Recruiting on Twitter in 140 Characters or Less…
Seven Tips for using Twitter for Recruiting
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When Twitter started years ago, some viewed the site as a passing trend that wouldn’t last. But it has done the exact opposite, exploding into one of most widely used forms of social media.
While it continues to be a place for individuals to post simple messages about their lives, Twitter has been accepted as a method of instantly reporting news headlines. It also can be used by savvy human resources personnel to attract prospective employees. At BuzzRecruiter, we understand the importance of this tool and can help develop a strategy to find the best job candidates.
One of the primary reasons Twitter can be an effective recruiting tool is its open nature. Sure, Tweets are designed to be seen primarily by followers, but the posts are out there for anyone to see. Sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn generally are designed to target specific audiences.
There are several things to keep in mind when using Twitter for recruiting new employees, some of which are used by Twitter itself.
- Get current employees involved. Who better to help tout the benefits of the company than the people who already work there? Individual employees are likely to have a different group of followers than the main company, which means more people will see the tweet.This should be used in addition to postings from a company Twitter feed, possibly one set up specifically for job postings. Twitter uses the handle @JoinTheFlock when posting openings and re-Tweets posts from its employees who share messages about openings.
- More than just job postings. Getting actual openings out is important, but it is equally important to show off the atmosphere within the company. Using the company job feed to Tweet or re-Tweet posts from employees about company events gives job seekers more insight into company culture and another reason to click that link the next time there is a position available.
- Tag it. The use of hashtags within the job posts is as important as the post itself. A company just starting a recruiting feed will not have many followers, and adding hashtags allows Twitter users to more easily find these posts.Hashtags also can be used to narrow your target audience. For instance, noting a specific recruiting event will get your post noticed by job candidates at the event.
- Bring on the video. Pictures added to the Twitter feed are great, but videos add a lot more impact. Incorporating YouTube or Vine videos, either as original posts or re-Tweets from employees adds another dimension that can make the company even more attractive to a job seeker.
- Two-way contact. The recruiters at Twitter respond to potential candidates who send messages to the @JoinTheFlock handle. This opens the lines of communication right away and helps point a possible candidate to the right position within the company.Twitter also uses it as an opportunity to take a look at that candidate’s Twitter feed. Seeing what a person posts on this open forum can provide great insight into the type of person they are and whether they will fit within the company.
- Avoid spamming. One of the quickest ways to lose interest in a Twitter feed is to constantly post the same information. Limit how often job links are posted to a couple of times per day. Remember that followers or those searching hashtags can go back through the feed to find something they might have missed. By mixing in interaction with followers and re-Tweeting posts from others, it will create a more engaging Twitter feed so followers won’t see it simply as a recruiting site.
- Additional tools. For help in managing the Twitter feed, a program such as TweetDeck or Hootsuite can go a long way. These programs allow multiple Twitter feeds to display at once and can be tied in to other social media platforms. Searches for specific hashtags can be set up to help identify potential followers or targets for your job listings.
While Twitter can be a great tool for recruiting talent, it is important to remember that it might not be the perfect tool for every company. Knowing and understanding how a group of applicants is looking for job posts is important when considering the best way to use any recruiting method. BuzzRecruiter can help determine the best strategies for increasing a company’s social media presence and whether Twitter is the right step.
