Do You Use Social In Your Recruitment Process?

This time we’re talking about using Social Media in the recruitment process and there are a number of aspects in the search for new staff that your digital channels can help with.

Let’s start with the use of Social platforms as a way to research background information on applicants, in my opinion a perfectly legitimate tactic. I have spoken to young people about how their digital footprint may affect employment opportunities in the future and in some instances find they feel it an imposition and an unfair practice. I think this is a modern mindset of a generation who deem it normal to publish their life online without the thought for protecting their privacy yet feel somehow hard done by when told that some aspects of their content could be detrimental to future prospects.

Using digital platforms to garner extra info on applicants is no different to what used to happen when businesses I’ve worked for discovered that a member of staff knew or had worked with an applicant for a current vacancy. You would ask their opinion of the person in question and would take that assessment of their positives and negatives into account.

Why wouldn’t you?

It should be noted however that employers be aware of context and time when carrying out checks on a candidate’s Social channels as both are important aspects to take into account. There is also the responsibility to follow legal guidelines on discriminating unfairly against a candidate after discovering information about them online.

It is worth noting the success that international infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has achieved using their Social channels, primarily LinkedIn, for recruitment. This is despite not setting up a LinkedIn channel until 2014. The company reported that their first recruitment ad on that platform saved them £10,000 in recruitment fees followed by a further £200,000 saving over the next 6 months.

They saw a 400% increase in followers over the same time and now use LinkedIn as their primary recruitment channel. This the reward for focussing on a site where they knew the talent of the future was looking to make contacts for future reference and employment.

Research carried out last year by Recruitment Box found that in 2010, 78% of recruiters were using LinkedIn to find candidates. 5 years later that percentage had risen to 95%. Similarly, 2010 saw just 14% of recruiters posting jobs on Twitter, it has also climbed to 95%. The potential for employee referrals on Twitter has also risen from 16% in 2010, to 93% in 2015.

This is an area that recruiters clearly see as very beneficial to finding the right candidate for their vacancies with 70% of them saying that they plan to increase their investment in social recruiting.

As with every aspect of Social interaction the base of it all is communication, a two way process. While you may be using your Social channels to advertise for and vet future employees, those people are also looking at your business and how your digital platforms represent you.

A company’s “talent brand” is being spoken of more and more of late. This is how their mission statement, vision and corporate culture are perceived on the social web. This plays a significant part in reducing a business’ hire costs and its ability to attract quality candidates. You can keep on top of this by ensuring that your Social channels portray a consistent business message in words, pictures or both.

You should make an effort to foster a workforce of “Brand Ambassadors”. Encourage your staff to talk about their positive experience of life at work on their own social channels, while also sharing the business’ content and success stories. According to a 2014 survey from Monster, 65% of respondents would consider an opportunity for a new job if they learned about it from a personal connection.

It has never been easier for businesses and organisations to build an exciting, vibrant image for themselves in the digital world and the more ways you can find to keep your Social platforms full of interesting, positive content the better when you are searching for new talent.

10 Social Media Myths De-bunked

This week I thought I would talk about Social Media “myths”. Words of wisdom in social communication that have been repeated so many times they become what people believe. However, they are also the same words that make you stop and question them.

When I worked in radio there were similar myths, mantras that had been trotted out by more experienced people for so long that as a newcomer you just accepted them, even though none of them had any basis in fact.

For example:-

• Female listeners don’t like female presenters
• Never play more than three female voices in a row
• Always put in an hour’s prep for each hour on air.
• Mentioning another radio station will make your listener immediately tune to it.

I could go on – as a young presenter I heard all these and just accepted them. As you gain confidence and experience in your profession you start to question these “myths”.

The same is true of Social Media; here are 10 Myths of the social age to question.

1) I SHOULD BE ON EVERY PLATFORM

Do you know how many social platforms there are? No me neither. One of the basic pitfalls of using Social Media is to try and maintain a presence on lots of platforms, see nothing happen and give up. The first step for every business or organisation is to identify the platforms that will work best for them and concentrate your efforts there.

2) I’LL JUST USE ONE PLATFORM

Just as spreading yourself too thin is not good, the opposite is equally as bad. By all means note the platform that gives you the most traction and make that your primary outlet, but remember that other sites can be complementary. Using a handful of social platforms also gives you the opportunity to cross-promote and link them together.

3) I CAN’T LINK TO MY OTHER SOCIAL PLATFORMS

You have a Facebook account, it’s doing fine, lots of engagement for your excellent content. So you set up a Twitter account as a complementary outlet and because your business is visual you think a Pinterest board would be good too. All excellent ideas. The problem is, you’ve read a few “experts” say you can’t link to them from your Facebook wall because………..well I don’t know why really.

It makes no sense to me. Just do it. The great thing about social is that you can tie up your social channels, your company website, your YouTube channel in a lovely chain of gorgeous digital content.

