A recent survey found that almost half (46%) of Generation Z has found a job opportunity on TikTok. Another discovered that a whopping 92% of Gen Z turns to TikTok for career advice, while 76% look to Instagram for job opportunities and career information. Are you using these platforms to actively recruit for talent, or are you like most staffing firms that still rely heavily on job board applicants?
If you aren’t active on these and other social media platforms, you are missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with and recruit great talent. And, depending on the positions and level of experience you are seeking, certain social media sites are a veritable gold mine for sourcing candidates. Here are four ways to leverage social media to turbocharge your recruiting efforts.
Go Where Your Competition Isn’t
If you were going fishing, would you go to the pond that is overrun with other anglers? Of course not—not even if it is the most popular and overstocked pond in your area. Instead, you’d look for water that has lots of fish but little competition. The same is true with recruiting. The default for almost everyone is to throw a job posting on a big job board and hope for the best. Instead, look for where your prospective talent hangs out, and your competition doesn’t. I mentioned that 92% of Gen Z goes to TikTok for career advice, but did you know that less than a quarter of employers recruit on that platform? Now that sounds like an ideal fishing spot.
Target Your Audience
Depending on the positions you are seeking to fill, some social media platforms are much more relevant than others. Pew Research conducted a study in 2024 that showed there is a vast difference in social media sites used based on a variety of demographics including compensation, educational level, and geographic area. For instance, if you are trying to fill an executive role needing a college degree and making over $100,000 in a suburb of a major city, your best bet is, not surprisingly, LinkedIn. If you are working on an entry-level customer service position in a rural market, the study shows Instagram and Pinterest (yes, Pinterest!) are stronger recruiting avenues.
Now that doesn’t mean you should completely ignore the other avenues. LinkedIn may only be used by 12% of high school graduates, but there is also a lot less competition in that space, so you are likely to have the fishing spot to yourself.
Give Them What They Want
If potential candidates are looking to social media for job search and career advice, then why not get it from you? Whether it is LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, or other platforms, you have an opportunity to provide valuable information that positions your firm as an expert in recruiting and, ultimately, a resource that can help them find their next job. Videos, articles, infographics, and other posts can cover a wide range of subjects that appeal to your prospective talent, including tips on interviewing, résumés, conducting a job search, ways to be more attractive to employers, how to ask for a raise or promotion, ways to upskill, and other topics of value.
Don’t Forget the Big Dogs
You may have noticed that I haven’t yet mentioned two of the most popular social media sites: Facebook and YouTube. Over 70% of U.S. adults are on Facebook, and almost 90% utilize YouTube. While both are used primarily for things other than job seeking and career advice, they are still viable platforms for educating, engaging, and attracting talent.
Recruiting on social media isn’t new. Both Facebook and LinkedIn have been around for more than 20 years. But the social media space is constantly evolving with different platforms emerging, new features introduced, and changing user habits. Having a strong social media presence across multiple platforms should be viewed as more than just an obligation where you feel like you need to do something because everyone else does. When integrated into your overall recruiting strategy, it can be one of your best avenues for engaging and attracting talent.
This article was published in Staffing Success magazine by the American Staffing Association. I'm a contributor to the Recruiting Today series.
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