It’s now, somehow, over a month since the 7th Hireserve User Group brought us inspiration and industry insights.

Today, in the first of three posts, we’re taking a closer look at some of the ideas about social recruitment that arose from Claire McArthur (Digital Media Manager at the Motor Neurone Disease Association)’s presentation* and the ensuing round-table discussions between User Group attendees.

5 take-aways for social recruitment:

1. Ask: ‘Where is my audience?’ It’s crucial that you integrate your recruitment system with a channel where your audience is active. If you focus all your energies on a social recruitment strategy for Twitter but the majority of your candidates use Instagram, the return on your time, effort and potential media costs is likely to be low.

2. Prepare for a new generation. New additions to the working world are coming up quickly and can offer an organisation a valuable new perspective. Make sure you’re ready to reach them – where are they going to be on social and how will they be expecting to engage with potential employers? Think about what tools you have to connect with them.

Hireserve partner Webrecruit explored the idea of using SnapChat for inventive recruitment some time ago on their blog. Whilst not a comprehensive recruitment tool on its own, its instant, engaging and relevant nature could form part of a wider social recruitment strategy – as could other apps and tools such as Whatsapp or Twitch TV.

3. Be clear on your social media policy.  Whether you’re using social to post vacancies or to simply share engaging content with job seekers, ensure you have clear guidelines around issues such as publicly responding to comments from candidates or sharing third-party content.

And if, as the MND Association faced back in August, you suddenly find yourself under scrutiny, from a viral job tweet to a wildly successful social recruitment campaign, make sure your ‘house is in order’ and you are prepared for potential probing and questions.

4. Have a plan. There’s no magic formula for social recruitment success – but with a clear objective and strategy, you’re more likely to reach the talent you want. Define why you’re using a social platform, and what result you expect to achieve. Are you targeting graduates on YouTube for a specific job role, or trying to increase awareness of your opportunities amongst professionals on LinkedIn?

Who is your ideal candidate? What social language do they use? And how can you communicate with them genuinely and relevantly? Consider your effort vs. reward – some organisations struggle to build a strong social following. How will you measure your ROI from a social recruitment campaign?

5. Don’t jump on the bandwagon. If social media recruitment isn’t right for your organisation – or rather, if it’s not relevant to your potential candidates, don’t be social for social’s sake. Concentrate on the myriad of other clever, inventive or straightforward yet effective methods of recruitment to secure your talent.

Social media is an ever-growing presence in our world and can generate great engagement, brand exposure and a cool £7million for charity in a matter of weeks. It can also leave organisations vulnerable and exposed.

The key is to understand your audience, to get ready for the ‘next big thing’ in social (if it’s relevant to you!), protect your organisation with any policies or guidance required, prepare clear objectives and steer clear of that bandwagon.

Find out more:

Discover how Hireserve ATS (formerly iCams) helps your mobile and social recruitment

Find out how the MND Association is using Hireserve ATS (iCams) and Facebook

Read about charities using social to recruit volunteers

Refresh your memory of our other User Group presenters

*All presentations from the day are available for Hireserve customers to download