Using new digital media as a recruitment tool
- HRM Asia Newsroom
| About the Author |
| Shahid Nizami is the Managing Director for Asia Pacific at HubSpot |
As the lines between people’s work lives and personal lives continue to blur, job titles and descriptions are no longer enough to attract the best talent.
As with the research stage in a consumer’s purchasing process, a whopping 62 percent of job-seekers use social media to evaluate a company’s employer brand before making a decision.
There are several platforms that work well for boosting employer branding, and which allow companies to connect with prospective candidates. Each has its own strengths:
LinkedIn:Content on LinkedIn is easily discoverable by both passive and active talent. A great approach is to use LinkedIn to demonstrate your company culture in written form — have your employees write short-form posts telling an anecdote about a significant experience they have had at your company, whether that’s working towards a promotion to highlight career growth opportunities, or something they enjoyed about a recent team outing to demonstrate the wonderful people you work with. Always remember to include a personal photo to bring the post (and your company culture) to life. |
Facebook Live Video:Facebook Live allows companies to delve deep into a single topic whether it’s related to your product or service, or giving insight into what it’s like to work at your company. At HubSpot, we’ve used Facebook Live videos to discuss everything from the best non-tech jobs at tech companies, to what it’s like working remotely in sales, and have even given office tours on our ‘HubSpot Life’ Facebook page. It’s an ideal content form as Facebook’s algorithm seems to favour live video, meaning your post reaches more people for free. As it’s unedited, it’s also a great way to give an authentic glimpse into life at your company. |
Instagram takeovers:Stories told through the eyes of existing employees help potential talent to understand what it’s like to work at the company in a relatable, authentic way. At HubSpot, we do this through our @hubspotlife Instagram account, which is run by a different employee every week. Building a following around your employer brand on Instagram helps you keep top-of-mind amongst potential future candidates, meaning that by the time they interview, they are already excited about the prospect of working at your company as they have had a behind the scenes look at what it’s like. |
When building your employer brand on social media, there is no one-size fits all approach, and each channel yields different demographics and reactions.
A little trial-and-error and analysis of content performance will help you identify what channels and content best suits your organisation’s persona, objectives, and candidate criteria.
| “Be genuinely (and publicly) receptive to any constructive criticism you receive via [employer reviews from websites like Glassdoor]. |
Engage on employee review sites
Some of your greatest ‘brand advocates’ are your existing employees. According to LinkedIn, 47 per cent of candidates noted that existing employees of an organisation were the top way they learnt about a company’s culture.
What job-seekers see on your job listing is only surface level. Encourage existing employees to provide candid reviews on employer review websites like Glassdoor.
Most importantly, be genuinely (and publicly) receptive to any constructive criticism you receive via these reviews.
This is a great way to help candidates have more in-depth understanding of your company’s culture, and demonstrate your commitment to being a remarkable place to work.
Unlocking the future with culture
Companies need to recognise that hiring is not just about skills, qualifications, or filling the role as fast as possible.
An employee brings more than a particular set of capabilities to a company, and finding the right person can take time.
In the long term, tapping into your culture to grow your talent pipeline is not only effective, it also allows you to build a team that is more productive, more innovative, and ultimately helps your organisation grow better.
