You took the time and effort to craft and refine a solid employer brand. Now, ask yourself this question: Where are you actively marketing it?
If the words “social media” didn’t immediately come to mind, we need to have a serious talk.
There are plenty of places where you should be promoting your employer brand—like on your own careers site and on external profiles (ahem, your profile on the Muse!), for example.
But, there’s no denying that social media is the largest piece of the puzzle. When the goal of your employer brand is to actively showcase all of the things that make your company special, social media is the most convenient and accessible place to do so.
Need a little more convincing? Let’s dig into a few of the many reasons that social media really matters.
1. Social Media Strengthens Your Employer Brand
Your employer brand is nothing without marketing. If you don’t actively promote those attributes that make your company an amazing place to work, then they’re really just ideas—because no one will actually know about them.
Whether you want to highlight your learning and development initiatives or demonstrate what a fun and relaxed environment your office has, social media is where you should be calling extra attention to those things that make your company stand out (and show candidates why it might be the right fit for them).
When a reported 59% of candidates use social media to research companies that they’re interested in working for, it’s a place where you need to reinforce your brand identity, tell your story, and promote your culture. (And, you can use content like photos, videos, blog posts, employee testimonials, and news announcements to do all those things.)
2. Social Media Attracts More Candidates to Your Open Jobs
Let’s face it—you want proof that the efforts you sink into social media actually pay off. But, figuring out which metrics indicate success can be challenging.
Here’s one that’s definitely worth noting: an increase in your number of qualified candidates.
According to LinkedIn, 49% of professionals follow companies on social media with the intention of staying in the loop on their open jobs.
That means if you aren’t currently using social media to spread the word about your company and share your open positions, you’re likely missing out on a huge number of quality candidates who are eager to learn more about your organization and apply for roles that suit them.
Put simply, an active presence on social—regardless of whether you’re specifically posting about an open role or not—will increase awareness and keep your company top of mind for both active and passive talent.
3. Social Media Meets Candidates Where They Already Are
Here’s another thing that’s awesome about social media: There’s a huge (and we mean huge) audience there.
As of 2017, 81% of the United States population had at least one social networking profile. That means, without a doubt, the talent you most want to engage is already there.
In other words, there’s no shooting in the dark here when it comes to whether or not the audience you want is actually accessible to you on social media. You aren’t heading to a recruiting event in hopes that you’ll find one or two decent candidates. You aren’t hosting a job fair and crossing your fingers that some quality people show up. You aren’t posting a job description and blindly hoping that the right people stumble across it.
They’re there—you just have to go get them. And, social media helps you meet them in a place where they’re already spending a good chunk of their time.
4. Social Media Engages Your Existing Employees
While a lot of focus gets placed on capturing the attention of job seekers (and, for good reason), let’s not forget about keeping your current employees interested, too.
Gallup reports that 70% of employees are disengaged at work, which means a lot of companies are struggling to find ways to get over the engagement hurdle.
Social media is a great tool to keep your workforce connected to what you’re doing. Tag them in content on your company-owned channels or even re-share company-related posts they’ve shared on their personal accounts—both actions can make your existing team members feel like integral, valued members of your company.
OK, Social Media Matters... What Next?
There’s no shortage of compelling reasons that you should be actively promoting your employer brand on social media.
But, here’s your next question: If social media carries so much weight, how can you leverage it effectively?
You’re in luck. Our latest ebook digs into all of the need-to-know tips to step up your social media game and strengthen your employer brand. From advice on what sort of content you should be sharing to actionable insights for crafting strong social posts—trust us, you don’t want to miss this. Grab the ebook right here.
