Social Recruiting

Do you Pin?

I do! Pinterest is my favorite way to spend time on the internet. Well, I am a woman, like the vast majority of Pinterest’s active user base. An imbalance made blatantly obvious by the overwhelming number of “pin boards” dedicated to wedding dresses, ponies and Brazilian JiutJitsu! Okay, maybe not that last one, though I do have a BJJ board where I “pin” and “re-pin” instructional videos, links to articles and any relevant infographic I can get my tough little hands on.

Yes, Pinterest is the online mecca for all things girly, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s just another pretty face. Pinterest is the fastest growing social network, EVER. And as much as its popularity has to do with the image-based nature of its interface, Pinterest also has great functionality and awesome networking potential.

Pinterest’s active user base increased by well over 2,500% from May 2011 to January 2012. It has a greater referral traffic percentage than Youtube, LinkedIn and Google+ combined. More importantly… it’s really really pretty. Even more importantly, it’s an awesome way to recruit and grow your employer brand. And now is the perfect time to join. Pinterest is still new enough to give your business early adopter cred, which is great for impressing prospective candidates, especially those in tech and design.

We’ve recently retooled our Jobcast App to make it, in my humble opinion, the most effective app out there for recruiting on Pinterest. In honor of this, I’ll be blogging a series of short posts about how to make Pinterest work for recruitment and branding.

Check out this infographic for more reasons to hop on the Pin-wagon. (Yeah, I punned it!)

Oh and before I forget…

Links! Some of our favorite Pin Boards:

• http://pinterest.com/socialtimes/social-media-infographics/

• http://pinterest.com/mashable/everything-pinterest/

• http://pinterest.com/socialtimes/social-media-tools/

When I was 20, my good friend Kiel taught me a fantastic life lesson in a completely ridiculous way. When he went to a pub, he would always walk straight up to the bartender and ask for a pint of their “cheapest-finest”. I thought this was a pretty odd thing to do, until I asked him why he did it, and he explained that he was just asking which beer would get him the most bang for his buck. Cheapest-finest meant the least he could pay without sacrificing taste. You can probably guess what I asked for the next time I went out for drinks!

This concept can be applied to most things in life, and social recruiting is no exception.

Being able to use social media for recruiting is awesome in so many ways, but even for the most tech-obsessed it can get a little overwhelming. There are new social networking platforms popping up all the time and everyone has their own opinion about how these are best used for recruiting. So, how do you figure out what your cheapest-finest is? What is the minimum effective dose for effective social recruiting?

I wish I knew! I would be a millionaire and writing this article from a sandy beach somewhere. I do have some suggestions though. Start simple

Facebook first. Setting up a branded Career Page for your company and posting jobs on Facebook is simple, fast and effective. It gives you access to over 900 million potential candidates and posting jobs takes very little time or effort (there’s an app for that!)

After you’ve got a handle on Facebook, try Twitter and LinkedIn. You can use the same profile information for each and we’ve already blogged quite a bit about how to best use them for recruiting. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can give Pinterest a try. It’s my favorite, but is not as popular for job seekers as the other three, so you’ll probably want to focus on them first.

Exception! I love exceptions. If you’re looking to hire the artistically-inclined, then Pinterest is probably a more important tool than Twitter, due to its graphical nature. Oh snap. The plan is: Stick to the plan

It’s tempting to try and utilize every new gadget or platform that pops up. This is an easy way to get totally overwhelmed and start to hate your job and the internet in general. My theory is that this is why I used to see so many smashed computer screens on the sidewalk when I lived in Toronto.

Social media attack plan: Pick a few sites to focus on, plan out how much time and effort you’ll devote to each one and carry out your plan. Give it some time, a couple of months even, so that you have a clear idea of what’s working and what isn’t. You can keep track of new social networking trends and include them (no, not all at once!) after you feel confident with the tools you’re already using.

Exception! Do sign up for new social networking platforms as soon as they come to your attention. This helps guarantee that you get the user name you desire, in case you do decide to use it in the future. Oh, I guess this is only kind of an exception… but having a sub-topic that repeats looks really great for blog layouts. Measure your results

How else are you going to know if your efforts are paying off? Using tools like Google Analytics, Open Analytics or Crazy Egg will help you track your results. You can then use those results to determine the effectiveness of your social media attack plan! I like to use Pinterest to keep track of blogs and articles I need to revisit, as I find visual reminders very effective.

