Do's and Don'ts 2.0: Social Media Recruiting

As the professional world changes and adapts in the face of emerging technologies and a new generation of job-seekers, so too do the tools that HR professionals and hiring managers use to find the best talent. One of the newer and more exciting tools companies are adding to their recruiting repertoires is social media. We covered this topic a bit in June, but let's face it - the recruiting landscape is changing every day, and social media is an increasingly critical resource. After all, nearly 80% of job seekers are likely to use social media in their search.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and even Pinterest may seem like strictly personal platforms, but if you know how to leverage these tools effectively, you can reap significant benefits when it comes to recruiting. On the flip side, however, if you make a few key mistakes trying to integrate social media into your recruiting efforts, you could end up worse than you started out. Here are a few key points to consider, as well as some gaffes to avoid.

Do's

When you consider the potential social media platforms bring to the table, it seems like there's no limit to the ways you can find and interact with candidates. Keep in mind social media is about more than just selling - you're creating an identity for your company's brand. This means that your interactions with applicants should reflect this. Social media is a perfect platform for giving job-seekers a look into your company culture, as well as reinforcing your mission statement.

Of course many hiring managers also use social media to vet applicants before making hiring decisions. This is another application, but be wary - it's easy to cross into legal and professional gray areas using this tactic too aggressively.

Don'ts

Social media is more than an advertising platform or job board, it's a place where your brand identity lives. But if you don't have a brand identity, you won't attract much attention. You may be tempted to use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn as surrogate job boards, only posting openings when positions need to be filled. This isn't using the capabilities of these services effectively, and makes you look boring and out-of-touch to your applicants.

Similarly, while the networking potential of social media is near-infinite, avoid "follow-spamming" - adding anyone and everyone to your follow list in the hopes of growing a numerically impressive following. Remember, quality over quantity.