Trying to find the right candidate for your open role can be tough. As of 2025, social media recruitment strategies are still crucial, with companies relying on platforms like LinkedIn and others for a significant portion of their hiring efforts. This highlights the ongoing importance of social media recruiting in today’s competitive job market.However, the talent pool is shallow, and everyone is competing for the same talent. Media recruiters are sifting through the same LinkedIn profiles, and job seekers get multiple emails each day, asking if they or someone they know is interested in a new position. If you're only using these tactics, it's simply not strategic. You're probably not getting anywhere, and if you are, you will likely pay more in salary because that great candidate, well, they've got 3 other offers.
Job descriptions are written, and the social media recruiters are ready to start candidate sourcing and networking. You want the best talent out there. But what’s your strategy? Okay, yes, you're using LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) for recruiting. That's a great start. However, it's only the tip of the iceberg in the world of social media recruiting.
Your recruiting team and social networks are the face of your company. Instead of having just one generic X account, try giving each social media recruiter their own handle to post, tweet, and interact with potential candidates. Social media is about engagement and talent acquisition. If you're going to do it right, you need more than one employee managing all accounts. The more your company engages with the outside world, the more visible and relevant you become. In order to increase engagement with your followers, consider launching an X (formerly Twitter) campaign during the summer months that's run by your interns. They can tell the story of what it's like to work at your organization and stretch your brand into the college classroom.
Don’t start recruiting without the right technology to back your strategy. For example, if you post a job on Twitter, be sure the link is accessible from mobile devices. It's too much work otherwise. Consider a mobile-friendly application process as well; make it easy to download and apply to job postings at any time. Implementing an applicant tracking system can streamline your recruitment process. I spoke to my colleague, Chris Fields, an HR consultant and expert resume writer, and he had this to say about social media recruiting:
"I see a lot of job descriptions. I also visit a lot of company career pages. It's amazing to me that companies demand top talent and the best workers available, yet many of them fail in the social recruiting process. They fail because they do not have an easily accessible application experience and don't have their websites or job ads compatible with mobile technology. Also, don't launch a social media recruitment strategy if your company is not truly ready for socially savvy (connected) job seekers; it won't fit."
Remember, you're hoping to attract the best talent—including passive candidates who are pretty well connected, engaged, and aware. If you're unable to post relevant content, news, and information on a regular basis to your X, LinkedIn, or Facebook accounts, it’s time to hire a full-time employee dedicated to managing your social media accounts. This is key to candidate engagement and keeping their attention. You're only as relevant as your last post or tweet. So keep it fresh and consistent to enhance the candidate experience and build your employer brand. Participate in Twitter chats and LinkedIn groups to cross-reference your brand with other topics, which will help to increase your content share and your brand visibility.
Effective social media advertising and recruitment marketing can significantly boost your recruitment campaigns. By creating targeted ads and implementing a solid recruitment marketing strategy, you can reach a wider pool of potential candidates and build stronger candidate relationships.
Does your organization use social media to find new hires? What does your social media recruiting strategy look like? How do you engage with job seekers and build your talent pool? Let us know in the comments.