4) WALL-TO-WALL CONTENT

It’s quality not quantity, less is more etc. etc. Think about what you have to offer and the best way of saying it. What are your keywords, your important messages, how can you encourage your followers to share your content. Of course sell yourself and your services but do it strategically amongst your other posts. Make your channels ones your followers can rely on to be informed and entertained.

5) RE-POSTING

This is one of my bugbears. Someone once said you should never re-post content and it was taken as read. I still see some practitioners espouse this point of view.

I use the analogy of your wife or girlfriend who won’t wear a dress she’s worn before, even though there’ll be no-one at the event who will have seen it the first time.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with re-posting content. We would love all of our content to be seen by all of our social communities, but in the real world that’s never gonna happen.

Do it sensibly and creatively, choose carefully the content you recycle, make sure it’s still relevant when you re-post.

6) DON’T BE PERSONAL

Hang on, isn’t this what being “social” is all about. Of course keep your audience and your customers in mind but don’t be afraid to show off your business/brand’s personality. If it didn’t have one before your social channels give you the chance to create one. It’s 1-2-1 communication, it’s personal, it’s dialogue between you and the person looking at their screen.

7) IT’S A NUMBERS GAME

People still get hung up on numbers; obsess about how many likes, followers and friends they’re notching up. You’ll see people following you then unfollow a few days later when you haven’t reciprocated. You don’t want them anyway.

The sorts of fans and followers you need are ones who will find your content interesting, informative or entertaining enough to share with their own tribes. They could be your flag-wavers and brand ambassadors. 500 people who engage with your posts on a regular basis are far more important to your business than 10,000 people who clicked the “like” button once.

8) IF IT’S NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, IGNORE IT

No-one likes seeing negative stuff written about their business or organisation but the worst thing you can do is ignore or delete it. It’s important to have a plan in place when the situation arises so your response is timely and constructive. Remember anyone who sees the negative comment will also see your way in which you have handed it.

9) SOCIAL IS TOO INFORMAL FOR BUSINESS

I heard this at a networking event just the other week, what the comment says to me is that the person saying it doesn’t know what social media is all about. Social communication is for everyone, irrespective of business type, it can change perceptions of your business in a post or a tweet. When the CIA fired up their Twitter account they got it absolutely right with their first tweet.

10) EVERY POST NEEDS A HASHTAG

#Saving #the #best #for #last. #Dear #Lord #above, #save #us from #Hashtag #Hell.

Hashtags are great, they tie up events, topics, opinions and conversations beautifully but they are the source of more social evil than almost anything else (with serial re-tweeters a close second). They are not however, compulsory and will not guarantee you a trending topic but used carefully and creatively will help those following the hashtag to find your content.

I hope that if you’ve comes across any of those Social Media myths this blog has given you the confidence to take my advice and ignore them.

There a more of them of course, I have a feeling there may be a part 2 coming soon.

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It’s All In The Profile

Usually when we talk about profiles it relates to our best side, most people will have their preferences, some left, some right. There are also those of us who start from such a low base that it makes no difference.

In Social Media parlance, your profile is the way in which you portray yourself to potential followers and contacts. You have complete control over how you look and what you say about you and what you do.

It is a very important part of setting up Social Media channels but one which many people still get badly wrong. I think a few tips may help you to make the most of your social profiles and in turn give you a more solid, consistent social brand.

Yes I know the word “brand” gets bandied around like no-one’s business, sometimes right, sometimes wrongly. However, if we look at Social profiles from a business and marketing perspective then it is exactly the right word to use. Your social persona is your brand and there are some simple ways in which you can give off the right message and keep it consistent across your digital platforms.

1. NAME

We are looking at this subject from a business angle so it goes without saying that you want the name you choose for your account to be your business name or as close as possible. As time goes on and more and more accounts are set-up there is sometimes a problem with other accounts having the name you need. This doesn’t apply across the board of course but if one of the social channels you have identified as being right for your business cannot give you the name you want it can affect the consistency in your social branding.

If you are starting a new business as I was not so long ago it’s worth testing the name you want to make sure it is available, and if it is GRAB IT.

2. PICTURE

In my opinion there is no excuse for not including a profile picture on all of your platforms. The nature of your services will determine the sort of picture you use. I am a one man operation in the field of digital communication so I use a photo of my stupid face across my platforms. This is the option for the majority of Social Media services providers and that’s exactly right. Our brand is not only one of expertise and consultancy but also personality and 1-2-1 communication.

If you’re using a business or company logo make sure you are aware of the sizing limitations as they differ from platform to platform. Here’s a handy size guide from those nice people at Constant Contact. Just click here

There is something suspicious about social accounts with no profile picture. I never accept a request from someone or follow another user if they don’t have a picture attached to their account.

Don’t be a Twitter Egg or a Facebook Silhouette; it will do you no favours whatsoever.

