Making Social Media Recruiting Work for Your Recruitment Agency
Social media and recruitment go hand-in-hand, but what do the numbers really say?
Recruitment is changing, fast. 92% of recruiters now use social media for work and most applicants start their job search online. This means adopting a new mindset. Simply getting a job ad live isn't enough: the spotlight is now on relationship building and employer branding. Recruitment CRM systems are here to help.
In some ways, the process of hiring new people is starting to resemble inbound marketing. Companies use creative content online to attract and engage prospects, and get them to sign on the dotted line of a contract of employment.
Meet your new best friend
Enter the Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system. A close relation of an old favourite - the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), but smarter and harder working.
Whereas an ATS focuses on existing applicants, a CRM captures information at all stages of the recruitment process, delivering better analysis and the means to a sustainable talent pipeline.
Changing mindsets
70% of professionals aren't looking for a new job. But this passive talent is key to filling your clients' posts – particularly in sectors with shortages, like STEM or leadership roles. What are the chances that they'll see your advert and apply?
By taking the long-term view and investing in your relationships, you maximise your chances of filling your posts. If a candidate has a great experience, there's a good chance that they'll be in touch next time they're looking for a change at work.
But what is a great experience? Start with the basics. Common complaints include being approached by several recruiters from the same agency and being dropped without explanation.
This is easy to fix. Tracking a candidate's contact with your company helps to strengthen the relationship. It also means a reliable talent pool that doesn't depend exclusively on any one recruiter.
On a side note, it's also much easier to calculate the return on investment (ROI) of events such as career fairs.
Fine-tuning your implementation
Why can recruitment CRM be so difficult to implement effectively? Of course, nobody likes admin, but a small amount of work gives you huge benefits. Moreover, most systems offer enough automation to offset this investment.
We suggest building it into your team KPIs. Closed a deal? Update the CRM or it doesn't count. Tracking meetings? Make sure it's logged. Solutions such as OneUp Sales then allow you to track uptake – and make it fun too.
Head-to-head competitions, customisable TV displays, collaborative missions - it's everything you need to turn a chore into a game. Your imagination is the limit.
If you'd like some extra ideas on how to pull this off, get in touch.
If you've evaluated recruitment CRM systems in the past, it may be worth another look. A new generation of platforms is proving disruptive in the best possible way.
Goodbye lengthy contracts and desktop installations! Hello, cloud-based flexibility and social media integration. This can open up opportunities for your recruiters to step away from repetitive asks and refocus on what they do best: talking to people.
OneUp Sales - building high performance sales teams by increasing productivity, retaining talent, and empowering management across your organisation. Learn more about our platform and explore what it could do for you.
Photos by Brooke Cagle, Matheus Ferrero and Austin Chan on Unsplash