One of the biggest challenges facing HR and recruiting leaders today is their employer brand. As job seekers become more selective about which jobs they apply for and companies they seek to join, employer branding provides talent acquisition leaders with an opportunity to stand out from the competition. That got our team at Jibe thinking: What methods are companies using to boost their employer brand in order to maximize their talent acquisition efforts?
To find out, we decided to launch our inaugural State Of Employer Branding survey. We were able to get over 300 industry professionals to respond, providing us with valuable insights into how branding is currently being used.
For me though, one area stood out from the rest: The use of social media. The channel a majority in the industry once frowned upon is now becoming more and more prominent in recruiting strategies. Just how much you might be asking? Let's take a look at the data...
Social Media Is The Most Popular Employer Branding Channel
88% of respondents said that social media was part of their employer branding strategy. That's considerably more than the next closest channel, which was employer review sites likes Glassdoor (55%).
As a social media marketer, I found this number quite surprising. Social recruiting has been a hot-button topic among industry professionals, with many hesitant to try it. The fact that social media is this popular for employer branding initiatives shows that what was once deemed unnecessary is now becoming more common.
When you dive a bit deeper into the data, you can see why this change is happening. Social and digital media has long been a popular area for marketers, with companies dishing out big dollars in this area. Perhaps an inter-departmental approach would help explain this high number?
Of those surveyed, 72% said they partnered with marketing for employer branding initiatives. And for companies with a formal employer branding program, this partnership was even greater (88%). When it comes to social media and employer branding, don't be afraid to ask your marketing department for assistance.
Social Media Provides The Most Benefits To Employer Branding Efforts
The second, and perhaps the most meaningful, data point from the survey was that 40% of HR professionals indicated that social media provides them with the most benefit for their employer branding strategy. That's more than double the next closest response.
Again, this reinforces the fact that the use of social media for recruiting purposes is on the rise. More importantly, though, it shows that social media use is having a positive impact for talent acquisition teams.
If HR teams are starting to see positive business impacts from social recruiting, you can bet that companies will start to invest more time and resources into social networks, and that's an exciting outcome for both social recruiters AND job seekers.
What Do These Stats Mean For Your Employer Branding Strategy?
First off, if you aren't using social media as a branding tool, you're already behind the competition. As the battle for talent gets harder, recruiting teams need all the help they can get - social media provides this and more. Not only can you share your branding content, but you can also build a following and a community of job seekers through your social channels.
Second, the job seekers of today expect to find your company on social media, especially when researching opportunities. As more and more Millennials (and don't forget about Gen Z!) enter the workforce, you'll want to start meeting them on their turf. That's where social media becomes increasingly important.
Lastly, it shows that HR is adapting. Generally considered to be an "older" business function, we're now seeing a shift toward modernization. The increasing use of social and digital media in recruiting proves that this trend is likely to grow even more in future.
Main image via Pixabay.