August is officially half way over. Summer is coming to a close.

But rather than mourn the fact that there are only four weeks left of backyard BBQs and adorable, pint-sized salespeople hawking lemonade at every corner, let's celebrate the time we do have.

No, not by going to the beach, or working on our tans, but by recapping some of the best articles and Facebook recruiting tools to have come out this summer.

So unwrap a popsicle, grab your laptop, and plunk yourself down on the closest beach blanket you can find. Well, the closest beach blanket you can find with access to wifi that is!

Coolest new(ish) tool for social recruiting

Facebook Graph Search hands down! Because it gives recruiters and employers the ability to access the information people share with Facebook, in order to connect with passive candidates. Graph Search rolled out a while back, but is only now becoming truly effective for recruiting as the Facebook team successfully encourages users to share their details, and have made it universally available.

Blog post that taught the most

So technically this post came out in Spring, but I think we can overlook that, considering its awesomeness. China Gorman's "Data Point Tuesday" features are some of the most informative articles online. In this particular piece, she breaks down survey data on social recruiting from SHRM. What makes these posts different from most of the info you'll find on the internet is China's ability to explain what the statistics mean, why they matter, and also to pose thoughtful questions about what the information will mean for the future of recruiting.

Hottest Infographic

This Infographic on social media demographics is hot in more of a librarian kind of way... but the brain is the sexiest body part right?!? The imagery may not be as flashy as some of the Infographics floating around the web, but the information is relevant and clear. We're linking to the Leaders West blog post, since Jim Dougherty does a great job of commenting on the information presented.

Facebook feature that is most effective for recruiting

The award goes to (the recently updated) Facebook Ads. If Graph Search is bronzer with sun protection, then Facebook Ads are the 'SPF 50 long lasting'. Facebook Ads are definitely less shiny, but are waaaaay more effective. We've found that, for our clients, the use of targeted Facebook Ads is the best ways to increase applications from qualified candidates. No contest. The newest incarnation of FB Ads provides better targeting and analytics. Here's an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to use Facebook Ads for recruiting.

Best way to recruit on Facebook

Okay, so it's pretty obvious what I'm going to say for this one! The Jobcast Facebook recruiting app. Best app ever. What may be new to some of you is the recent addition of Jobcast Enterprise to our plan roster. Enterprise gives you all of the amazing branding, ATS integration and mobile optimization options of our Premium plan.

What makes it so much cooler is, that with Enterprise, we do everything for you. EVERYTHING. This includes creating targeted Facebook Ads. If you want to see an Enterprise client's Career Page in action, check out Earls. In just a month of using Jobcast Enterprise they've increased their Page Likes by 500% and received applications from over 200 qualified candidates. Also, their branding (and burgers) are freaking amazing.

Come to think of it...

I'm getting pretty hungry, I think it's time to wrap this up and go get a burger myself!