Guest Post: How HR Uses Social Media
These HR tips come from Erin Palmer and Villanova University’s online programs. If you’re interested in advancing your HR knowledge consider a human resources certification program or to really advance your career opportunities enroll in a Masters Degree in Human Resources program.
In recent years social media has taken the world by storm. Many companies have long since jumped on the wagon and have begun using social media to interact with customers and clients. Universities then paved the way for using social media as a means of recruitment. Now, businesses and corporations are taking note as their HR departments look toward social media to find potential employees and promote their brands.
Using Social Media for Recruitment
There have been a myriad of articles written about how social media has changed the job hunt as we know it. Employers are now interacting one-on-one with potential employees as they take the recruiting process to various forms of social media including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Many HR professionals feel that social media can help them be more effective in their recruiting efforts. However, not all companies are using social media to their fullest potential. Since so many people are already utilizing social media, using such sites for recruitment can potentially increase the talent pool.
There are several areas within Human Resources that can be leveraged through social media, such as employee connection and training. Likewise, there are plenty of social media avenues that HR professionals can use to get their message across to consumers, current employees and potential new hires.
Facebook has quickly surfaced as a key player in the world of internet marketing. Companies can create a Facebook fan page to interact with people by posting news, videos, photos and more. Facebook fan pages are meant to create and encourage a sense of community among current employees and customers. Meanwhile, HR professionals can use Facebook to give potential employees an inside look at how their organization operates.
Facebook fan pages also provide a prime branding opportunity. Several companies such as Pepsi and Victoria’s Secret have taken full advantage of the many customizable features within a Facebook page to create awareness about a brand and call their fans to action.
Facebook also makes it easy to track your page’s engagement through Facebook Insights – an analytics tool that is integrated into your Facebook fan page and tracks anything from impressions to comments.
Finally, Facebook Ads allow you to create marketing campaigns that can target a very specific audience. If you’re looking for job candidates you can place an ad that targets according to demographics, interests and other qualifications.
Twitter has taken a time tested successful form of marketing – word of mouth – and turned it on its head. The concept is simple: you share with your followers who in turn share with their followers and so forth. As a result it has become an integral part of several successful marketing campaigns including those for large corporations such as Ford.
Companies often times announce when they are hiring through these means. They also engage in conversations with their consumers, host online events and stay up to date with industry news by following relevant people and companies. Many people in the HR community use Twitter to share links to relevant blog posts or to pass along information learned at a conference.
A social media site designed specifically for professionals, LinkedIn has taken the term “professional networking” to an entirely new level. HR departments can post job ads, troll the millions of professional profiles and catch up on news within their industry all from
their homepage. HR can also create groups to keep current and future employees informed on company news and find new recruits by using the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” feature.
YouTube
Perhaps an outlet that doesn’t get enough credit as a marketing tool, YouTube can be used as a low cost means of recruiting by giving potential employees an inside look at your company. You can also post training and development videos so that your employees always have them as a reference. HR can also use YouTube as a way to promote the company’s brand. One viral video can make a huge impact on how a company or product is perceived.
Social media hasn’t just changed the way people look for work; it’s changed the way companies look for job candidates. It’s also paved the way for new marketing techniques that fuel engagement and interaction with consumers, current employees and new recruits. Be sure to take advantage of all the features social media has to offer and take your brand to a whole new level.