We’re just gonna put this out there: social media captions matter when it comes to social recruiting, in a really big way. Captions are your opportunity to explain why your candidates and audience should care about your jobs and employer brand. They’re your chance to influence the conversation and craft a message that lasts.
Which might sound like a lot of work. But don’t worry: that’s why we did all the work for you. We broke down all the social media recruiting captions you might write into 13 templates you can pick and choose from to match the content of your post.
Let’s get to it.
13 social media caption templates:
#1: The describer
Can’t think of what to say in your caption? Just describe what your post is about. And if that sounds redundant and boring, remember that it’s how you describe it that matters. Writing “We’re hiring,” for a job post or, “We’re proud of Alice,” for an employee spotlight post isn’t really much of a description. Fill in some details, like what you’re hiring for, what benefits you offer, and whether or not it’s remote, or for an employee spotlight, what Alice’s role is, what she did that you’re so proud of, and maybe even a quote from her.
This first category of captions are very easy to write, because you have all this information already, and you don’t need to be creative.
Here are some examples:
To reinforce our long-term environmental sustainability commitments, we’ve set numerous people goals in three major categories: inclusion and diversity, labor practices and health and safety. Read more here: https://t.co/KeKNfvAOHt pic.twitter.com/YtmgqbDKNu
— Flex (@Flexintl) July 22, 2021
At AFSC/Magellan Federal, we make it a priority to recruit and hire military veterans, spouses, and family members. Hear how our military-friendly culture provides a positive and engaging experience for our employees. https://t.co/L9XW1lMdY8 We're hiring! https://t.co/tzLsuSGdGE pic.twitter.com/FFxzBA9UVF
— Magellan Federal (@MGLFed) July 27, 2020
Now hiring pharmacy technicians amid the #twindemic of flu and coronavirus, #CVS is hiring thousands of pharmacy technicians #TeamCVS https://t.co/P0Yugle82r
— CVS Health Careers (@CVSCareers) November 19, 2020
Social media caption #2: The introducer
This one’s easy and fun. Picture yourself an emcee about to call up your featured speaker–and then write your caption like that. These work really well for personnel-related posts: “Meet x,” “Meet us,” “Meet the team,” and so on.
Here are some examples:
Social media caption #3: The snippet
A classic of thought leadership posts, the “snippet” caption provides an intriguing teaser from the content the post is linking to and then encourages a click to see the rest. This works perfectly for any content that involves a list, but with any creativity, can be adapted to other types of social recruiting posts, like job posts. For example, “Want a career that offers room for growth, flexible hours, competitive benefits and pay, and a purpose to be proud of? Click the link to find your next dream job.”
Here are some examples:
Our Global Diversity & Inclusion Board is made up of a mix of external experts & our own employees. They work together on targets, initiatives & enhancements to deepen #equality & inclusion in the company, as well as monitor our progress. Learn more here: https://t.co/XSyQifL4Xa pic.twitter.com/D5qakZUTKg
— Barilla US Careers (@BarillaCareers) October 18, 2021
Social media caption #4: The comparison
The comparison does what it sounds like: makes a comparison between something else and whatever your post is about. It could be to say they’re the same, like with this classic ad from Seamless:
Or to say they’re not the same, like in this ad from Everywhere Wireless.
Just remember: the best comparisons strengthen your overall argument, and they do so because the comparison actually makes sense because the two things really are the same. But if you start comparing things that have nothing to do with each other—say, for example, ”Lemons might be sour, but this job is sweet”—the argument won’t land well. Lemons and jobs have nothing in common.
Here are some examples of comparison templates:
Social media caption #5: The joker
Does humor work in social media captions? Absolutely–if you do it right. Humor lightens the mood, makes a lasting impression, and subtly tells your candidates that you’re fun to work for.
Just make sure your humor is actually, well, humorous, and that you’re not harming your brand with it. And if you’re not sure, it might be best to err on the side of caution.
Here’s an example of a humorous social media caption:
Social media caption #6 The stage setter
Here’s an interesting tactic: try adding some background to the post that wouldn’t otherwise be available from the picture or video itself. It could be talking about your culture in the caption of your job post, or sharing the story behind a new initiative in an employer brand post.
Going back to our emcee analogy: picture yourself setting the stage for your featured speaker by sharing a personal story that no one else knows.
Here are some examples:
Social media caption #7: The hype man
Are you excited about your post and want everyone else to be excited? Then build up some hype. You can do this by literally building up excitement with something like, “We’ve been named the best company in our office, and we literally couldn’t be more excited,” or by just injecting a little excitement into your posts.
Here are some examples:
Social media caption #8: The bragger
Got something exciting to share with the world? It’s 100% okay to brag about it. Depending on the post, you might want to go with a more subtle humble brag, or you might want to really brag about your employees because you’re just that proud of them and you want everyone to be that proud, too.
Here are some examples:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/harbor-freight-tools_our-corporate-engagement-survey-results-are-activity-6735220278281940992-yg_4
By listening to our candidates’ feedback, we’ve implemented new ways of communicating to improve the hiring experience. Hear from Anusha, a senior recruiter who is asking the right questions to place talent in a career they enjoy. Read more: https://t.co/idUBix5F14 #WomeninFlex pic.twitter.com/SpIkcyAXBf
— Flex (@Flexintl) August 2, 2021
The generosity of our partners (employees) continuously blows us away! Our partners in #CacheValley Utah went all in for this year’s Christmas tree decorating contest benefiting CAPSA. Be part of a company that cares: https://t.co/4Z5ZSmj8Nc #CacheValleyJobs pic.twitter.com/0MIeQvPLyI
— Schreiber_Jobs (@Schreiber_Jobs) December 9, 2021
Social media caption #9: The emotional one
Triggering people’s emotions is always a powerful tactic. If you want to make an impression on people, don’t be afraid to make things emotional. Just remember to make sure that the subject matter really is emotional. There’s a reason Avocados from Mexico don’t tend to make tear-jerker commercials.
Here are some great emotional posts:
Social media caption #10: the throwback
Think throwback Thursdays don’t belong in social recruiting? Think again. There’s no reason you can’t make a post looking back at an accomplishment you’re still proud of.
Here’s an example of such a post.
Social media caption #11 The thought provoker
Wanna share a thought-provoking post? Why not make the caption thought-provoking, too? You could ask your audience to share a takeaway, reflect on what the post says, or share an interesting insight into why this content is so relevant now.
Here’s an example:
Social media caption #12: The summary
This one works best for posts that contain a lot of content, either in a video or in a link. If you’re not sure people are going to watch the whole video or read the whole piece and you want them to at least walk away with the main point, consider summing up that point in the caption.
Here are some examples:
Well-being in the workplace = engaged employees.
Engaged employees = better business.We chatted with Dr. Grin Lord about ways managers can play a role in promoting well-being at work. https://t.co/sQlHnOKzcH pic.twitter.com/8zX4s778DJ
— Qualtrics (@Qualtrics) July 26, 2021
Social media caption #13: The no-captioner
Last one, and this one’s pretty rare. There are times when a caption isn’t necessary, because the photo really does say it all.
Here’s an example:
Further reading:
- The caption guide for the busy recruiter
- 11 killer social media job post templates
- The hashtag guide for social media recruiting
This is just the icing on the cake
Let me paint you a word picture:
- Automated job posts that are auto-synced to your ATS job inventory, optimized according to social media best practices, and published at scale.
- Multi-post employer brand campaigns that boost your brand awareness and turn your social media presence into a talent magnet.
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That’s what social recruiting through CareerArc looks like.
Interested in learning more? Just click here to check out a demo.
