Far from being just a social media channel to post charming pictures of your children, Instagram is one of the most popular venues to reach new candidates for the jobs you’re trying to fill. This article will look at how this social channel can take your recruiting efforts to the next level by reaching more candidates faster.
Instagram is Insta-Popular
Most recruiting and HR teams are on LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Twitter. But don’t forget about Instagram, one of the fastest growing social media platforms with over a billion users currently. Who’s on Instagram? A lot of 18-34 year olds; they make up 61% of platform participants.
The great part of Instagram is that it tells your story in visual images. That makes for some creative and fun opportunities for recruiters to use the tool to attract more candidates. Why would you use this tool for recruiting?
- Build your brand on Instagram. 80% of platform users follow a particular brand and 30% regularly use it to influence their purchasing decisions.
- Use it for social recruiting. 49% of professionals follow companies on social media to stay aware of the jobs they offer.
- 73% of millennials say they found their last job on social media.
Now that we understand the “why” of using Instagram for recruiting, it’s time to also talk about the “how-to” of the process. To use Instagram to find qualified job candidates you should:
- Create your free account.
You can set up a personal and a business account and can use both to find more candidates. - Select your look by creating a bio and a visual format.
Try to stick with the same look and feel of your website by using brand colors for consistency. - Look for your target audience.
Consider their likes and dislikes and try to tailor your posts to fit the kind of things that interest and intrigue that audience. - Use hashtags to engage with your audience.
Many people use hashtags to search Instagram to find content, so be strategic in your approach. You can use a free service like hashtagifyme to determine if your hashtags are relevant and well liked. - Now focus on sharing your company culture.
You can use the Instagram platform to share authentic, behind the scenes glimpses into your culture. Consider the parts of your organization that make it interesting, unique, and fun. Do you have potlucks or happy hours? Do you go to educational events? Do you volunteer for good causes? Share these good times with Instagram followers so that you can attract them to your company. - Engage with others by sharing and commenting on other posts.
Instagram has an algorithm so that the more you engage with other people the more your posts will show up in the newsfeed. It’s an interactive and immersive process of a mutual back and forth with you and with your target audience.
For more tips on how to reach a wider audience, talk to the Gecko team. We work hard to recruit top talent by using every means available, including social media and recruiting marketing, to help you reach your hiring goals. Contact our hospitality recruiting experts today.
