Social Recruiting
How you can use content on LinkedIn to attract candidates
Rachel Hill
HireHive
Rachel Hill
HireHive
Rachel Hill
HireHive
Rachel Hill
HireHive
However, content is not just effective for bloggers, but for all you recruiters out there. You don’t even need a blog. All you need is a LinkedIn profile and a passion for what you do.
If you are not using LinkedIn for your recruiting needs, start today. 87% + of recruiters are already using the platform to find their best candidates. While LinkedIn recruiting has become a saturated market, you can still stand out from competitors by using effective content.
So leave the mass, generic InMail messages for the moment, and focus first on connecting with candidates who match the criteria you’re looking for. These candidates should include both active and passive job seekers. Once you start using effective content, you will begin to maximise your chances of attracting candidates from both ends of the job-seeking spectrum.
Once you build up a sizeable network of potential candidates, you want to let these connections know what vacancies you have. Instead of just posting text, why not add in a picture? Research shows time and time again that web viewers are naturally drawn to visual content. There are many options to consider when it comes to ‘hiring’ posts, including the following examples:
Take inspiration from Sarah Doyle’s post, a recruiter from CPL jobs. Sarah not only uses a high-quality photo that relates to the vacancy, but she also inserts a short and to the point call-to-action. Most importantly, she includes a link to the job; this is essential in ensuring that candidates find the job description easily.
As you can see in this post, Riona has added in a lot more detail in the text. This is fine as long as the information is relevant and compelling to read. The photograph also includes the company branding, which can be useful in spreading brand awareness. To add company branding to a photograph, you can use a range of tools including Photoshop and Canva.
This type of hiring post can work particularly well if you are a large, well-known company. Many candidates will immediately recognise the brand, which may entice them to delve further into the job description and application procedure. As the above post redirects you to the website with one click, there is no need for a link. This is another good tip in making posts look more appealing.
While some recruiters only use LinkedIn to promote their vacancies, the best recruiters also promote their workplace. Through these posts, you are showing interested candidates what it is like to work at your company, as well as the company culture. It also shows you are part of a team and not detached from the roles and company you are advertising. These posts work best for in-house recruiters who are solely involved with one company.
Photos of company events show your employer is more than just a company and has a personality. These posts can attract candidates who are looking for a fun and light-hearted atmosphere. Creating a collage like the one above is a great way of showing atmosphere and giving an insight into multiple aspects of an event.
Promoting company achievements is a great way of raising the profile of your employer across your network. These kind of posts show potential candidates that your company is worth working for. External or third-party endorsements are often deemed more credible and trustworthy by onlookers.
Although it is important to promote and show interest in your employer, sharing relevant, industry content is a great way of showing interest outside of your immediate workplace. Sharing content about the workplace or recruitment etc. displays passion and interest in the work you do. Most importantly, this content can provide useful information for both candidates and other connections in your LinkedIn network. You may even become a recognised content leader!
As you can see in the two posts above, both recruiters share content that is relevant to their industry. To make these posts more personalised, add a comment on the article, a quote or even try open up a discussion in the comments box.
These are just some ideas as to how you can use content on LinkedIn to attract candidates over a period of time. The type of content you choose as a recruiter depends on your industry, employer culture and interests. If you are using LinkedIn to reach out to candidates, it is important to show you have a personality and you care about your role as a recruiter.
Some other ideas you could use include:
- Motivational Images
- Awareness of current events and holidays
- Employee Appreciation posts
Happy posting recruiters!
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