There are way too many amazing tutorials about how to use Pinterest, and I would be kidding myself if I thought I could write a better one. I did think about making a vlog but then I would have to put on makeup and comb my hair! Not happening. So I will skip that topic all together and get right down what to we’re all really interested in : Recruiting.

We already talked a bit about why Pinterest is a useful tool in the social recruiter’s arsenal. Just ask these huge companies that are already making Pinterest a priority to recruit and grow their brands: Taco Bell and General Electric.  On second thought, don’t ask them, they are way too busy being huge companies. These smaller businesses may be more useful examples: Carousel Consulting, Flexjobs and The New Traditionals.

So what’s your first move? What’s the one thing you need to start recruiting on Pinterest?

Pinboards.

Start simple: sign up with your company Twitter or Facebook account and your bio will be filled in automatically. You can worry about tweaking it later. For now, let’s just focus on the easy stuff.

I recommend setting up four boards before you start worrying about following, re-pinning or liking.

Pinboard one: We’re Hiring!

If hiring is your main focus, then start with a Pinboard dedicated to job posts. Pin an image for each position — they don’t have to be job specific, but it helps! Shoot for simple, quality images. If your images are too busy, then your Pinterest account will end up looking cluttered.

If you’re not using the Jobast app then you’ll have to make sure that the image you pin links back to your career page. With each Pin you should include a brief description of the position, its location and your company name (makes you more searchable, yay!). Eventually, if you have quite a few openings, you can make a Board for each category of job. This really isn’t necessary though, and it may distract you from posting super cool infographics, which would make me sad.

(By the way, the Jobcast app is currently the only recruitment app that let’s you select any image from your Company Facebook page to Pin. Other apps usually just use your logo — boooring. With Jobcast you can use any pic you like, and this makes us pretty amazing. Not to toot our own horn or anything 🙂 )

Board two: All About You

This Pinboard should be dedicated to what your company does. Ours is called “We are Jobcast”. Subtly referencing the band Devo with your board names, as we did, is a really great idea. People will then associate you with dancing, funny hats and generally positive things. This board is where you’ll post company blogs, videos and any media coverage you receive. Post about your best products or most exciting projects. This board will work hand in hand with the information provided in your profile to explain what your business does. Use it to brag a little — show the world how awesome you are!

Board three: Company Culture (my favorite)

You NEED a Pinboard that shows off company culture. This is, in my humble opinion, the most important board. An amazing reference for this is GE’s Factory Floor Pinboard. Crazy, right? It made me want to work for them and I don’t even own a car, let alone know anything about engineering!

This Pinboard’s purpose is to show potential candidates how fantastic it is to work for your company. Post your recruiting video. If you don’t have a recruiting video, then watch this. Done watching? Now, go make a recruiting video, and post it (everywhere — Pinterest, Facebook, your company blog —  EVERYWHERE!) Post pictures of staff parties, the company foosball championship, team events, and current employees. This is another great excuse to have some fun at work. May I suggest a chili eating competition? It shows creativity and gumption!

Board four: Cool Stuff We Found on the Internet

A Pinboard dedicated to all that is awesome. The most fun, but also the most complicated. This Board will be dictated by your brand, which means you’ll really need to think about what content is and isn’t appropriate without losing your “fun factor”. If you prefer to keep things strictly professional, then limit your posts to awesomeness related to your field. If you want to project a cutting-edge, tech-savvy image, that’s easy. Post lots of images of Apple products! If you want to be perceived as both a super fun and rewarding workplace, then post a good mix of content related to your field, adorable kittens and gorgeous infographics.

For my next article I’m thinking something along the lines of “How to lose friends and alienate people with Pinterest!”… I’m open to suggestions though 🙂

Links! (As if this post needs any more #allthelinks)

• Pinterest for Recruiting and Employer Branding. An in-depth article I wish I’d written. Crystal Miller’s use of puns makes my heart sing.

• Tips to Use Pinterest for Business. These tips are super straightforward and easy to implement, <3

• 5 Tips for Using Pinterest for Recruiting. We disagree about about how to post jobs, but I am open to differing opinions on social recruiting… So long as we agree that pictures of kittens boost productivity.

• Pinterest Can Help Recruiting Get Visual. Yes. Yes it can!