3. YOUR LINK

Most Social Media platforms will give you the option to include a link to another site of your choice as part of your profile. Some allow you to link your other social sites too. It’s important not to ignore this option. Why would you? It’s another opportunity to advertise your other channels to your friends and followers. Twitter’s bio is quite limited so choose the link that will benefit you most; like yours or your company’s website. If you feel that a link to another social channel is more beneficial use that. Some Social Media “experts” are quite sniffy about cross promoting alternative social channels, I have no idea why. This could just be another one of those Social Media “myths” that have come about across time. It supposes that the person engaging with your account can’t handle the notion of being taken to an alternative platform.

It’s nonsense, and after all you make two follows for the price of one.

4. YOUR BIO

If you want your social persona to be taken seriously from a business standpoint, please make sure your bio is as good as it can be. The scope you have will vary from platform to platform but being concise and to the point is never a bad discipline.

Here’s my Twitter bio:-

Nice picture (well as good as it gets), my bio says what I do, advertises my Hootsuite speciality, shows I’m open for business and there’s something light and humorous at the end. I also flag up my other Twitter account and of course my business website.

The forms of words I use there is very similar to the bios on my other Social channels. Consistency in branding is important to get the company message across in an easy to understand way.

5. UP TO DATE

I see so many profiles, and I’ll include LinkedIn here, that I know are out of date. An accurate profile will give you a better chance in searches when people are looking for you, it also says something about you and the way you do business. Once a profile is in good order, it only needs occasional auditing and editing.

6. PRIVACY SETTINGS

Your profile is now in good shape so it’s wise to take a look at your privacy settings. Not all platforms have them of course but on Facebook and LinkedIn you can control what your followers and contacts see. You want to be sure that the information you have compiled is visible and beneficial.

7. PROMOTION

Once your profile is spick and span it’s time to tell everyone about it. Social Media gives you numerous ways to promote and advertise you and your platforms, but it’s not just about the social. You can also include your platforms on your business cards like I do.

Put links from your website to your Social channels, include them in your e-mail signature and insert one or two when you post to online forums.

Your profile is very often the first impression someone gets of you, make sure it’s a good one.

Disclaiming the Disclaimer

You’ve probably seen hundreds of them; you may even have one of our own on your Twitter bio.

Yes it’s the disclaimer; the one above is what’s opted for in many cases, however sometimes users get a bit creative.

After all these years there is still a general belief that these disclaimers in a Twitter profile somehow bestow a suit of armour if a problem arises with any dubious content issued from that person’s account.

It doesn’t matter how they phrased, a Twitter disclaimer is about as much use as an underwater hairdryer.

I don’t know where or when the disclaimer was born but like anything that gets repeated over and over again, the perception becomes reality.

To give it a legal comparison it’s like the word “allegedly” which is still thought of as a shield if used before a libellous or defamatory comment. Again, this is a popular misconception but still widely believed.

The main man in legal training for radio folk is Paul Chantler, he says this about that word

“For example, despite what you may have been led to believe by ‘Have I Got News For You?, the word “allegedly” is not a defence against a possible libel action; if anything it just digs you even deeper into the hole in which you’ve dug yourself. In libel cases, the burden of proof is on the defendant, so by using “allegedly”, you are, in effect, admitting you are not totally sure of the facts, and, therefore, have no adequate defence”.

The same thing applies to the Twitter disclaimer.

We shouldn’t need a form of words on our bio to protect us from our own ideas and thoughts being published on a public forum. All we need is to take responsibility for our opinions for that is what they are; they cannot be anyone else’s.

You will occasionally see another disclaimer on a Twitter profile which declares that :-

“Re-tweets are not endorsements”

My argument is that that is EXACTLY what they are. What else could they be, unless you add a caveat to the tweet you are sharing you can expect the content to be taken as something you not only agree with, but agree with enough to share with your own Twitter community.

Here’s a story that grabbed my attention in the last couple of days featuring a tweet from Geoffrey Miller, a Psychologist at the University of New Mexico.

He declared via Twitter :-

A rumpus quickly ensued as you would expect and with every justification, as unless he’s done research into both the correlation of willpower relating to the intake of carbohydrates and the impetus to complete a dissertation, he’s on shaky ground. Love the hashtag too, as if that’s enough proof to justify the preceding comments.

He soon responded to the criticism he was getting by explaining it was all part of a research program to gauge Twitter reaction to provocative comments. I suppose we should give him credit for trying to come up with something more creative than “I had my account hacked”, but once he realised we weren’t all born yesterday, he issued a disclaimer AGAINST HIS OWN OPINION.

It’s another example of the way an ill-judged, bone-headed Social Media posting can not only come back and bite you in the backside, but not be happy until it’s eaten your trousers too.

The way to avoid these embarrassing episodes is not to indulge in meaningless copy and paste disclaimers but to be measured, thoughtful and considered.

A tweet can take seconds to share but the impact and damage of a poorly judged post can stay with you for a lifetime.