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© 2014 Advance Digital. All rights reserved.

2 | © 2014 Advance Digital. All rights reserved.

Table of ContentsIntroduction..............................................................................................................3

Topics of Discussion.............................................................................................4

Social’s Evolving Role in Recruitment........................................................5

Social Recruitment Arenas................................................................................7

Social Recruitment Tools..................................................................................9

Other Essential Recruitment Tools............................................................12

Conclusion...............................................................................................................13

Getting Started.....................................................................................................14

Sources......................................................................................................................15


INCORPORATING SOCIAL MEDIA INTO YOUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY

IntroductionSeventy-one percent of the U.S. labor force is in the job market,*

and that percentage includes a host of job seekers that are already

gainfully employed. More than half (51%) of the employed labor force

is either actively looking for a new job or open to a new opportunities.1

In this changing hiring landscape, social recruitment tools provide

employers with new opportunities to connect with both passive and

active job seekers in ways that enhance their other more traditional

recruitment strategies.

U.S. Labor Force in Job Market2

Employed U.S. Workers in Job Market3

* Employed and unemployed actively seeking jobs or employed and open to new opportunities.

29% NOT IN THE

JOB MARKET49%

EMPLOYED AND NOT

LOOKING TO CHANGE JOBS

51% EMPLOYED

AND ACTIVELY

LOOKING FOR

NEW WORK

OR OPEN TO

NEW JOB

OPPORTUNITIES

71% IN THE

JOB MARKET



Finding Job Seekers

For success in talent acquisition, more and more employers proactively

fi nd and engage potential job candidates rather than waiting for

their company brand to be found. Social media is the tool to do just

that. Today, job seekers from all demographics—but particularly the

younger, wealthier, college-graduate crowd—use social media as a tool

in their job search. And employers are taking advantage of this vital

recruitment tool. Across industries, 94% of employers are using

or planning on using social networks for recruiting, and 78% of them

have already hired through social media.4

Topics of DiscussionThe recruiting environment has been radically changing over time

with the advent of social networks. Likewise, the role of social media

continues to evolve along with the host of tools available to employers.

In this eBook, we’ll discuss:

SOCIAL’S EVOLVING ROLE IN RECRUITMENT

SOCIAL RECRUITMENT ARENAS

SOCIAL RECRUITMENT TOOLS

OTHER ESSENTIAL RECRUITMENT TOOLS




Job seekers: It is no secret that personal connections play a

huge role in helping job seekers fi nd positions,

so social networks can greatly help them expand

their personal network. About 40% of job seekers

report fi nding their favorite jobs through personal

connections.5 Social media helps job seekers better

tap into those personal connections, providing

them with a venue to ask friends and associates

to alert them to job openings, ask questions about

specifi c employers, research a company, and apply

to open positions online.

Employers: Employers also value personal connections. In

fact, 68% of companies report they offer referral

compensation to gain a competitive edge in

hiring.6 Social networks let employers build on

personal networks to spread their message to

a larger audience of more likely candidates—

often your best employee will have friends and

colleagues that share similar professional traits

or interests. What’s more, social recruiting can

help streamline the recruiting process, allowing

companies to quickly become more familiar with

job applicants (and vice versa). It also offers

employers an opportunity to more aggressively

recruit passive candidates who aren’t looking but

are open to opportunities.

SOCIAL RECRUITING

BY THE NUMBERS IN 20137

Use or are planning on using social recruiting

94%

Hired a candidate via a social network

78%

Are likely to look at a candidate’s social profi le

93%

Expect the hiring environment to be less

1.5%




Key Benefi ts of Social Recruiting for Job SeekersThere are signifi cant benefi ts for job seekers in the social sphere:

Job seekers expect to able to use their social networks to

fi nd out more about a company from the company’s online

presence as well as from its employees, some of whom may

be their friends or professional peers.

Job seekers also expect to engage with

potential employers.

Job seekers are able to look for career opportunities on the

go at times and places that are convenient for them.

Job seekers expect to be able to apply for positions online.

Key Benefi ts of Social Recruiting for EmployersBecause job seekers are increasingly reliant on their social networks for fi nding jobs,

it is a compelling reason for employers to incorporate social media into their overall

recruiting strategy. In addition, social recruiting offers signifi cant benefi ts to employers:

Employers can view a potential candidate’s social profi le to assess that candidate’s professional and

cultural fi t with their company to help in the vetting process.

