How Employee Advocacy Impacts ‘Social Hiring’ In The Digital Era

The Changing Scenario:

‘Social Hiring’ is budding as a go-to concept with the advent of digital-branding and expansion in usage of social media. In brief, it is leveraging social media as a channel for employee advocacy which influences the recruitment function of a business.

The recruitment landscape is no more viewed as a seller’s market, in which businesses used to put out job vacancies and wait for candidates to respond. Rather, it has evolved as a buyers’ market driven by a digitally-equipped and social-savvy Generation Y.

Generation Y accounts for around 27% of the workforce and they have increased expectations from prospective employers.

Pay & perks are no more the sole motivation for employees, as they expect a strong work-culture and a conducive environment which supports their individuality and fosters career growth.

This has resulted in recruitment professionals to shift their focus from traditional approach to embrace a social-savvy approach, where they market professional opportunities. They must craft a strong & clear value proposition on how working with the business would benefit the prospects.

Social Media As A Catalyst For Change:

Social media has influenced virtually every aspect of a business, whether it is brand awareness, sales, marketing or lead generation. It has been a game-changer in the recruitment function as well.

Use of social media for recruitment has grown 54% in the past few years.

Attracting and retaining top talent has always been a challenge for recruitment professionals. Thus, Hiring Managers should know the retention hacks.

Social media has a strong influence on this aspect, both in a positive and a negative way. Brands can amplify their social reach through focused content marketing and encouraging employees to share highly positive and inspirational content through their personal social channels.

As a result, prospective employees view the brand as competitive & credible. and consider the brand as a viable employer.

Brands must realize the plethora of opportunities social media offers, and incorporate its versatility not only in recruitment but in overall growth strategy as well.

They can leverage social media to demonstrate attractive benefits such as learning & development opportunities and flexible work culture to suit  individual needs of potential candidates.

How Employee Social Advocacy & Recruitment Is Connected:

Any communication coming from a recruiter may be perceived with bias by the candidate, while employees would have much less of that perceived slant.

44.5% of job seekers are more likely apply to a position, when they spot it on a familiar person’s profile, rather than the company or recruiter’s feed.

78% of job seekers find ratings and reviews from employees to be influential while deciding where to work.

Brands can boost their recruiting game, by encouraging their employees to share personal & work stories and contribute to social media reviews. Being the most authentic voices, employees are the best storytellers for evangelizing the brand, its culture and values.

Engaged and recognized employees experience their workplace positively and they would be enthusiastic about sharing their amazing experience with their personal connections, on social and beyond it. It will help candidates to perceive the brand as trustworthy, incredible and viable employer.

Employee Referrals:

By leveraging employees to push-out announcements and job openings, brands can boost referral recruiting and create a much larger momentum. Brands can hire qualified candidates who are best suited for the job through employee referrals.

Referred candidates are easier to hire as they have already been screened by the employees who refer them. Additionally, referred candidates tend to stay at jobs longer than traditional hires.

By unleashing employee connections to get qualified referrals, brands can minimize expenses on advertising, job fairs and availing the services of employment agencies.

 Benefits:

If well-nurtured, employee advocacy can have an invaluable impact on a brand’s recruiting efforts. Employee referrals rank first in job performance and ROI.

Thus, turning top employees into brand advocates who raise awareness for the brand through social media and content generation become instrumental in attracting and retaining top talent. In addition, it conveys employee satisfaction and a positive work culture.

Employee advocacy helps increase employee engagement through gamification and drives employees to develop a profound bond with the brand. As a result, employees are more likely to perceive the brand as competitive, stay optimistic about its future, and think twice before switching jobs.

You can CONTACT SOCXO to get customized solutions for advocacy marketing.