Social recruitment, an effective alternative

Social recruiting refers to the use of social media as a tool to attract potential candidates with the most effective social media platforms currently being used including Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Social recruitment is not just about advertising vacancies, it's about building relationships and engaging followers. "It allows for open dialogue between the company and its followers. Comparable to a marriage, it allows for a courtship between the company and its followers prior to making a commitment," she explains.

Advertisements must be structured

However, Lalla advises HR managers and recruiters to first understand their target audience. "You first need to determine whether the candidates you are looking for are people who you would find online. After that you need to determine which recruitment media currently gives you the most candidates. Lastly, as with traditional recruitment methods, structure your advertisements and approach to attract the desired candidates."

Lalla points out that the benefits of social recruiting are clear. "Social platforms are free and can therefore save companies on recruitment spend. Along with that, this form of recruiting means you attract candidates that are technologically savvy," she says. Social recruitment also provide companies with opportunities to engage with existing followers and connect with future followers and expand their talent network.

Employers become brand ambassadors

"Generally the candidate's organisational fit is better due to the exposure to the culture of the company through previous engagement on social networks. Candidates who engage in social media are also more likely to pass the information on through their social networks thereby increasing the presence of your brand," she says. "Social recruitment also gives companies
the opportunity to listen to what people are saying about their brand and respond in real time. Your employees become brand ambassadors and recruiters in their own right."

"Linkedin is currently the largest professional network in the world. As companies you can establish a free Linkedin page and post updates and interact with candidates. Linkedin targets passive candidates who are not necessarily looking for alternative employment," says Lalla.

While there are undoubtedly many positives to using social media as a recruitment tool, it does bring with it the risk of exposing employees, who are linked to company profiles, especially on Linkedin, to be headhunted.