4 Social Media Trends Your Recruiting Team Must Know About In 2017

By Michael Altiero

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One of the biggest recruiting trends of 2016 was the use of social media for talent acquisition. What was once considered to be a waste of time and effort became a focal point for recruiting teams. It even got to the point where many organizations required their recruiters to have social media experience!

This shouldn't be that big of a surprise, though. Talent acquisition teams have had to adjust their strategies as candidates began to gain more power in the recruiting process. Social media gave recruiters a way to meet candidates on their own turf and begin the hiring process well before a job seeker ever hit the career site.

So what social media trends should recruiters be on the lookout for now that we are in the New Year? A recent study by Buffer took a look at the current state of social media in business and what to look forward to in 2017. While this report isn’t specific to recruiting, there are four important findings that can be applied to talent acquisition. Let’s take a look…

1) Companies Will Look To Use Social Media To Improve Customer Service

One of the first eye-catching numbers Buffer found was that only 21% of companies use social media for customer support. That is a stunningly low number, and chances are that number is even lower when applied to the recruiting process.

In 2017, candidates will expect to be able to reach out to companies and recruiters via social channels, especially when it comes to questions and concerns before, during and after the hiring process. Employers and talent acquisition teams should look to use social media to bridge the gap between the company and the candidate.

Whether it is with individual recruiter accounts, or careers-specific ones, companies that do not engage and interact with job seekers are definitely hurting the candidate experience.

2) Instagram is Coming… Be Ready!

One of the fastest growing and most popular social platforms is Instagram. And guess what? That trend holds true for businesses. Buffer’s study found that 63% of organizations are currently using Instagram. That’s an even higher percentage than YouTube.

2016 was the first time we started to see recruiting organizations and recruiters use Instagram in their talent acquisition efforts. That’s mainly because this social network has the potential to be an employer branding goldmine.

Instagram offers creative recruiting teams a way to show off their company and take their recruitment marketing efforts to new heights. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes pictures, videos, or stories, Instagram can be a game-changer for your recruiting strategy.

3) Video Will Become More Prominent Than Ever Before

Another interesting data point uncovered by Buffer’s survey was that 83% of marketers said that if there were no obstacles, video would be the content they would like to create more of. Recruiters should want to create more video content, too.

The number of social networks offering video capabilities rose significantly in 2016, and it looks like it is going to be even higher in 2017. That’s mainly because video content has higher engagement rates than any other type of content.

Another thing to look out for is the rise of live video. Facebook and Twitter have been at the forefront of marketing live video content, but Instagram has now joined in the fun, too.

Video and live video offer recruiting teams (especially creative ones) unique opportunities to build up and show off your employer brand. And if done correctly, can help you stand out from the crowd. Don’t underestimate the power of video for recruiting content in 2017. 

4) Website Traffic Is The Biggest Social Media Challenge For Companies

Buffer’s study asked marketers what their number 1 social media challenge is. 58% said that website traffic from social networks was their biggest issue. Translate that to recruiting, and that is traffic to your career site from social recruiting efforts.

At the end of the day, the goal of social recruiting is to build up your employer brand and get candidates to want to check out the job opportunities your company is offering. The best way to do that is to get candidates to your career site via social media.

But how do you do that? It all starts with optimizing your social channels (both individual and company accounts) and posting great, engaging content. Partnering with your marketing department will go a long way to helping with content creation.

Also be sure to prioritize your career site in 2017. If your career site looks bad and the functionality is non-existent, even if you get candidates to your site from social channels, chances are high that they will bounce, and you’ll waste opportunities at converting candidates.

And if you are wondering how to figure out how many candidates are coming to your career site from social media, what your bounce rate is, and many other really helpful metrics, make sure your career site has Google Analytics. This is another area where your marketing department can provide assistance.

What other social recruiting trends do you see unfolding in 2017? Let me know by tweeting me at @MichaelAltiero.

Michael Altiero is the Digital Marketing Manager at Extensis Group. Follow Mike on Twitter @MichaelAltiero and connect with him on LinkedIn.

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