Facebook has been around for over 13 years and with that it has had many changes, but one thing has remained constant and that is that people continue to use the platform even when they complain about it. There are over 1.79 billion users on Facebook and that is a huge number of people that actively use the platform. What is even more surprising is that the average user spends 1 of every 7 minutes of online on Facebook. We have found that targeting this audience for recruiting has been a very successful venture for many companies we work with.
Facebook also recently rolled out a new jobs “Tab” that allows businesses to post jobs in a tab on their Facebook page and applicants are able to apply directly on Facebook.
We have had great success with recruiting on Facebook and want to share how recruiting on Facebook may be beneficial for your organization.
Facebook increases your recruitment pool
We have already stressed the large numbers of users on Facebook, which means your job posting has the potential to be seen by many more users than other social media channels. When you recruit through Facebook you are able to target your audience by location, career type, interests and many other categories. We have found that for most audiences, Facebook is a much better place to target for recruiting ads than LinkedIn. The reason for this is that people log into Facebook often and therefore have a better chance of seeing the ads we have placed. Facebook is also a much larger platform which means that we have a better chance of reaching more people. It’s true that LinkedIn is the professional social network and we love LinkedIn but when it comes to recruiting with ads – Facebook has continued to dominate our testing as the leader.
Facebook establishes a personal connection with potential candidates
Its no secret that Facebook conveys a personal feel. The company is always striving to tailor your feed to match your interests and highlight posts of your close friends and family. Think back to when you accepted a job offer, were you swayed to take the job because you felt like the company cared about its employees? When you recruit on Facebook you are inviting potential candidates to like your page and interact with your community. This connection can mean a lot when they are making a decision to apply and/or accept an offer.
Our customers that use Facebook extensively for recruiting, find that they are successful because candidates are not only seeing a job listing, they are seeing the company and all it has to offer through their robust Facebook page. Being social is about presenting your company for the world to see, both prospective employees and customers alike. It’s a way to connect with your target audiences in a way that is real and personal. Facebook does this in a way that no other social media channels is able to do and makes it a great channel for recruiting purposes.
Referrals
It becomes more apparent every day that we live in a world where it isn’t what you know it’s who you know. Facebook opens up the door for a wealth of referrals. Current employees can easily share a job posting on Facebook and reach their personal network. Third party referrals also happen as a result of posting on Facebook. One of your friends could see a job posting that is perfect for you and then share the post with you. We have seen this first hand at SocialNicole and it has been very beneficial.
Brand Awareness
Using Facebook as a recruiting tool increases your brand awareness. You are inadvertently increasing your brand awareness when you recruit via Facebook. Anytime you are putting your brand out on social media and leveraging advertising to make sure it will be seen you increase your brand awareness. When you recruit through Facebook you are telling people that you are a robust company that is growing. People like to be around success and will see this as a positive and a reason to connect with you and potentially buy from you. Branding happens all the time whether we are conscious of it or not. Filling new positions for your company is no exception when you use Facebook to promote a job opening.
Cost Effective
Leverage Facebook Ads can provide a business with a seemingly infinite network of candidates and is relatively light on the wallet comparative to other forms of advertising. The attractive part of Facebook ads is that even small businesses can afford to use the ad platform. Armed with a compelling photo, some great ad copy and even a small ad spend , even the smallest businesses can recruit people successfully using Facebook.
While most people do not focus on Facebook as a recruiting tool, we have found it is the perfect place to be. With the large number of users and ability to target very specific audiences it allows you to get in front of potential candidates and get the word out about your open positions.
While recruiting on Facebook can be highly beneficial to your company it also takes time and knowledge to set up ads and target the right people. Need help? Contact us to help create a strategy that will get results and help set up and manage your recruiting campaigns.
