how are you currently sourcing your candidates?
Are you posting on your website and then just hoping for the best? Or do you have a strategy that works for you? And are you using social media?
A study by iCIMS revealed that your candidates may not be looking for jobs where you think they are.
It seems that many employers believed that Twitter was a huge platform for job search (with 51% of employers posting their jobs on Twitter), when in fact most job seekers expect to find jobs on LinkedIn and Facebook and are more likely to apply for the job when they find it on Facebook or LinkedIn.
There appears to be a huge mismatch between where employers are posting their jobs – with only 23% of employers posting their jobs on LinkedIn despite the platform ranking as the most popular place to find jobs among job-seeking candidates.
Here’s a breakdown of New Zealand’s current social platforms and how you should be using them in your job search:
LinkedIn’s primary function is as a job board. And if they aren’t looking for work at the moment, then they will most likely use the platform to enhance their professional development and keep themselves open to new job opportunities in the future.
The stats are there – over 95% of professional Kiwis have a LinkedIn profile. New Zealand is one of the most connected countries with the platform, which is an enormous global network.
It is undoubtedly the world’s largest online professional network with 2+ members joining the network globally every second. Make sure you maximise this incredible platform and make sure you use this resource to not only seek out candidates but also attract them.
tips:
- Set up a strong company profile and connect your employees to your page.
- Organic follows and recommendations will also attract new candidates to interact with your brand.
Facebook is not only the second biggest platform employees use when they are looking for work – it’s also the biggest social media platform in the world.
New Zealanders are also using Facebook very regularly.
As of 2017, over 2.9 million New Zealanders had a profile – that’s around 61% of the population. Well over half of Kiwis use the platform every single day – making it one of the most effective tools to tap into from an employer's perspective.
The average Kiwi logs into Facebook an average of 14 times a day. While they spend most of their time chatting with friends and socialising, rather than looking for jobs, try to tap into the actions Kiwis make on Facebook – their social behaviours and appeal to those movements.
For example, we know they like to share and talk to friends, so make your job posts informal and sharable. It can also be a good idea to involve your employees in getting your job messaging out there – instead of from a company account to add to your personability.
fact:
- Facebook also has the biggest conversion rate for actual applications – so do not miss this opportunity to post your jobs.
As highlighted in the study, Twitter seems to be the least likely place that a candidate would find a job.
Twitter is, however, a great network to showcase your brand and thought leadership.
Post articles and content, as well as your jobs, so that candidates can see they will gain lots of valuable information by visiting your page.
google+
According to the study, only 1% of employers are posting jobs on Google+ but jobs posted here usually get seen four times more than on other platforms.
Google+ is a visually led source and can be a great platform to increase your brand awareness; although candidates are not necessarily looking for jobs here they may engage more with your posts and your brand as a whole.
use other channels
Of course, social isn’t the only way to source new candidates.
Asking for recommendations from your current employees is a great way to source high quality candidates. You can also post and advertise on your website, job board such as Seek and TradeMe, to attract new candidates to you company.
