Social media recruiting is the process of using social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share job postings, network with professionals and research potential job candidates.

Social media channels make the recruiting process much easier. Here are three reasons why.

A study by the Aberdeen Group found that  73 percent of millennials  have successfully used social media to search for job opportunities. Since millennials are already looking for jobs on these platforms, companies stand to benefit from posting their job opportunities on social media.

Billions of people  use social media. From people who are passively browsing social media to those who are actively looking for jobs, your job posting is bound to attract interested and qualified candidates.

3. Candidate interactions on social channels improve your brand awareness

It's possible that some candidates have never heard of your company before. Posting on social media and networking with those candidates can improve your brand's visibility and reputation.

Social media can help recruiters with several difficult aspects of job recruitment:

Reaching out to passive candidates

Passive candidates  are those who are not actively looking for a new job and are more or less satisfied with their current job. However, they may be interested in other roles and may look at the latest job posts on social media out of curiosity.

Posting frequently can make you visible to these passive candidates as they browse their feed. Consider using video to connect with these candidates as well—videos are highly engaging and can give passive candidates an instant insight into your company, its culture, and the job you’re offering.

Interaction with interested candidates

Interested candidates are more likely to apply, but this helps to stimulate their interest and give them an extra boost.

For example, some interested candidates may have some hesitations or questions about the open job. Through social media, they can also send direct messages and comment on your posts. If you interact with their questions, you can start building a professional relationship even before you receive an application.

Finding a Niche Network

While you can find thousands of qualified candidates on social media, you may want to look for candidates who are qualified for a very specific role. Social media pages and forums can help you find these candidates. For example, your ideal candidate may have just left an insightful comment on a Reddit post or Quora question.

It’s also important for you to establish your brand in these specific places on the internet, so candidates can find you as easily as you can find them.

Social media recruiting should always be part of your recruiting strategy. Using it will help you reach a wider audience.

Most of the popular social media platforms can be used for social media recruiting.

Linkedin

LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for job recruitment. Since the website is designed with professional networking in mind, it has tools that make it incredibly easy to post jobs and accept resumes. LinkedIn also offers post boosting, which lets you promote your job postings.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are also viable options for social media recruiting. These platforms allow you to promote posts using specific demographic information. And because these platforms are more informal than LinkedIn, you can also get a sense of your candidate's personality.

YouTube

Some industries may also want to see a candidate's YouTube account, especially if the job requires video skills. Seeing what the candidate posts on his channel gives you a good idea of ​​his skill level.

Companies that use social media recruiting enjoy a variety of benefits:

• The cost per rental is significantly reduced.
• You can screen candidates more easily.
• Jobs will be able to be filled more quickly.
• You can reach more qualified candidates.
• Recruiters can find more candidates through referrals, followers, and networking.
• You can find candidates to fill highly-specialized roles.

Although there are significant benefits to using social media for recruiting, finding the right candidate can still be quite difficult.

• You need a specific recruiting and targeting strategy.
• You need to invest a good amount of creativity to stand out from other companies.
• Promoting posts can be costly.
• Your audience might not be on a particular social media platform.
• It's hard to avoid bias (like looking at a picture of a candidate).
• Candidates’ profiles may not match who they are and how they will perform as an employee.