HRM Five: Social HR strategies you should be using

It’s no secret anymore that social media generate massive user traffic, so much so that traditional media is still feeling the pinch. This is where people not only read and get informed, but also where they socialise, network, and present themselves to the world. With the most skilled talent among its daily users, the opportunity to leverage “social HR” is a massive one – and no HR team can afford to let it go by.

Here then are five ways HR can build social strategies into their overall game plan for recruitment – most importantly – but also staff engagement, internal communication, and employer branding.

1.       Use hashtags properly. This is how your job ad or piece of information is going to reach an intended audience on Twitter, so you have to take the whole world into consideration. For example, don’t use the possibly most obvious #jobopening, unless the opportunity really is for anyone in the world. Try adding the city or industry, or an abbreviation of them. Online tools like Hashtracking and TweetBinder may be able to help you out.

2.       Be smart with LinkedIn in particular. This professional networking platform has the power to elevate your information to a specifically targeted level, but you need to do your research beforehand. Look closely at the myriad of industry groups vying for your attention, and make sure you tailor your content accordingly. LinkedIn Recruiter comes at a cost but does help you to navigate the complex web more easily.

3.       Actively maintain your brand on each relevant platform, according to who you want to attract. Have someone in the HR team be responsible for joining relevant conversations, responding to reviews, and giving candidates an attractive preview of the work environment and culture. They should, of course, also be able to preview the available opportunities via the company’s social media profiles.

4.       Get your employees involved. The most authentic employer branding tools are your staff themselves. Invite them to post on company blogs, share their Instagram photos, tweet their achievements. Leverage them as brand ambassadors to give potential recruits an honest but highly credible account of your organisation and culture.

5.       Get platform-specific training. Using social media platforms strategically is different from using them for – well – just being social. Whether it is Facebook, Snapchat or anything in between, each platform has its own tools and capabilities that can ramp up the effectiveness of any HR strategy. For across-the-board capability, look to find or develop skills in Boolean operations (such as Boolean Black Belt), x-ray searching, and social analytics.