Digitalization is creating new jobs, and many jobs require increasingly specialized knowledge. Add to this the aging of society, demographers predict that the number of people of working age will decline by 10% by 2040. There are already shortages in the hospitality, IT, nursing, engineering, research, and medical fields. Depending on the region, many more sectors will be affected by the worsening skills shortage. It is likely that competition for the right talent will continue to intensify.
So what's the best way to reach that talent? Through social media!
The Revolution of Recruiting
One option that competing companies are taking advantage of - and that many employees welcome - is improving working conditions. Companies are offering home office options, 4-day work weeks, part-time options, benefits, and sabbaticals. But to take advantage of these offers, talent must be actively looking for a job. Many companies are still wasting great potential by using social media only sparingly in the recruiting process. In particular, they exclude passive candidates who are willing to change jobs but are not actively looking for one.
Social networks such as LinkedIn offer a wide range of opportunities to find the right candidates for open positions:
One of the most popular social recruiting networks is LinkedIn. Companies can search for specific skills, experience and qualifications and connect directly with potential candidates. But it's not just LinkedIn that offers this opportunity. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are also increasingly being used for recruiting. Here, too, companies can post jobs, promote their employer brand, and engage with potential candidates.
But what should you be aware of and which options can or should you use? How can you passively and actively attract candidates and what should you do to get ahead?
Steps for Your Talent Offensive on LinkedIn
1. First impressions count
- Promote yourself and your company with a LinkedIn company page. Make sure your LinkedIn company profile is complete and engaging. Add a compelling company description, use high-quality images, and make sure your brand message is clearly communicated. Introduce your company and provide a behind-the-scenes look.
- Use LinkedIn for content marketing. Create high-quality, relevant content that showcases your company's expertise. Publish regular articles that engage and add value to potential candidates. With quality content, you can position your company as an attractive employer.
- Let happy employees speak for themselves. The influence that your own employees can have as corporate influencer is enormous. Encourage them to represent your company on LinkedIn. Ask them to share company posts, write positive reviews, and forward job opportunities to their personal network. Employees' personal networks are a valuable resource for recruiting talent.
- Of course, the company/career page is also where you should post your job openings. Use the Jobs feature to post all job openings on LinkedIn. Using LinkedIn's algorithm, potential candidates will automatically see jobs that match their qualifications. Plus, you can keep track of all your KPIs, including which candidates are interested, what their qualifications are, and how they responded to your messages. Use these capabilities to build a pipeline of potential talent.
2. Increase your reach with LinkedIn Job Slots
According to recent figures from LinkedIn, 81% of the more than 10 million members in the DACH region are generally open to new job opportunities or even actively looking for them. With LinkedIn Job Slots, your job postings are automatically recommended to LinkedIn members with the right profile.
This is especially useful when candidates are not actively searching. Approximately 75 percent of potential talent is not actively looking for a job, but wants to be found or expresses a latent willingness to change jobs. With Job Slots, you can increase your company's visibility and brand awareness as an employer.
Detailed, real-time analytics show you who is viewing your job postings, the candidate's career path, and whether they applied.
3. Advertise with Ads
Don't rely on being found, advertise with relevant job postings to target the talent you haven't yet found. Use the LinkedIn advertising platform to run targeted ads for specific audiences. You can target your ads to relevant candidates by selecting criteria such as location, skills, experience and industry.
Optimize and test different ad formats, including displaying job ads on your employees' profiles. According to LinkedIn, this can be as much as 50 percent more successful than standard banner ads.
Another option is to reach your ideal candidates with sponsored updates about your company. Share relevant content and place it in the news feeds of your top talent.
Take Action - Hire the Best Talent
These tips are just a sampling of what LinkedIn can do for you. The important thing is: Active sourcing has long since replaced traditional recruiting. Especially in competitive industries and fields, it is still necessary to actively reach out to promising candidates. Use the search function on LinkedIn to actively search for candidates who match your requirements. Use personalized messages and show interest in the candidate's skills and experience. Long cover letters, detailed resumes, and copies of diplomas and certificates are too big a hurdle for many candidates to overcome in the first step. Make it as easy as possible for talent to apply.
Make it easy
Want to finally get started with social media recruiting on LinkedIn and usher in a whole new era of employer branding? Facelift has just released a new employer branding package for teams.
For a wealth of information and how to master your own employer branding strategy, check out our latest guide.