Exception! There are no exceptions. Always measure your results. Always!

So, what’s your minimum effective dose? Unfortunately, it is probably not a delicious pint of Guinness! Fortunately, our Jobcast app allows you to simultaneously post jobs to all the aforementioned social networking sites while tracking your results ­- We’re that cool. I only shamelessly plug because I love!

Speaking of love, here’s some relevant links:

• Social media marketing without the stress,

• How to not do Facebook wrong via Mashable,

• Social Media, Simplified,

Make friends

Start by creating a presence. If a business tweets in the forest and they have no followers… then no, it does not make a sound. You’ll need to make connections for your tweets to be heard. The best way to increase your presence on Twitter is to follow other tweeters. Search twitter for other users within your field and search relevant hashtags to expand your twitter community. Follow associates and recruiters, your tweets can be requests for referrals as well as for applicants.

More on how to build your Twitter presence

Tweet

Making connections and posting tweets go hand in hand. Post consistently about what your company has to offer. Tweet about the things that make your company great: innovations, new projects, opportunities for growth. This is also a great reason to have staff parties and events. I kid, but I’m also completely serious. Photos of employees having fun look awesome on Twitter (and Facebook, and your blog). You can also tweet amusing links or comments. You’ll likely want to keep them relevant to your field, but think outside the box to stay interesting. Wholefoods does a great job of this, tweeting links to cool sustainability projects and food blogs. Just please, please, please don’t tweet about the weather… unless you are the Weather Network.

More on how and what to tweet Re-Tweet

This is a huge part of expanding your Twitter community. People love to be heard, and re-tweeting is an extension of this. If you are not incredibly witty, giving away a car or a celebrity, re-tweeting is your best bet to garner twitlove!

More on re-tweeting and tons of info about growing your Twitter account #Hashtag

Hashtags are how you become searchable on Twitter. Use them wisely! Some of the most searched, and therefore, most effective recruitment hashtags are: #job, #careers, #hiring. It’s also a good idea to add the type of position you are looking to fill, and also the city. For example, next time you tweet tweet (using our wicked Jobcast app, obviously) try something like: “Position available for passionate #souschef. Trendy #Paris restaurant #hiring”. My only caution is to not over-tag, 2-4 should do it.

More on hashtags, from a job seekers perspective In keeping with the Twitter mentality, I’ll keep my conclusion brief. Here’s a few awesome Twitter accounts to follow (don’t be like me, I only follow stand-up comedians!)

Tweets we Love

• Mashable

• LinkedIn

• Inc.

• Jobcast

• Facebook

• #hirefriday

• #jobhuntchat

And of course, if you want to make recruiting with Twitter (and Facebook, and LinkedIn) even easier you should really try using our Jobcast app… not that I’m biased or anything!

Find Your Voice

Cultivating a unique voice is essential for effective blogging. If your company has well-established branding, this will be a matter of translating that identity into a voice compatible with blogging. If your business is still establishing its image, your blog is a great place to evolve your brand and define your company culture. Use your blog to explore how you would like to be perceived, be it traditional and time-tested or innovative and cutting-edge, executive-chic or, as we at Jobcast prefer, business casual. Just be sure that the voice you choose is true to your company’s core values and becomes consistent from post to post.

Think of your blog as a brand ambassador

A successful brand ambassador portrays the company that they represent with positivity and enthusiasm, but even more importantly, they are relatable and trustworthy. Your blog is a way to make your company human. Yes, it is important to highlight strengths, but occasional posts showing weakness will keep your blog from seeming too corporate and unrelatable. Consider blogging about something new that your company is attempting to implement, something you don’t have all the answers for, as this encourages input from your readers, creating dialogue.

Foster audience participation

Your blog can be a vital part of your company’s visibility if you cultivate an active readership. Effective blogging inspires readers to comment, like, tweet and pin! Use great photos, link to some handpicked posts or online resources, use polls, catchy titles and humor. This kind of blogging encourages readers to share your posts with their colleagues and friends. And remember, in order to share a blog post on Pinterest, it must have an image. The image will be what inspires other pinners to click or skip, so make it count.

