The targets of any in-house communications team tend to be three-fold: firstly, to protect their company’s reputation; secondly, to publicise their company’s achievements; and thirdly, to help attract and retain the best staff for the company. This last point may sound like a job for the HR department, but if the first two targets aren’t met, chances are you’ll never achieve the third. Previously on this blog we’ve discussed social media in relation to targets one and two, but how can social media help with recruitment?

When recruiting via social media, the main aims are the same as any other campaign: know your audience; develop a strong, long-term strategy; and look to engage with potential employees.

Once you’ve begun a campaign, keep it going regularly. Whether this means blogging, updating social networking sites or website content, up-to-date content shows a dynamic and contemporary company which will attract talent to match. Sluggish sites with few updates and outdated information have the opposite effect and can be detrimental to your recruitment drives.

The ongoing growth of social media is a fantastic opportunity for recruiters, opening up an amazing talent pool which stretches far beyond the usual boundaries of agencies, job pages and speculative applications; it just requires the right strategy and the correct platform to take off.