Nearly 9 out of 10 candidates use social media in their job search, and 9 out of 10 companies use social media and professional networking sites to hire talent today. Candidates and companies are certainly on social, but according to our recent survey, companies are likely not driving as many applicants as they can based on the content they’re publishing on social networks. When we learned the top types of social media content that candidates say would make them more likely to apply to a job and compared that with the content companies publish most often, there were some hits but also some definite misses. Below are the top 3 social recruiting posts that get more applicants according to candidates. You can also watch the quick video excerpt from our recent webinar that shares these findings.
1. Job posts
It may be obvious, but it’s absolutely worth mentioning that job posts are the no. 1 on the list of social recruiting posts that get more applicants. Over 52% of candidates say job posts are the type of content that would make them more likely to apply. Luckily, job posts are also the most popular type of content companies publish to attract applicants.
However, not all job posts are created equal, and what you decide to include in your job post as well as how often and where you post it could determine how effective it will be in driving applicants.
What is a job post?
At the most basic level, a job post is a social media post that contains job details with a link to apply. But to ensure your job posts are seen on social media, you’ll need to add more to your post than the words “we’re hiring!”
Here are just a few elements that help optimize a job post’s reach and resonance on social media.
- Media: an image, video, gif, etc.
- Engaging text or copy that aligns with your media
- Relevant hashtags to target the right audience and community
- Geographic keywords
- A clear call-to-action
- Trackable job link
Note that you should also vary the content in your post so that your job openings on your channel don’t display the same copy, image, hashtag, etc. If you’ve completely optimized your social media posting process, it would likely still take you at least 3 minutes to compose a job post. Now imagine composing posts for 20 jobs, 50 jobs, 100 jobs. Then imagine publishing those posts across several social networks to maximize coverage.
That’s why investing a social recruiting solution like CareerArc can give you a hiring edge and save you a lot of hours—over 800 hours a year.
2. Employee spotlights and stories
Candidates want to know what it’s really like to work at a company, and for many candidates the most trustworthy and compelling source for that information is a current employee.
This is why nearly a third of candidates (31%) say employee spotlights and stories can convince them to apply for a job. Employers appear to be aware that this is a draw among candidates as it ranks as the second most popular type of content they publish in their social recruiting and employer branding content mix.
What is an employee spotlight and/or employee story post?
An employee spotlight or story highlights one employee and tells their story as it relates to their role or experience at the company. The types of stories shared in employee spotlights, as well as the content and media used to tell those stories, vary greatly. Some posts feature simple imagery and text while others use video to tell the story.
Need some social media inspo? Here are some notable employee spotlight examples that are definitely worth a peek, and our free 11 employer branding templates will help you whip up an employee spotlight post in no time.
- How essential businesses use social media to hire and highlight employees
- Employee Appreciation Day: Highlight your employees on social media with these tips and templates
3. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) messages
Over 24% of candidates said DEI messages on social media would influence them to apply to a job.
What is a diversity and/or DEI post?
Diversity and DEI posts share a company’s views and goals around the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion at their organization and often celebrate the existing diversity among their workforce, convey public commitments towards enhancing DEI, and highlight diverse employees and their experiences.
While diversity is a top priority for companies this year, DEI content and messaging is the fifth most popular content type companies publish. Companies produce more content around company news, milestones, events, and team outings—none of which even break into the top 5 list of social recruiting posts that get more applicants.
Need some visual inspiration? Here are posts with a few examples from CareerArc clients like Panda Express, Starbucks, CVS Health, and more.
If you’re looking for more ways to share your DEI values with your community and attract diverse candidates to your open positions, be sure to review our DEI Lookbook which shares some best practices on how to enhance your DEI efforts by leveraging social media.
Ensuring your content stands out and also adheres to social media best practices takes a good amount of strategy, coordination, and time. CareerArc helps you maximize all three, and more. How? Sign up for a quick CareerArc demo today, and discover how a complete social recruiting solution can transform the way you find and recruit top talent using social media.