Also, write content that elicits response. Try writing posts that are open-ended, ask questions, and allow for debate. Appearing knowledgeable is important, but you must leave room for input, differing opinions and conversation. Dialogue not monologue!

Think outside of your industry

Of course it’s important to stay up to date on what other websites and blogs in your field are doing, but if you want to set your company apart, you’ll need to seek inspiration from outside your community. Think of some of your favorite tech blogs, design blogs, even food blogs. There is no reason that aspects you love about them can’t be applied to your employer blog.  Personally, I love how Food52 fosters audience participation through the “Community Picks” section of their website.

Keep it short and sweet

No one has time to read a novel when surfing the net. Your blog post is not a comprehensive article in Inc. Magazine (a fantastic resource for employer bloggers, by the way). It must be short and punchy in order to hold a reader’s attention. Blog posts work best when they provide information in a way that is quick, enjoyable and easy to read. If a reader wants more details, they can reference the handpicked links you’ve provided, or even better, email you directly.

Get social

Promote your blog through social networking. Okay, so this one is glaringly obvious, but so often overlooked. When you put up a new post, make sure you promote it through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, or other social networks that suit your needs. Use captivating images wherever possible. Urge employees to like, promote and link to the company blog. Asking your staff for content ideas and feedback is a great way to encourage employee involvement. For more ideas about getting your employees onboard with social networking, see this article on BusinessWeek.com

Don’t fear New Media

A fantastic way to meet your goals and appeal to those within your talent communities is by showcasing company culture on your blog and what better way to do that than through video. You don’t have to be too technologically savvy to or spend a lot of cash to make a short video that gives prospective employees a taste of what working for your company is like. By making your companies values visible, you’ll attract readership from those with similar ideals. For more specific advice on recruitment-oriented video read Ryan’s awesome post here. Blog with purpose

To keep tabs on the effectiveness of your blogging you need some trackable goals. If recruitment is a major focus, then a relevant goal would be to increase the number of likes or comments from desirable candidates. In essence, use your blog to grow your talent communities. Then, track sharing and comment sourcing so you can verify the results. This will let you monitor which blog posts appeal to the select audience you are looking to cultivate and help you tailor your posts to encourage sharing. Chances are they have equally desirable peers you want to reach so that when you next embed a job opening into your blog (oh, and did I mention our new job widget?), it will be seen by all the right people.

Links we Love

Check out these links for even more, possibly better, tips and some very useful apps. Happy blogging! Drop us a line and let us know how it goes.

• Google Analytics

• Blogging Strategy 101 by Scout Magazine

• Which Blogging Platform is Best for Me

• Jobcast’s new embeddable job widget

• Interview with Joanna Goddard

A couple of months ago, we introduced Job Sync, an incredibly easy way to automatically synchronize your jobs between your existing career site and your Facebook Page. But what about those of you that don't have a career page on your corporate website? We've found that many of you are using Jobcast as your exclusive ATS, and as a result, you want a way to embed jobs on your company website. In other words, you want to use Jobcast to manage all of your recruitment efforts.

Introducing the Job Widget

Our Job Widget is easy to set up: just copy and paste one line of code and a career site will appear instantly. Your visitors will be able to search jobs and apply to them directly from inside of your website.  And for those clients who have upgraded their account to a Premium plan, you will be able to brand your career site just as easily as branding your 'Careers' tab on your Facebook Page. How to get started....

1) Retrieve the Job Widget code from the Jobcast app on Facebook. This code can be found under Customize -- Pages -- Job Widget:

2) Copy and paste the Job Widget code into any web page (or pages) where you want your jobs to appear. Here is how that would look if you're using WordPress:

3) Your jobs will instantly appear on your website:

If you upgrade to Premium, you can strengthen your brand by customizing the Job Widget just like you can for your Facebook Page:

We hope that our Job Widget will make it extremely easy for you to embed your jobs on your company website and provide an excellent job application experience for your candidates.

With today's technology, companies of all sizes can take advantage of video to showcase the unique culture within their organization. Be real, be honest, and focus on presenting your company in an authentic way to potential applicants. Star employees are on the hunt for more than just a J.O.B and want to work for an organization whose values and mission are in line with their worldview.  Great organizations are built when like-minded people come together to work on projects they believe in. What does your organization stand for and how can you present that in a recruitment video?

