SOCIAL MEDIA'S ROLE IN HIRING AND SELECTION

 

Introduction to Social Media Recruiting

Social media recruiting is the practice of disseminating job advertisements on social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, networking with industry experts, and vetting possible job prospects.

Top candidates can be hired quickly and affordably through social media recruiting. Social media may be a useful component of the hiring process, even though not all HR professionals need to be on Facebook. Even a subpar social media approach will produce quick results if you are having trouble getting qualified candidates to fill up your open positions. However, with a straightforward but intentional plan, you can perform above average.

The word "social media" is now widely utilized in today's society. The majority of people either have one or more social media profiles or at least have a basic understanding of what social media is. Across all social media channels, there are billions of people. As new platforms are created and established ones expand, social media numbers are higher than ever. According to Smith (2018), Facebook has 2.32 billion users and is currently the most popular platform, followed by Instagram (1 billion), LinkedIn (610 million), and Twitter (326 million).

What precisely is social media, and should businesses—and HR in particular—use it throughout the hiring and selection processes? Social media users serve as the platform's customers and information providers.

The corporate sector has been quickly influenced by social media. With SHRM (2016) claiming that 84% of organizations use social media for recruiting and 43% use it for applicant screening, we can see it being used in HR functions like recruitment and selection. But there still doesn't seem to be agreement among academics and professionals about whether or how to use social media effectively (Heathfield, 2018). In essence, the rapid expansion of social media in enterprises is outpacing research. Employers and HR professionals must, however, rely on their best judgment when attempting to adopt social media into their enterprises in the absence of adequate empirical proof.

Social Media Recruitment vs Traditional Recruitment

Prior to social media, traditional recruiting strategies included career fairs, job postings, "help wanted" signs, etc. Although these approaches may seem archaic, what about Indeed, Glassdoor, Monster.com, or ZipRecruiter? All of these are updated iterations of conventional hiring practices that use technology.

The key way that social media recruiting differs from traditional tactics is the platform's focus on engagement. Job searchers can easily find and apply for positions on contemporary job boards like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Users can easily communicate with one another on social media platforms by responding to posts and comments, leaving remarks, or sending messages.

All three platforms—LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram—seek to increase connection and engagement. It's a good thing that job seekers expect to be able to do more than just read job descriptions on these platforms.

You will be able to modify your recruiting strategy as necessary as a result of the increased connection with your labor market through social media channels.

What Are the Advantages of Using Social Media for Recruitment?

Companies that use social media recruiting enjoy a range of advantages:

•          Cost per hire is significantly reduced.
•          You can screen candidates more easily.
•          Jobs can be filled more quickly.
•          You can access more qualified candidates.
•          Recruiters can find more candidates through referrals, followers, and networking.
•          You can find candidates to fill ultra-specific roles.

 

 What Are the Disadvantages of Using Social Media for Recruitment?

While there are significant advantages to using social media for recruitment, it can be quite difficult to find the right candidates.

•         You need a specific recruitment and targeting strategy.
•         You need to invest a good amount of creativity to stand out from other companies.
•         Boosting posts can get expensive.
•         Your audience may not be on a certain social media platform.
•         It’s hard to escape bias (like seeing a candidate’s picture).
•        Candidate profiles may be inconsistent with who they are and how they will perform as an employee.

  

Conclusion:

Social media is not a magic bullet; it presents significant obstacles as well as the excellent potential for hiring, given that these platforms are no longer just a collection of amusing websites but rather a way for employers to locate qualified applicants and engage with the younger generation. Businesses can benefit from social media's advantages in terms of time and cost savings and position themselves in a favorable position, but it's important to pay attention to ethics and security issues.

 

References:

Amber Potier, 2021. The Use of Social Media in Recruitment and Selection: Risk vs. Reward [Online]

Available at: https://iohrm.appstate.edu/alumni/professional-development-articles/use-social-media-recruitment-and-selection-risk-vs-reward
[Accessed on: 09 Dec 2022]

Thomas Gillespie, 2022. Social Media Recruiting [Online]

Available at: https://eddy.com/hr-encyclopedia/social-media-recruiting/

[Accessed on: 09 Dec 2022]