The age of Social HR is upon us!
It’s undeniable—social media is everywhere. Social media is not only the main way people share photos, organize local events, stay in touch with family, or complete payments, but it has also become the preferred mode of networking for candidates of all experience levels. Social media profiles are developed with rich details relating to candidates’ skill sets, experience, and attitudes. Of course, every recruiter strives to find the perfect fit for a given position. The fact that people imbue their social media with so much relevant information makes it a fruitful site for recruitment. It’s unsurprising that recruiters, hiring managers, and other HR professionals are embracing social media as one of their main recruiting tools. Collectively, the whole process of HR engagement with social media constitutes the field of social HR.
What social media means for HR
We know that savvy HR departments are revolutionizing their recruiting process through the information and marketing avenues supplied by Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest and more. But how exactly does social media change the way that these departments approach recruiting? According to data gathered by the Society for Human Resource Management, HR companies use social media to streamline the hiring process, access passive candidates, and build their brand.
Social media is a useful tool for finding entry level and experienced talent alike, but it’s especially popular at the employee and lower-management levels. Out of all the companies surveyed, between 82% and 87% of employees at low and mid-level positions were recruited through social media. Companies reported that they turned to social media because of its efficiency. Social media is far quicker than traditional recruiting methods such as jobs boards and fairs.
Companies surveyed by the SHRM cited additional reasons for using social media for recruiting. 82% of companies surveyed used social media to specifically access passive candidates, while 71% sought to target candidates with a niche skillset. 64% used social media to allow candidates to easily communicate with the recruiter and 61% sought to target a specific level of experience.
Social media also allows current employees of companies to act as extensions of their HR departments; these employees can refer to their past network and expand the talent pool, acting as brand ambassadors. HR departments continue to use social media for outreach and engagement. Social media is a great tool to build brand awareness; tweets, Instagram stories, regularly-updated Tumblr pages, and other digital storytelling platforms humanize organizations and give potential candidates a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work for a company.