Social can expand a company’s reach to potential job candidates via share tools.

Social provides an opportunity to not only fi nd candidates, but attract and connect with them as

well. It is a venue to learn more about a candidate or soft recruit future candidates for job openings

down the road.

Social allows a company to target potential candidate pools based on specifi c online behaviors.

Online media is a relatively inexpensive tool; the lower cost allows companies the leeway for a bit of

taking risk taking and trial-and-error testing that can be fi ne-tuned over time.




The list of social networks is ever expanding, but the leaders in the social

recruitment arena continue to be Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Employers also

use blogs, Google+ and YouTube as well as other specialized or local channels to

help them engage with job seekers, build a talent community, and promote open

positions.8 Selecting the social site(s) that make the most sense for recruitment

often depends on the position being promoted and the type of candidate the

employer is attempting to target.

94% LinkedIn

65% Facebook

20% Blogs

18% Google+ 15%

YouTube

55%Twitter

Social Networks of Choice for Employers9




Job-Seeker ResourcesBeyond the top social networks, employers are also taking

advantage of exposure through job seeker resources such

as Glassdoor.com. Here job seekers can view information about

jobs and conditions at your company. Companies can post

a company profi le page on this site as a resource for job seekers

and encourage their employees to visit this site and post candid reviews. Also through

relationships with media outlets, Glassdoor provides job seekers with salary information on local

positions from the media outlet’s search results page. Another job seeker resource is reddit.

com, particularly /r/forhire, /r/jobs and other industry-related subreddits. This site provides an

open forum for discussion about available positions. It also is an excellent place for companies

to buy targeted ads.




The beauty of social media is that it expands the opportunities for employers to

interact with viable job candidates and works at every stage of the hiring process—

from promoting the employer brand, posting open positions and generating employee

referrals to searching for, contacting, keep in touch with and vetting job candidates.

Social recruiting is also comparatively inexpensive and easy to change or fi ne-tune over time

and it can save time on the front end of the hiring process; employers can learn more about

candidates beyond their formal resumes to see if they are a good fi t, and job-seekers can get a

sense of a would-be employer’s corporate philosophy and culture before ever putting a foot in

the door.

And just as there is a whole array of social networks to choose from, there is also a wealth of

tools your company can use in the social sphere. The key to conquering the social marketplace,

however, is to make sure to identify the goals of your social recruitment strategy so that you

can assign appropriate resources to manage it and also monitor and measure its success,

adjusting your approach as necessary.

Online Tools You Can Use Within the Context of Social Networks

Some social networks work better than others for different forms of communication but among the vast array of recruiting tools you can use in the

social sphere, your company can:

Create posts, tweets, blogs, articles, videos and photos to build

your brand, promote open positions, interact with potential job

candidates or provide information and resources

Set up career pages (e.g., Facebook) and company profi le pages (e.g., Glassdoor) to

promote your brand and open positions

Use online display adverting on various social media channels to promote open positions,

build your brand, target specifi c audiences, and increase fans, followers and connections.




Employ search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to help job seekers successfully fi nd

your open positions by making sure your company career pages, company profi les and job

postings on social media sites show up at the top of relevant search results.

Use a social media optimization (SMO) management resource to help your company

maximize the benefi t of, and create cohesion between, your company’s online presence in

all channels and manage your audience interactions.

Online Display AdvertisingBecause of its format fl exibility, an online display advertising strategy

can be tailored to a budget of any size. It can also help you reach target

job candidates by placing your ad where they are most likely to see it,

including on social networks where they are active.

You can also better reach the most viable job candidates by taking advantage of targeting strategies for your online advertising, such as:

Geo and demographic targeting

to identify job seekers based on

their geographic location and/

or demographic feature, such as

age, gender, neighborhood type,

education and marital status

Behavioral targeting, or audience

segmentation, to target potential

job candidates based on online

interest segments, keyword

searches, content and purchasing

decision behaviors

Re-messaging to help you reach

potential job candidates on premium

networks who have had prior exposure

to your job posting ads or some

predefi ned set of interactions with your

website (or another key website)

Mobile targeting to reach potential job

candidates that are on the go and using

their devices to fi nd and research open

positions




Search Engine OptimizationMore and more, businesses are recognizing the value of

developing company career sites and company profi les on

social networks to reach job seekers. But to be an effective

tool for talent acquisition, it is critical that a career site or

company profi le not only show up in search, but that it

also shows up in search for both the desktop and mobile

environments for all the primary technology platforms that will be used to access your

information. It is equally important that a career site delivers a tailored experience that meets

the needs of the job seeker on whatever platform they choose to use.

