4 Ways HR Professionals Can Use Social Media to their Advantage

A major role of the HR team is to attract the most talented recruits while also managing existing employees and convincing them to remain loyal to the company. Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for driving businesses forward and enhancing employee engagement.

Data produced by Statista shows that at least 75% of the population holds a social media account. However, these platforms appear to be underestimated by more than half of the business sector. By leveraging social media, HR departments can ensure their brands are dynamic, which can be used to attract the best workforce and implement effective employee recognition programs.

1. Locating the Best Recruits

Planning and recruitment are essential in any business. Using social media to reach the next generation of executives can be very effective for improving employee retention. According to Statista, 3.6 billion people log in to social media sites every day. It's approximately 49% of the world's population.

The next wave of executives and managers are already being provided by Millennials with an age range between twenty-six and forty-one. Further down the line, Generation Z newcomers are only just beginning their careers. Yet it's these fledgling professionals that could enable your company to shine a couple of decades from now and contribute to a positive workplace culture.

The Pew Research Center has discovered that people aged eighteen to twenty-nine are the most prolific users of social media sites. Millennials in their thirties are less inclined to habitually use the channels daily.

Establishing your business on social media creates an active and informative platform when inviting applications for new roles. Potential applicants can follow your job opportunities for years before they decide to apply. Such familiarity encourages them to prioritize your company in their plans and can significantly boost employee motivation. However, the social media sites you target for recruitment depend on the category of roles your business offers.

LinkedIn is usually the go-to platform for prospective sales personnel. Since it began in 2003, LinkedIn has enabled millions of ambitious employees to create their networks of useful contacts. Reddit is the essential hub for IT professionals where they can share their knowledge and innovations. Twitter is always favored by marketing agents and copywriters.

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2. Improving Your Reputation as an Employer

Social media is a highly effective tool in creating and preserving the image of your business. In the hands of resourceful HR professionals, your entire employer-employee relationship can be subtly explained, enhancing your company culture and employee experience.

Social media followers should instantly see images of your contented workforce. They'll be able to view special events occurring in your daily corporate life. You won't need to state you're an all-inclusive employer with equal opportunities for everyone. The images you relay will instantly prove your policies are genuinely all-encompassing and what any future employee would hope to find.

Facebook was founded in Massachusetts in 2004. A 2021 survey by Statista revealed Facebook is now the most successful social media platform with 2.74 billion ardent followers. It's easy to use for sharing photographs, videos, text, and much more. Members of your workforce are likely to be on Facebook, where they can interact with other users. They can also share their experiences of working for your dynamic business, contributing to Facebook employee engagement.

Your current workforce has the potential to make or break your business. If their experiences are positive, your reputation as a fair, benevolent employer with fantastic opportunities can only be enhanced. However, your HR department will need to target the most appropriate Facebook platform. According to Statista, 61% of the US now accesses the site via mobile devices. Also, you can buy Instagram followers USA, and leverage the full advantage of the employee search feature on Instagram by displaying your ads to thousands of eligible audiences on this social network.

3. Use Social Media to Highlight Opportunities and Training

The future of your business is reliant on a committed workforce who are highly trained. Recruits often prioritize a company offering Curricular Practical Training (CPT), a form of learning while working. Your social media activity should inform everyone of what your company does in this respect. It's a method that enhances your reputation as a forward-thinking business and can be an excellent way to boost employee morale.

When your business collaborates with professionals who train employees, social media can help educate you about your innovative strategy. Professional trainers in business studies will inevitably have their own LinkedIn profile. Potential recruits or existing employees can discover who their tutor will be. Social media helps your HR department emphasize the extent of your training programs and showcase employee achievements.

Regular mentoring initiatives can be placed on social media pages such as Facebook. Make sure to have someone who will manage your business page on Facebook and answer any questions people might have regarding the initiatives. Additionally, you can use Facebook automated messages if you cannot respond to them right away. HR departments can use YouTube to post video-based training tutorials. The Pew Research Center found that 44% of employees up to the age of forty-nine accessed the platform for training purposes. Interestingly, 68% of these participants were male and only 32% female.

4. Enhancing your Employee Recognition

Social media isn't completely about employees and possible recruits finding out about your business. Your HR department can use social media to learn more about the talents of the people you employ and implement effective employee recognition programs. According to Statista, there are 223 million social media account holders in the US. 98% of employees use social media. It means your HR team should be able to locate nearly every employee and learn more about them.

Social media profiles can be a valuable tool when preparing to conduct interviews with applicants for a new job. HR professionals can become familiar with a recruit's profile before meeting them. In this way, social media can help with presenting a friendly atmosphere and improving internal communication.

According to a Glassdoor survey, 70% of people use social media to search for a new job. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 70% of HR recruiters regularly use social media to fill vacancies fast. Social media platforms enable businesses to keep active in posting their job vacancies and in recruiting staff. These platforms can also be used for employee spotlights and sharing employee success stories, which are excellent recognition program ideas.

A Few Final Thoughts

When used strategically, social media can provide information and coordinate employer and employee searches. Yet, as a State of Social Report by Buffer.com discovered, only 41.9% of businesses have any kind of strategy in place regarding social media. There are many advantages in using such platforms for the benefit of your business brand, recruitment search, and employee appreciation.

Future professionals waiting in Generation Z will inevitably view social media as the only place to locate the next step in their career plans. In a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center, 84% of active social media users are Millennials and from Generation Z. Your HR team can surely enhance your business through using social media platforms in imaginative and informative ways, improving employee communication and fostering a culture of peer recognition.

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Author Bio: Since 1997, David Hutchinson, a nonprofit executive recruiter at Cause Leadership, has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a broad spectrum of organizations in the charitable sector. He also has a great interest in helping charitable organizations diversify, become younger in their leadership, and better represent their own clients.