Using Social Media to Find Great Employees

The old adage holds true today: good help is hard to find. Finding and hiring the right candidate is essential, and small business owners can take advantage of social media to help in the hiring process. When used with traditional methods like job boards, social media can be the digital “Help Wanted” sign that finds and attracts employees.

Innovative Employee Solutions notes that 89 percent of young adults between ages 16 and 29 use social media at least once per week. To employ social media as a recruitment method, small business owners must become familiar with commonly used platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and especially, LinkedIn. Posting on the company Facebook page and tweeting about a potential opening are effective ways to start the search for a new employee, but these methods only skim the surface.

In a recent article, The Wall Street Journal suggests companies invest in a recruiter app for their Facebook pages and make use of current employees’ contacts on the platform. Empowering employees to help in the search may save time and help filter candidates. An important item for employers to keep in mind, according to the article, is not to spam about a job opening, but instead offer insight regarding the opportunity is for potential candidates.

A recent article on Mashable recommends using the power of available technology to assist with filtering candidates. All social media platforms allow people to search using keywords, and by creating parameters, small business owners can narrow the search for new candidates and approach the most qualified people for the job.

Additionally, according to Constant Contact, small businesses should invest time in building a LinkedIn business page, utilizing friends and colleagues to make connections.

Social media has changed the way employers and employees find one another. For small business owners, it’s imperative to use the available tools effectively to hire the right people.