Keep it professional and positive:
This may seem obvious but it is worth developing a few guidelines for a social media recruiting campaign. I am developing another post to go deeper into this topic. The bottom line, give employees a small set of rules, be professional, positive, etc. but little restriction on how they follow the rules. Again, it is important to be genuine.
4 Rules for Recruiting with Social Media
Last week I posted about the importance of developing a firm wide social media recruiting strategy. A strong social media recruiting effort can help identify talent in today’s very tight market. In my previous post, I promised I would share my best practice guidelines for using social media for recruiting. With these rule as a baseline, a robust social media recruiting effort can be effective, professional, and fun.
Be Real:
As I mentioned in my first blog, posting job description alone will not win the day. The rule here is to engage real people in real conversations. This means having an opinion, sharing an opinion, and being curious about other’s opinions.
Everyone should tell their own story. People are compelling in their own way. Their ups and downs are relatable. This is who potential new employees want to know. To do this, speak in the first person. Talk to your readers like you would talk to a real person. Encourage comments and reply to people in a conversational tone. Linking to other blogs and articles you like are also encouraged.
These real personalities elevate your firm, attracting talent and setting your firm up to be an employer of choice.
Be True:
This is where being real meets a bit of CYA (cover your ass). Offer your thoughts with context whenever possible. Make your content rich, interesting, and accurate, but be careful. If you don’t know, don’t post. If you are unsure, research. If you do make a mistake, correct it quickly. The general rule is: if you hesitate to publish, pause the post.
Your overall goal should be to aim for quality.
Be Selective:
Designers have a great advantage when using social media. Compelling projects, interesting graphics, and great photographs. These make for great content that attracts “eyes”. However, before discussing or sharing any project ensure that the firm and the client approve. Never share confidential or proprietary information and if you don’t know if it is confidential or proprietary, assume it is.
Be Nice:
This may seem obvious but it is worth repeating. Be nice! When you are using social media, you are building your firm’s brand but also your own personal brand. Treat people with the upmost respect, even those who may not be showing you the same. If you wouldn’t say it at work, don’t say it on social media.
In Closing:
Please keep in mind these guidelines are just that, guidelines; a way to start a social media recruiting policy. Any policy for your firm should be developed and vetted with leadership and appropriate council.
The goal of this post is to demonstrate that starting a social media recruiting effort is not that hard. Create some rules, share them with staff, and get a social media recruiting campaign into high gear.
I also understand that long term this is a very large and complex topic. It is impossible to share every detail, and address every unique situation in a blog post. If you have questions or want to discuss polices I have helped my clients create, drop me an email. My address is david AT dbifirm DOT com.