 Ideas for producing your recruitment video

Allow candidates into your world and give them a true feel for who they'll be working with, what the company's vision is and why it's important. Try incorporating some of these ideas into your video footage:

• Add an introduction from the CEO or founder

• Conduct interviews with existing employees

• Provide tours of the office

• Show staff interacting at a company event

• Highlight benefits and perks that make your company unique

Need a little inspiration?

In a recent blog post, Jennifer King, HR Analyst at Software Advice provides some great examples of excellent recruitment videos by Zendesk, Rackspace and HubSpot which are embedded below. You can find her full article here.

Example Recruitment Videos

Zendesk

This is Zendesk

Rackspace

Your Career at Rackspace

HubSpot

Inside HubSpot

Have you seen any recruiting videos that deserve honorable mention? If so, please share them with us in the comments! P.S. With Jobcast Premium, you can build your own employer branded Facebook Career Page complete with graphics, embedded YouTube video and a list of your latest jobs. To get started, install Jobcast on your Facebook Page.

Many of our clients have expressed how important it is for their branding to show consistent design and messaging on all of their social platforms. We couldn’t agree more!

To help build your brand presence, we’ve added some great new features that give you complete control over customizing your Facebook Career Page.

When you upgrade to a Premium subscription, you will unlock these additional features:

• Brandable color scheme

• Custom banner placement

• Embeddable YouTube videos

• Welcome messaging

Brandable color scheme Customize your Facebook Career Page’s colors to match your company’s brand.

Custom banner placement & embeddable YouTube

• Add a banner to your Facebook Career Page to build your employer brand with consistent design.

• Showcase your company culture with a YouTube video embedded directly within your Facebook Career Page.

Rich text editor Create personalized welcome messages.

Your own branded Facebook Career Page Once you’ve finished styling your career page, here’s an example of the finished product.

We’re really excited about the new design customization options and we hope you enjoy using Jobcast Premium!

To upgrade, click here and log in to your Jobcast account.

Social media is all about transparency, but how far is too far? You've heard the horror stories about job applicants that get turned down because their potential employer discovered their outstanding tweets, or saw personal pictures of he/she partying on Facebook. There are many tips and articles that discuss keeping your online activity from damaging your career, but when social media profiles are handled correctly, it can help you professionally. Social media can be used to boost or enhance your personal brand, establish yourself as an expert in a specific field or showcase your talent with all things digital.To help do so, it is imperative to be proactive about managing the content you are sharing along with your image. There is no such thing as private space online

Most people have tested some form of social media. If you already on social media platforms (which I am sure you are), it is important to think about how professional contacts view you. Ensure that you decide which social media channels you will use for specific purposes (ie: LinkedIn for professional purposes and Google+ and Facebook for personal). Build your personal brand

When people come across your profile and look through your social media activity, they certainly can get a sense of what you are about. The more you post on a specific topic, the more likely you will be affiliated with it. Even a small amount of content can go a long way towards establishing you as an "expert". If you are passionate about a specific topic and openly share your opinion and perspective in a compelling way, you can begin to generate a following. Essentially, social media is an avenue to demonstrate your familiarity with a specific topic. Showcase your knowledge of all things digital

Being proficient in social media and showcasing your skills through being active in online conversations is an extremely strong way of differentiating yourself from others. It shows your competency to potential employers who are increasingly looking for these types of skills. Continue to learn about the latest digital trends

Social media creates engaging conversations. Interact with professionals, industry media and experts in your desired field of work which will allow you to deepen your personal level of knowledge in that industry and stay on top of the current trends. When you post your thoughts or content on social media and have the opportunity to hear other people's opinions through comments, shares and "likes", you are creating a conversation that provides you with valuable insight. Follow the rules

Most companies have policies on social media regulations. So before you begin blogging and posting tweets showcasing your expertise, be sure you know your company's policy before proceeding. It's important that you do not violate your current employer's rules!

