Over the last decade, social media has revolutionised the way we communicate, receive news and document our lives. With the rise of platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, alongside the continuous development and easy accessibility of mobile technology, it has infiltrated virtually every aspect of our lives.

It was only a matter of time before it became an integral aspect of the job search and recruitment process.

As employers, the power to decide whether you should include social media in your recruitment has been taken away from you. You have to use social media to remain relevant. The question is, how well are you doing it?

The key factor is to fully understand your audience, asking a number of questions.

Firstly, where are your audience hanging out online & when do they use certain platforms? Imagine putting out a TV advert; how frustrating it would be to spend the money only to find out that your audience were watching a different channel? Alternatively, imagine advertising at lunchtime if your target audience is only online at night.

A recent Jobsgopublic study unveiled that the evening is universally the most popular time for social media, though a younger audience often use it throughout the day too. When targeting a younger audience, placing ads in the morning and at lunchtime might be more effective than competing in a crowded market in the evening.

Once your audience’s online behaviour is understood, you need to think about your message. When establishing your message, ask the question “why are my audience using social media?”. If you truly understand this, and shape your message accordingly, your impact will be significantly greater.

Our research highlighted that over 50% of respondents think social media is a useful job seeking tool. Candidates are comfortable integrating social media into their job search, either as a vacancy source or to research and engage with employers.

So, what works? What are candidates looking for? What will encourage them to click through?

Generally, candidates want your social media accounts to be an extension of your website, properly branded and providing a clear insight into your organisation. However, once candidate groups are broken down there are some interesting differences:

• Younger people want the salary to be clearly stated
• Those in senior positions value reputation above most other factors
• Managers place great value in a friendly tone
• 65% of young people (16-25) are put off by poor spelling and grammar

A complete image of what your particular audiences respond to is gained over time and through careful monitoring and measuring. However, the candidates you are targeting should be at the forefront of your mind whenever promote your organisation or vacancies over social media.

Social media is an inescapable phenomenon, showing no signs of slowing down. Evidence points to it becoming an increasing presence in recruitment. It is, therefore, increasingly crucial that you include it in your recruitment toolkit. Those who don’t face the very real possibility of missing out.

Still unsure about how to utilise your social media accounts to attract and recruit new talent? Jobsgopublic now offer comprehensive training workshops, helping you to identify ways in which you can use a range of platforms to engage with your audience, provide an insight into your organisation and secure applications.

If you are interested in organising a workshop at your workplace, please get in touch by emailing accountmanagement@jobsgopublic.com