9 Tips on Using Social Media and New Technology for Recruitment

In today's fast-paced world, it is important to consider which channels people use to consume information. If you understand how these channels work, you can apply them to your recruiting programs. Here are nine tips on using social media and new technology for recruitment:

1. Look for New Approaches

The world of recruiting changes constantly. In order to keep up, you must constantly be reading and benchmarking in order to discover the latest tools, sources, and metrics. Use industry websites and publications to identify the latest trends.

2. Use Social Media

Don't be afraid of social media. Once you become comfortable with it, it can be a powerful tool. It's also important to harness the time that your organization's employees spend on these sites so that they do the majority of messaging and the identifying of prospects. Among all of the available social media tools, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube have proven to be the most powerful for recruitment and employer branding.

3. Tie Social Media to Referrals

Referral programs have always produced the highest volume and quality of hires, but when these programs are integrated into your social media efforts, the results are even better. Make sure that your program is highly responsive, or employees will not refer again.

4. Use Videos for Recruiting and Branding

Authentic videos depicting what it's like to work at your organization can be extremely powerful. Instead of paying for commercial productions, consider holding a film festival contest among your employees to see who can create the most exciting three-minute video depicting the culture at your firm. Post the winning videos on your corporate site, on your corporate Facebook page, or on your corporate YouTube channel.

5. Use Mobile Platforms

Mobile phones and tablet computers are the most powerful communications platforms in recruiting. They work because individuals respond quickly to messages they receive on these devices. They are also extremely flexible because you can send and receive messages via text, voice, picture, and video. You can even use them to provide candidates with direct access to your corporate careers website. Eventually, candidates will demand that every firm allow them to apply for a position using only their mobile device.

6. Remote Video Interviews

Offering remote video interviews is an effective way to assess candidates while saving on travel costs. Being able to interview from anywhere via a mobile platform also makes scheduling your interviews amazingly easy.

7. Online Assessment

If you utilize online screening tests or employee personality tests to weed out the weak candidates early on, you can reduce the time that your hiring managers spend on interviewing. Also consider holding online contests to attract and assess employed individuals who are not seeking jobs but love a challenge.

8. Improve the Candidate Experience

Because social media allows unhappy candidates to instantly post negative messages about the hiring and interview experience, it's important to treat candidates with respect. You should periodically survey a sample of applicants and candidates to ensure that the process treats them like customers.

9. Remote College Recruiting

You no longer need to spend numerous hours and dollars visiting college campuses. You can now use social media contests, mobile phone communications, and online job fairs to identify and sell to the very best interns and college hires that reside on any campus around the world.

In addition, college students will like the fact that your organization utilizes the latest technologies. Check out Hirevue, Interview Stream, GreenJobInterview, or Karmahire for examples of technology that enables video interviewing and online career fairs.

Greg Ford, is the CEO and cofounder of TalentClick. Dr. John Sullivan is an author and HR strategist.