As we settle into 2024, the employment landscape is feeling a bit uncertain for HR teams and job seekers. In the first few weeks of the year, we’ve already seen it all: mass layoffs, exciting new roles, and, of course, tons of job descriptions asking for a “unicorn” or “rockstar” candidate.
One thing that is certain? Social recruiting will continue to play a major role in attracting top talent this year.
Below, we’ll explore the current social recruiting landscape informed by our December 2023 report. Get the lay of the land, then use our insights to get a head start on your 2024 talent attraction strategy.
The current social media landscape
First, let’s take a closer look at what’s happening in social media. 2023 brought a lot of changes to the social space, including but not limited to: Twitter becoming X, Meta launching Threads, multiple states attempting to ban TikTok, and TikTok launching TikTok Shop.
We’re also officially in an election year, which always makes for an interesting social media landscape. We tend to see increased engagement during election years, both for content that leans into political topics and for content that doesn’t. For brands, though, the cost of advertising tends to skyrocket as political campaigns spend marketing dollars.
Finally, it’s important to know which social platforms reign supreme. Currently, the platforms with the highest monthly average users (MAUs) are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Keep these stats in mind as you think about the trends and tactics we explore below.
The current social recruiting landscape
Social recruiting had a landmark year in 2023, and its influence is expected to continue into 2024 and beyond.
If you’re not familiar, social recruiting is the process of using social media to connect with prospective employees. It’s not new to the talent attraction scene (we’ve been talking about it for years!), but it gained traction in 2023 as more teams started to recognize its power.
In our December 2023 report, 92% of HR executives shared that it is “extremely” or “very” important that candidates think of their companies as a great place to work. With that in mind, here are a few key themes we’re seeing in the 2024 social recruiting space.
Ongoing talent wars
There’s a lot of great talent on the market, and talent attraction teams want to bring the best of the best into their companies. When you’re competing for top-tier candidates, employer branding becomes a key factor in your success.
The companies that win the talent war aren’t necessarily those with the biggest recruitment budgets—it’s the companies that consistently share why they’re a great place to work.
Yes, having a big name brand helps, but even smaller, less well-known teams can make up the difference with a strong, well-communicated employer brand. More on that below!
Embracing expanded reach
When you’re looking for the very best candidates, expanding your talent pool is a great place to start. The more eyes you can get on your open roles, the more applications you’ll likely receive, and the more likely you’ll find the perfect fit for every opening.
Posting on social media is our top recommendation to expand your reach. Why? Social media gets you in front of 72% of the general public, meaning you’re not limited to just people who already track your open roles or just people in your local network.
Your careers page and job board can only carry you so far on their own. When your goal is maximizing applications, social media is a powerful (and still underutilized!) tool to have in your arsenal.
AI and tech solutions
AI made major waves in 2023, and many talent attraction teams are doubling down in 2024. Our research found that 47% of HR executives are already using AI-based tools in their talent acquisition strategy and 49% plan to start in the next two to five years.
AI has tons of relevant use cases for talent acquisition: creating job descriptions and skill assessments, screening and sourcing candidates, answering candidate questions, and even conducting online interviews.
If you’re not already experimenting with AI as part of your talent attraction strategy, now is a great time to try it out. When in doubt, Googling something like “AI strategies for [insert task here]” is a helpful tip to get you started.
How to maximize your social recruiting in 2024
No matter where you stand with social recruiting, there are huge opportunities to be had in 2024. So, let’s cut to the chase: what should your brand be doing to guarantee the benefits of social recruiting?
If you’re just getting started, know that there are two main types of social recruiting posts: employer branding posts and job posts. We go into detail about the difference here. A strong strategy will include both!
Then, consider picking one or two platforms to start, and remember that you can repurpose your existing careers content for social! You probably don’t have to start from scratch—explore your job descriptions, careers pages, and internal content for inspiration.
Remember that having a strong social presence also boosts your “traditional” channels. When you build a recognizable employer brand, potential candidates who see you off social are more likely to engage there, too.
If you already have a social recruiting strategy, now is a great time to audit your 2023 results. Which channels performed best? What type of content resonated with your audience? Are you still speaking to the right audience for your 2024 growth goals?
Use the answers to double down on your wins, experiment with new platforms or content types, or just keep doing what you’ve been doing!
Using CareerArc to streamline social recruiting
Want to make your social recruitment efforts even easier this year?
CareerArc is the social recruiting platform for talent attraction teams in 2024. It’s an all-in-one tool where you can automate content creation, leverage your employee networks, and capitalize on the expanded reach that social recruiting is known for.
Want to try it out? Click here for a demo.
