Is Facebook Recruiting a Good Idea?

By Cheryl Morgan

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Social recruiting is on the rise. According to Sprout Social, 92 percent of companies now use social platforms to recruit candidates. But with social platforms like LinkedIn that are made specifically for job candidates, recruiters and employers, is using Facebook for recruiting a good idea? It can be. Let's look at the pros and cons of using the world's most popular social network for recruiting.

FacebookShould recruiters use Facebook when searching for new hires, or is this social network off limits?

PROS

More People Use Facebook

Looking purely at the numbers, Facebook has the largest audience of all social platforms. Earlier this year, Leverage posted an infographic that details the active users for each network. Twitter has 241 million active users, LinkedIn has 300 million and Google+ boasts 540 million. Facebook, however, has over 1 billion users worldwide. Specifically when it comes to recruiting, 84 percent of job seekers have a Facebook profile, and 20 percent have included professional information in their profiles. 

Recruiting via Facebook Saves Money

Print advertising is costly, yet it's still a common method for promoting job opportunities. And while some companies may be happy to dish out the dough for print adverts, most others are looking for ways to cut costs per hire. In a survey conducted by the Social Jobs Partnership and NACE, researchers found that 90 percent of companies stated that using Facebook for recruiting decreased the amount they spent on print advertisements.

CONS

Facebook is More Personal

While Facebook has the largest user base, that doesn't necessarily make a recruiter's job easier. People use Facebook to connect with their family and friends. Some are protective of their profiles and do not want to follow companies and recruiters from their personal pages.

Facebook's Privacy Settings are Tricky

Facebook's privacy settings are tricky to navigate. Some users keep their profiles extremely private, so there's no way of knowing whom you may miss when you cast your net for candidates. Many users don't even know how to adjust their privacy settings, and they may find it annoying to be contacted by a recruiter based on information that they didn't know was public. There's also the tricky matter of sending messages - unless you're friends with someone, your messages go to an "other" folder that many users don't even know about. In some cases, your efforts may be in vain.

Should You, or Shouldn't You?

So, should you even bother with this particular platform? Yes, you should use Facebook to recruit candidates. Despite its drawbacks, there's no denying the numbers. Its widespread use provides greater opportunities for recruiters to connect with job seekers. Further, 81 percent of job seekers report that they want to see job opportunities on Facebook career pages. 

The key to making it work for you is using it responsibly and making your page attractive for top candidates. Developing a talent community on Facebook requires consistent engagement, high-quality content and plenty of personality. 
 

Facebook Facebook is an excellent tool for recruiters, provided that it's used responsibly.

Do you want someone to handle your social engagement for you? Check out our monthly social media recruiting plans.

 

About the company...

At Social Hire, we don't just do social.

Our digital marketing managers are the wizards that can give you the insight you need to develop your business. Have you had enough of making complex personnel choices that don't work well for your digital presence?

Our team of managers are a team that assists our partners improve their digital presence by producing online marketing services on a regular basis. Our service is transparent and economical, which ensures that you get a great service and results that make a difference when you utilise our services. We arrange many different marketing services for enterprises from small businesses to large corporations to help make the most of of your company's digital and social marketing.

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