In this article, we will discuss the disadvantages of using social media for recruitment. However, we will also look at how to use social media properly to your recruiting advantage.
As social media has become part of everyday life, its influence has grown beyond giving family and friends an easy way to stay in touch with one another.
Fifteen years ago, recruiting employees on a social media platform was unheard of. Although it has been around for years, social media is quickly dominating the recruitment game. Nowadays, what’s important is not if companies use social media to recruit but how they use it with a focus on modern messaging.
Introduction to Social Media Recruitment and the Disadvantages
Social media is a powerful tool for recruiting, but it can also be a great way to lose potential candidates. Social media has opened up new channels for employers and job seekers alike. It’s a great way to promote your company and find candidates, but there are some disadvantages that you need to be aware of before jumping in head first.
In the past, employers would find potential candidates by cold-calling their corporate headhunter or filling out a job posting on a website. These days, social media has an ever-increasing influence on the recruitment process and it is important to know how to use this tool correctly.
How recruiters use social media for recruitment
Social media recruitment is the process of recruiting candidates by using social media platforms. This process is advantageous for both employers and job seekers. Employers are able to find the most suitable candidate for the job in a timely manner, while job seekers can find jobs that are relevant to them.
The use of social media as a recruitment tool has grown exponentially in recent years. In fact, according to Standout CV, 91% of employers use social media in their recruitment strategy.
The advantages of using this method are many: it saves time, reduces costs, and increases efficiency among other things.
Advantages of social media recruitment
1. Reduce time to hire
As the use of social media has evolved, corporate recruiters have been able to gain information quickly on candidates, which has reduced the time it takes to identify the right candidate. This allows companies to take greater risks with their hiring process in order to get better talent who will have a better chance at success.
2. Social media influences company reputation
Candidates can report their experiences with their friends and family on social media, which can either be an advantage or disadvantage for recruiters. This all depends entirely on how positive the candidate and employee experience is.
Disadvantages of using social media for recruitment
Social media is a great tool for recruitment, but it has its disadvantages too.
1. Difficult to find candidates with exact skillsets
One of the disadvantages of social media is that it can be difficult to find a candidate who matches the required skillset.
2. Takes time to search through profiles
It also takes time to search through all the different profiles on social media and find the
3. Lacks diversity
The recruiter can choose between a wide range of candidates based on his or her personal preferences and prejudices. As they have chosen who they believe is best suited for their company, it leads to a lack of diversity within these companies as they choose not to recruit those who do not fit into easy categorizations. This creates a bubble where those who are better suited for the company are the only ones that have a chance to get hired.
4. Can create hiring biases
There are many different kinds of biases that can affect hiring decisions, and social media profiles can help create issues with favoritism and partiality. A single Facebook comment or LinkedIn post from someone could color a recruiter’s entire perception of an applicant's qualifications. Social media profiles tend to be full of details about people's lives, which can lead to a shallow, skewed representation--even if it only reflects the positives. This ultimately feeds into the development or reinforcement of unfair biases.
Looking through someone’s social media profile will give you a good idea of who they are and what kind of person they are.. However, it's challenging to remain objective given the number of personal details you come across. Some of these will be irrelevant to the candidate's qualifications.
5. Candidate profile data may not be up to date
Another disadvantage is that the information on social media might not be up-to-date.
6. Low job applications with passive candidates
Another disadvantage is that you might not get enough applicants because they are not actively looking for a job. A lot of factors have to be considered for an employee to leave their current employment in favour of another new opportunity. For many, the risk is not worth the switch.
7. Social media minimising Information for job postings
Sometimes, it can be hard to capture all the relevant information about a job in one single tweet. For example, if you have a job where you need to maintain confidentiality or have specific hours. Luckily, there's room for extra content in your posts (140 characters).
When you streamline your social media and only post relevant details, job seekers will spend more time getting to know what your company is all about.
As a candidate, it can be tough to summarize your CV using only 140 characters. This makes it hard for employers to see all the info they need about you.
8. Difficulty successfully contacting candidates on social media
It can be difficult for recruiters to initiate direct contact with potential recruits on social media. Most social sites don’t allow private messaging to users that are not already connected, which can make it hard.
For Example, when you tweet, the only way to send a private message to someone is if they follow you or are following you. This makes many people question the authenticity of social networks and lead them to tighten their privacy settings. Thus making it even more difficult for potential employers who may not have made any previous contact with candidates.
8. Difficulty protecting brand image
Some companies may face challenges in finding the balance between conducting a successful recruitment exercise on social media and protecting the brand image.
For example, when a company posts job openings on social media, it may get a lot of applications and choose to call one or two prospects.
Applicants who weren't called could react angrily and most damaging things about the company. Job seekers may also pass on jobs from companies that have poor social media. These firms, however, can hire reputation management agencies to help fix their public image.
9. Social media Increases Visibility
Social networks are not technically recruitment platforms so you need to do more than just post a job advertisement and hope the right people see it. Besides, according to a study by Convince and Convert, 67% of social media users don’t follow any brands.
10. Social media recruitment can get expensive
For your job postings to get the necessary exposure, you may have to spend some money. This idea may discourage companies that are on a small budget or have little web presence but there are many ways to inbound.
11. Not all candidates are on social media
One last thing to pay attention to is that not all professionals will have a social media profile on every platform. Facebook is still one of the most popular online social networks but there are those who have had enough or simply want to detach themselves from it regardless.
Social media should never be used as the sole indicator of a candidate's skill. Even if you don’t find someone with a strong social media presence, you should consider talking to them and finding out what they have to offer first.
Conclusion: When Is Social Media Recruitment Most Effective And What Are The Best Practices?
Social media recruitment is a great way to target passive candidates who may not be actively looking for a new job. It also allows recruiters to reach out to people who have applied for jobs in the past but did not get called back.
The best practices are:
- Create a social media recruiting strategy that is aligned with your company's goals and objectives.
- Be consistent with your posts and updates so that you don't waste time or confuse the audience.
- Make sure you are only targeting relevant audiences, such as people who live in your area, have an interest in your industry or work at one of your competitors.
- Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a social media manager.
The Takeaway: While social media is not a recruitment tool in and of itself, it can be an effective way to reach and engage your target audience.