As an SME with limited resources it is important for us to make our recruitment process efficient and financially viable. Agencies can be expensive so we wanted to find other channels to use alongside them, which were as effective but at a better price.
We use Twitter and Facebook to post links to job adverts on our website, but the social networking site we use the most is LinkedIn, which offers a wide pool of candidates and so far has been a very successful recruitment tool.
The candidates we find through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook have already embraced social media, which is important for SilverDoor as we are an internet-based business.
Benefits of recruiting through social media
- LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook allow us to reach a much broader range of candidates than we would by simply advertising through job agencies and our website.
- LinkedIn enables us to seek out candidates who may not be actively searching for work.
- Candidates who come to us through social media are more likely to be internet-savvy and skilled at networking. When recruiting for entry-level positions, we’ve found that candidates who’ve come to us through LinkedIn often have more experience and more knowledge of the business world.
Results
- Over the last month we have advertised a number of positions on LinkedIn and have been particularly successful recruiting for the Online Media, Data and Marketing Department, receiving over 500 applications. From these candidates we successfully hired for two management positions: Data Manager and PR & Marketing Manager.
- The results of advertising through Twitter and Facebook are more difficult to gauge, as posts on these sites redirect applicants to our careers page. However, we see a large increase in traffic to our website from Twitter and Facebook every time we post jobs.
Tips
- LinkedIn is a fantastic resource, but it has its issues. Actively searching for candidates can bring results but if the profiles you find aren’t regularly maintained, candidates are less likely to get back to you.
- Recruiting through social media is not sufficient by itself but should be used as part of a range of recruitment channels. This will provide you with the best of what each channel has to offer and ensure you can choose candidates from the widest range possible.
Raimonda Kiausaite, HR & Office Manager, SilverDoor
