How Social Media Has Changed Recruitment

Back in 2010, 78% of recruiters were using LinkedIn to find candidates. 6 years later that percentage has risen to 95%. Similarly, 2010 saw just 14% of recruiters posting jobs on Twitter. That figure has now risen to a whopping 95%!

Social recruiting is now one of the hottest and most discussed recruitment methods in the industry. It involves using a variety of social media tools to recruit talent. Job recruiting has always been about networking; social media just makes this a lot easier.

Many employers are now looking at the public profiles of applicants before hiring them to get a better idea of their character traits. CV’s and candidates’ previous employment history can also be reviewed and ranked online according to skills, experience and keywords.

Bearing in mind some companies only look at the highest ranked applications for their vacancies, here’s our quick guide to how you can ensure your profile gets noticed:

1.Ensure that you are established and active on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These are the most common places for a recruiter to find talent or get some background information on their potential employees. Make sure your accounts are professional, clear and up to date so that recruiters can easily see your skills and expertise.

2.Get references from your previous employers. Most on-line profiles include a place for candidates to include recommendations and reviews of their work. Share examples of your work or positive feedback so that you stand out from the crowd to any potential recruiter.

3.Sign up to a site such as Hootsuite or Buffer, which is an automated social posting tool, that lets you schedule your social media posts at set times to help you reach the right targets. Lunchtime or early morning seems to be the most popular time to post on your social media sites and use hashtags which are appropriate to your line of work to get you noticed.

4.Engage with prospective employers using social media tools to identify and communicate with them. “Follow” and “Like” the types of company you want to work for so you can easily access their vacancies. Job seekers need to be savvier than ever and take the time to research companies and their staff before applying for a job. Then use the tools and platforms to communicate your knowledge, suitability or passion for a position.

5.And finally, follow us! We are a specialist recruitment business who can help you find the jobs you want. We have the specialist knowledge and experience to support you through the whole recruitment process. We can help you find and apply for the right jobs and make better decisions.

Check out our Resources page for help with writing the perfect CV and interview tips.