Social media has made huge strides in the business world, especially in 2012. The methods of sharing information have greatly changed and in order to succeed in this highly technologically driven world, businesses have been forced to take notice. As the techniques for effective communication diversify, employee responsibilities will take on new roles as well. Include employees in your social media strategy by encouraging them to get involved in online communities to promote your brand. It is likely that no one knows your company better than it’s employees – so why not utilize them as social media ambassadors? Take the Fear Out of Facebook

Some employees may not need motivation and guidance to become an ambassador. They may be well versed in the world of online communications and find it enjoyable. However, others may find the idea of it daunting, especially if they aren’t technically inclined. So take the stress out of it for them! Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are actually quite user friendly, especially when paired with a bit of helpful direction. Provide group training sessions for your employees, or organize online webinar viewings to help them feel comfortable integrating social media into their online activity. Lead by Example

Create a strategic plan for your current social media practices. This will make it easier for employees to follow by example. Share tips from your experience and guide them on the best ways to share online. Show your ambassadors examples of previous posts from your page that you find best represent your brand to illustrate your vision. Start a Discussion

Social networking is nothing more than an ongoing virtual conversation. Stress to employees that essentially, they are using their own voice and opinions to further promote their business.This will simplify the concept and encourage their posts to sound more organic. A great tip is to start a centralized site within the company – a place where employees can go to discuss how they feel about the brand. This will aid in developing effective online dialogue and useful keywords. Here’s a concept; sharing can be fun!

When developing your strategy with employees, try introducing the concept that sharing results of their hard‐work with colleagues, co‐workers and customers through social media can be actually be rewarding in itself. Sharing the news of an event or accomplishment within the company and receiving instant feedback from consumers is beneficial and will provide a sense of achievement. Employee Rewards for Sharing

If employees are effectively sharing content they should be rewarded for it. Congratulate them and take notice to show that you appreciate their effort. Create rewards programs for your top ambassadors to further motivate results. The more buzz that can be created around your brand the better and social media is one of the fastest ways to get there today.

Do you want your Facebook page to feel less like a collection of sales pitches and more like an engaging online community for possible employees? Obtaining new followers isn’t easy but the more likable your page is, the easier it will be to obtain followers who genuinely want to be a part of your online presence. Give new fans, visitors and potential candidates good reasons to want to “like” your page with these easy‐to‐follow tips:

Design & Functionality

• Visually appealing Facebook pages make a big statement! Add photos and videos to your page which best represent your brand. You may only have a few seconds to catch the eye of a potential or current follower with your post and this small trick can make a big difference. Use images that highlight important moments in your company such as events, new employees, product updates, etc.

• Try to update photos on a regular basis to keep followers interested. One of the reasons for Facebook’s popularity is it’s visual content. So, the more you take advantage of this feature the better.

• Facebook recently added the new Timeline feature for Facebook business pages. This template features larger enhanced photos, organizes status updates into a timeline format and allows for private messages with fans.

Activity & Content

• A Facebook page has the ability to become stale if not updated frequently. In order to ensure steady user interest, create frequent updates that followers will find interesting. The updates don’t always have to be directly from within your company. Include features from the community or news items of relevant content to build common interest among users.

• Generally speaking ‐ no news is too small. You may think the promotion of an employee or the order of a new product line wouldn’t interest potential Facebook fans. However, it’s surprising how the small victories within your company can be converted into news headlines and contribute to the buzz around your business. The new Facebook timeline for businesses has a company milestone feature that highlights events such as these so users take notice.

• Don’t be afraid to show you’re human. Forget about Facebook as a marketing tool for a moment and remember what it’s like to be a user yourself in order to create relatable content. Utilize the brand of your business for inspiration when trying to build a fun environment for your users.

• Create online discussions. The more you invite users to become involved in the activity on your page, the more relevance users will feel it has in their lives. This will serve well for your likeability and is also a great way to build long‐lasting consumer relationships.

Creating & Posting Likeable Jobs

• Facebook is a great word‐of‐mouth tool for promoting your job postings. Once a job has been posted on your website, it’s easy to further promote the posting  by using Jobcast to post to your  page along with other social media sites.

• When creating the Facebook status update, make sure it is clear, brief and best outlines the position so that possible candidates are targeted effectively.

• Highlighting where and how applicants can apply ‐ either in your status update or an easy‐to-find location on the linked job posting, is essential and highly effective.

We hope that these tips help with creating a more engaging and likeable Facebook page!