Recruiting Graduates via Social Media - 4 Easy steps

By Laurie Wood

Using social media to recruit graduates is focused on building a graduate community by providing enticing, rich content which resonates brand visions and values. There are 2.8 billion active users on social media which is a 22% increase from last year and statistically speaking, an employer has a better chance of reaching graduates through social media than any other medium. But, is there a process when it comes to encouraging graduates to your page? Yes. In fact, a poorly constructed content strategy can really reflect badly on your brand image and you risk losing future applicants.

Here are 4 steps you need to take when creating & implementing your graduate focused recruitment social page.

CREATE YOUR BRAND

To wield an effective graduate community on social media you first need to create your brand. Consider your graduate social pages as sister sites to your main company page. Therefore they need to resonate your company image but have a clear defining goal, which in this case is graduates and careers. Keep this in mind when you create the following:

• Brand name
• Brand handle
• Brand logo (should be your company logo, but it can be adjusted to incorporate career essence)
• Decide which platforms best suit your business
• Get verified (blue tick)

                                                              

SCREAM CAREERS

So, I don't mean literally screaming the word careers, I mean your visuals need to pop! As a graduate, I want to visit your page and be overwhelmed with vibrant content, giving off vibes of fun, laughter, employee benefits and career progression. All of these elements will contribute to a graduate applying for a role or even just register their interest. Here are some ideas of the type of posts your page needs to be publishing and remember, video should also be considered.

• Employee profiles.
• Inspirational, work related quotes - Ideally, quotes from store managers.
• Company culture photos - Work nights out, banter in the office and selfies.
• Work advice and tips for graduates - This free advice will encourage users to return (consider creating a blog).
• Highlight employee benefits - Celebrate your cycle2work scheme or promote your hourly wage (providing it's decent)!
• Job posts - An obvious one but it's important to remember that some grads may only be able to offer part-time during studies.

Thinking about the graphics and styles, consumers trust brands they recognise, therefore your posts need to have familiarity and brand consistency. Image and video uploads should be of high quality, interesting content and include your brand logo or colours. Research showed that on Instagram pictures of human faces are 38% more likely to receive likes than ones without! Therefore, when uploading employee focused photos, make sure you catch them in a good mood!

THINK YOUNG SPEAK GRADUATE

Lay off the swearing but some casual slang here & there and a cheeky emoji can't hurt. On Twitter and Instagram, every post needs to have a set amount of relevant hashtags such as #jobs, #careers, #graduates and #BrandNameCareers and then add a few extra depending on the context of the post. Just don't over-do-it, you don't want to look 'too' hip. Speaking of language; engage, respond and be helpful! Reply to posts, even if it's just a comment like to acknowledge the recipient. Any comments regarding jobs or perhaps a negative review ask the user to pm you. A chatbox is a useful customer service tool to encourage interest so don't neglect this.

DON'T GIVE UP, I BELIEVE IN YOU

Rome wasn't built in a day you know.  If it has been a few months and you still only have 100 likes, don't be a quitter. Just like any business, social or not, it takes time, maybe even a year before they can find their feet. If you post every day and you follow the above advice you will gain followers slowly but surely. But if you felt like your page needs a boost, consider paying to promote your posts to get your name out there. The important thing here is not abandoning your page, particularly in an age where social media is such a prominent part of a graduate's life and an essential recruitment tool.

 

Want to know more on how you can utilise social media as a recruitment tool? Follow me here for daily updates: LaurieWoodUK

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