Social Media Recruiting for Healthcare Roles

Social media recruiting has become a staple in the industry when it comes to connecting with high-quality, targeted candidates to fill specialized positions. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn allow employers to take further control of their hiring efforts by efficiently cutting through unqualified applicants and uncovering those that are ideal.

Over the past decade, social media has exploded and its no longer a platform intended to stay in touch with old friends, family and coworkers. Today, many use these platforms to stay informed about current affairs, and they've become the information hot spots of the web, gathering and utilizing user data for the use of advertising.

This data centralization has drawn recruitment professionals to social media platforms with the purpose of narrowing-down and uncovering those that they believe would fit best into the positions they need filled most. However, social media's utilization in the job market is a two-way street.

Job seekers are actively searching for recruiters, hiring professionals, and human resources managers to preemptively learn whatever they can about the company and/or individual to gain a competitive advantage. For example, if you're searching for a new job, take your search to Twitter by using the proper hashtags to find positions and make connections with those you otherwise wouldn't.

INFOGRAPHIC: 2016 Social Media Recruiting Survey

via youtern.com

Tips for Recruiters

1. Thoughtfully Time Your Posts on Social Media

Consider your target audience and their lives. Do most work the typical 9-5 and are seldom on social media during these hours? Are they night owls? What social platform do they pay the most attention to? Its one thing to get no engagement from your efforts on social media, but its a complete waste not to take these factors into consideration.

Once you know when to post, head over to HootSuite.com and set up your account to schedule posts at key points throughout the day for maximum engagement.

2. Utilize as Many Social Outlets as Possible

These include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit, and several others. Obviously, the more locations that you can engage with potential candidates across the web, the more likely you are to find the one that fits well.

3. Use Storytelling to Attract Candidates

Social media is, at its core, about storytelling and drawing the attention of the most relevant audiences possible. In order to attract candidates, you must show them why your organization is worth paying attention to, much less why they should want to work there.

A good approach to this is highlighting the atmosphere and culture that your company tries to align with. Share interesting news and articles surrounding these cultural elements to attract the specific types of candidates you need. Content that you can easily use can include industry news, how-to's and guide information, or community news.

4. Utilize Current Employees

Easily the best resource you have at your fingertips when it comes to social media recruiting are your current employees. Ask those in the department in which you're trying to fill a position to share the job posting with their friends and get the word out.

Research has show that 85% of hires are made through a first or second-tier networking contact, so use them to your advantage when ramping up your efforts.

5. Expand Your Network

Work consistently and concisely to expand your social media presence in whatever way possible. Work to build engagement through posting interesting articles and stories, and facilitating discussion and shares via thought-provoking posts. This will ultimately broaden your pool of potential candidates and increase the likelihood that you connect with the candidates you need.

Tips for Job Seekers

1. Be Conscious of Your Social Profiles

The #1 thing you can do to ensure the maximum number of opportunities, or rather not to lose any potential opportunities, is to ensure that your profiles show nothing that would potentially repel recruiters. This means keeping any profanity, unflattering photos, information about drug or alcohol use, or speaking negatively about former employers off of your profile!

Simply take a few minutes to scan through each of your social profiles and remove them. In fact, in most cases you don't even have to fully remove them from your profiles whatsoever. Just edit your privacy settings so that only friends or followers can see what you've posted. Remember to change your settings if you happen to become friends with a potential employer though!

2. Utilize Your Connections

Make it known to your current connections that you're actively searching for a new position. However, if you're currently employed, you may want to utilize the private messenger system on social networks to keep your correspondence private. Regardless, contact your closest connections in the industry you're trying to land a new job in and go from there. The more that know, the better.

3. Include All Relevant Information

In order for hiring managers, headhunters, and recruiters to find you and adequately judge whether or not you may be a good fit for the position, they've got to have enough information to go on. Tailor your social profiles to the jobs you're trying to get by including any relevant skills, knowledge, education, and experiences that will point them in the right direction.

4. Utilize Social Media Groups

Most social media platforms have groups that you can join and expand your network. Some are even tailored directly to finding positions in your field and networking with other job seekers and career professionals seeking to do the same. Utilize these and other, related groups to make yourself, your background, your skills, and your aspirations known to more people. The more connections you make, the higher the likelihood of finding the position you want.

5. Engage Heavily

Its one thing to make a connection in the field, and its important that you do, but its equally as important that you keep them engaged with you. If you receive a message from someone in the field, do not forget to respond to them. If you've messaged someone, especially if they're a hiring manager somewhere you're interested in being employed, be sure to follow up with them after a short period of time. Don't wait more than a week. These are busy people and may forget that you've messaged them. Try to strike a balance between letting them know your interests and coming off as desperate or annoying.