spare hours. Or, you can go big and invest in the right tools and develop a comprehensive strategy with real measurement.

Social media recruitment has taken hiring from a two-dimensional into a three-dimensional world. Isn’t it time you got on board?