October 27, 2015 @JoeSerwach

Social Media: The Secret to Attracting and Recruiting TalentJoseph Serwach serwach.me

Talent Wars: The Great Mismatch

Hiring software has its limits

Relationships rule: We are 3 times more likely to find a job through a personal contact, mostly a “weak tie’’

Social Media is all about “weak ties’’

Social Media is a tool -What matters most is what you say, how you say it and when you say it. Do your words match something a prospect might be searching for?

Start with the basics: What do you do? What do you do well? Win searches

Why Social Media matters1. Social Media: the "new telephone.” We search before we dial. Are you answering in time?2. Digital due diligence: You can check each other out quickly.3. MSU researchers call social media: a "social lubricant," moving you from 1st to 2nd or 3rd date before even meeting.

Strong brands have strong social media

✤ Is your organization a strong brand that stands out or a commodity (like many others)?

✤ What’s the difference between a strong brand and a commodity?

✤ Commodities compete on price, features and convenience.

✤ Strong brands command a premium - because they stand out from the crowd.

Apple laptop (powerful brand) vs PC laptops (commodities): $200 profit margin vs. $9

The Six Second RuleRecruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing a resume before deciding to take a deeper dive. They first look at:1. Candidate's most recent job.2. Candidate's previous job.3. Education.

Six Second rule for Prospects When applicants learn about a potential job, they first look at:1. Job Title. Good fit? Move up or down?2. Employer. Familiar or unfamiliar? Impressive or unknown? If unfamiliar, do they sound interesting?3. Job description. Interesting? Good fit?

Once you get each other's attention

✤ Prospects will: 1. Google the name of your company (one third click on 1st result, is that you?).

✤ 2. Review your website.

✤ 3. Review your LinkedIn presence (your page, profiles of HR , leadership and anyone they might know).

✤ You should similarly: Google them, review their website (if they have one) or otherwise review their LinkedIn (their business face) and their Facebook.

Surveys: Referrals and Social

According to a 2014 survey from Monster, 65 percent of respondents would consider an opportunity for a new job if they learned about it from a

personal connection.

93 percent of 1,855 recruiting pros surveyed in Jobvite's 2014 Social Recruiting Survey use or plan to use social media in their recruiting efforts.

Leveraging social media improves candidate quality by 44 percent over those using only "traditional" recruiting techniques like phone screenings

and filtering resumes based solely on skills and experience

Keeping it simpleThe Boston Globe found the simpler a candidate’s message, the higher their support.What’s your takeaway? You’re looking at dozens or hundreds of candidates but they’re applying for as many jobs. So you each need to stand out from the pack. The simplest, shortest messages are best remembered.

Rules for all social media

✤ It’s a telephone - not a billboard. Make each conversation matter, show you’re human and care about the other person.

✤ It’s not all about you: Don’t just post self promotional content - give your listener something they want.

✤ Job posts are like bread: most appealing when they’re fresh out of the oven.

✤ Posting about others (clients, industry trends) demonstrates thought leadership, shows you’re on the cutting edge.

Leveraging LinkedIn

Why Facebook matters

✤ Numbers: 1.49 billion monthly active users, 65 percent use their Facebook daily. Average user spends 20 minutes per visit.

✤ After looking at your website, prospects will review your Facebook to get a feel for your culture.

✤ 27 percent of U.S. drivers admit checking Facebook while driving.

✤ The best way to measure “fit’’ - someone’s Facebook wall is often like looking at their diary.

The best thing about Facebook

✤ 80 percent of recruiters are using social media to evaluate a candidate's potential culture match. The emphasis on cultural fit is a major reason recruiters are doubling down on social media as a tool.

Twitter advantages:

✤ The cocktail party: It’s designed to be more self-promotional. Job posts more likely to be re-tweeted.

✤ Job posts aimed at job seekers - tweets go to a broader audience.

✤ Hash tags (skill or function specific hash tags refine your search) and search make it easier to search and find the kinds of people you’re looking for.

✤ More than 200 role models: https://twitter.com/ThisIsLars/lists/brand-recruiting-handles

What about YouTube, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest?

✤ YouTube is the No. 2 search engineer (after Google). A good primer video is like a virtual tour of your company and its culture.

✤ Instagram and Pinterest are all about images: do you make things? If you’re products are beautiful or cool, think about Instagram. Pinterest is more female but it’s also a place to show “wish list’’ items. Even clamp makers are there.

✤ Google+ is fading but it’s owned by Google and posts here still help SEO on Google itself

It’s always about matchmaking: The right fit, timing

Online Resources

✤ Readability-Score.com

✤ https://website.grader.com

✤ https://marketing.grader.com

✤ http://www.alexa.com

Questions?