5 Companies That Have Mastered the Art of Social Recruiting

Social media can support and improve your business in a variety of ways. While it might be viewed primarily as a marketing channel, you shouldn't overlook its many other possible uses, particularly when it comes to promoting your employer brand and strengthening your workforce.

If you can find the right strategy, social recruiting can lead to a wide range of benefits, including opportunities to connect with talented candidates who aren't actively looking for a new role, but could make a big difference to your organization.

This is an area that's seeing a lot of activity on both the employer and employee side, with research showing:

• 79% of jobseekers use social media when looking for a new role
• 67% of businesses use social platforms to research potential recruits
• 85% of employers say social media helps them find and engage passive candidates
• 70% of managers have had success hiring people through social channels

If you're looking to step up your social recruiting activities, you can take some inspiration and guidance from the companies that have already seen success on this front.

1. McKinsey

McKinsey - one of the 'big three' management consulting firms, along with Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company - does a particularly good job of using social media to showcase its employees and provide human insights into what it's like to work for the company.

Anyone considering applying for a role with McKinsey will find a large library of videos on its YouTube channel, for example, including an extensive section on careers and playlists dedicated to topics such as black voices and gender equality.

Seeing another human being share their thoughts and experiences can be considerably more engaging and persuasive than simply reading about what it's like to work for a company.

2. Marriott International

Marriott International's careers pages have attracted more than 1.3 million followers on Facebook and more than 57,000 on Twitter. A key reason behind the hotel chain's success on these and other platforms is also one of the most fundamental things every brand should be doing on social media: posting regular, high-quality content.

As far as careers and recruitment are concerned, Marriott uses its social channels to celebrate its people and to highlight the contributions they make to the business. This encompasses everyone from the housekeeping associates who ensure guests receive a positive impression as soon as they arrive, to biologists helping visitors build coral habitats for marine wildlife in the Maldives.

3. Deutsche Bank

In addition to essentials like fair pay and benefits, many job candidates are looking for opportunities to learn, broaden their skill sets and move forward in their careers.

Deutsche Bank offers a range of development pathways, including a dual education system that gives applicants the chance to combine an apprenticeship at the bank with a study programme that provides a qualification at the end.

The company documents the experiences of its students and apprentices on its Instagram page, which gives prospective candidates a glimpse of the sorts of opportunities and experiences they might be able to access in the future.

4. Dell

Dell does a particularly good job of using social media to promote its company culture and emphasize the organization's message that its employees are at the heart of everything it does.

Another big benefit of social platforms is that they give businesses the opportunity to present a more fun, human side. Dell has embraced this with content including Instagram stories showing how team members around the world have celebrated Halloween and Twitter posts inviting employees to share pictures of their 'at-home co-workers', including cats and babies.

5. Spotify

Spotify is another brand that has taken advantage of the visual and emotional power of social media to provide an insight into what it's like to work for the company and how it values its workforce.

Recent Instagram posts have introduced the audio streaming service's new offices in Stockholm and marked Veterans Day by recognizing some of the veterans who currently work at Spotify.

If you can use social media to present dynamic, visually compelling content that makes an instant impression on users and leaves them with a strong emotional takeaway, you won't have to wait long to see the positive impact on your recruitment.