In both the desktop and mobile environments, search engines are designed to deliver content

that is most relevant to the user, with content that best answers queries and is from the most

reliable source. To make your content stand out, it needs to be unique, specifi c and educational.

Also important are good strategies for optimizing keyword and predictive search and the use of

webmaster tools and analytics to track your success and modify your approach as needed. SEO

can also help in optimizing the effectiveness of your social media recruiting efforts.

Social Media OptimizationA social media optimization (SMO) management resource

can help your company maximize the benefi t of, and create

cohesion between, your company’s online presence in all

channels, including social media. The right resource can help

you develop the strategy and content for your company’s

online profi les and pages as well as your audience interactions.

For your social recruiting efforts, look for a resource that

can help you optimize the presence of your career pages

and company profi les, maximize the exposure of your blogs,

tweets, articles, advertising videos and other posts, and even

help or manage your interactions with potential job candidates.



OTHER ESSENTIAL RECRUITMENT TOOLS

While new social trends and technologies are reshaping the recruiting world, the most

successful acquisition strategies use a mix of other recruitment tools, including:

Local sites: Such as local newspaper classifi ed ads and online job postings using extended

reach and audience targeting.

Targeted emails and niche job postings: To target qualifi ed candidates in specifi c

industries.

Diversity and inclusion career sites: To attract and engage a diverse candidate base.

Niche sites: Such as industry- and affi nity-specifi c websites to reach candidates in highly

sought-after sectors or in specifi c industries.

Local resume databases: To search for local available talent based on specifi c hiring needs

(service often available through local media companies).

Mobile: Such as mobile-optimized job boards and/or your business’s own mobile career

site to provide easy accessibility to your job information for an increasingly mobile world.

Employ search engine optimization (SEO) strategies to help job seekers successfully fi nd

your open positions by making sure your company career pages, company profi les and job

postings on social media sites show up at the top of relevant search results.



ConclusionSocial media has radically reshaped the recruiting landscape and

provided employers with additional tools to fi nd talent in an increasing

competitive environment. Social recruiting can be designed to fi t any

budget and easily adapted and modifi ed as you go to fi ne-tune your

strategy. The key to success is to identifying the goals of your social

recruitment strategy to monitor and measure its success. You also need

to ensure social recruitment is part of a larger recruitment strategy mix

that allows you to target key job-seeking audiences that are using a

variety of sources to help them fi nd a job. Choosing a partner that can

help you develop your overall recruitment strategy, set up and manage

your online presence, and monitor and manage its effectiveness

based on your goals can help you better compete in today’s social

marketplace.



Getting StartedSmart employers today are taking advantage of social networks to

include as part of their mix of recruiting tools. As your local recruitment

resource, we want to make sure you have the tools and industry

insights you need to be successful with your hiring efforts. From job

posting distribution, audience targeting, social recruiting, mobile and

search engine optimization, and marketing solutions, we can help

you design and implement your recruitment program to connect you

with the best candidates. Learn more about your recruiting options

by contacting your MLive Media Group Recruitment Advertising

Representative at 866-511-4166.

About MLive.com

MLive Media Group (www.mlivemediagroup.com) is an audience-fi rst

and distinctively digital media company encompassing all content, sales

and marketing operations for digital and print properties in Michigan.

This includes MLive.com, The Grand Rapids Press, The Muskegon

Chronicle, Kalamazoo Gazette, The Jackson Citizen Patriot, AnnArbor.

com, The Flint Journal, The Saginaw News, The Bay City Times and the

Advance Weeklies in Grand Rapids.


SOURCES1, 2, 3, 5 “Job Seeker Nation Study 2014.” Jobvite. 2014. Web, 9 Sep 2014.

http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/2014%20Job%20Seeker%20Survey.pdf

4, 6, 7, 8, 9 “Social Recruiting Survey Results 2013.” Jobvite. Jun 2013. Web. 9 Sep 2014.

http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting2013.pdf

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