MORE TO SOCIAL MEDIA THAN MARKETING

More to Social Media than Marketing

It is easy to underestimate the vital role social media plays in the recruitment process, particularly in professional services.  During our own recent experience of hiring a new member of the team, we were surprised by how many candidates, when asked why they applied for the role, responded by saying that they liked what our agency was doing on social media.

The new recruiter/candidate dynamic

The idea that candidates can follow companies in real time has revolutionised the mechanics of recruitment.  Many high calibre candidates are now finding jobs through social media.  In our case, Cal Partners’ social media presence gave our recruitment drive an edge, helping to attract candidates to our niche digital marketing agency.

It seems that the extent of a firm’s social media presence has a positive effect on how they’re perceived by prospective employees.  In other words, the more engaging your social media, be it on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, the more professional and authentic your business will appear.  In turn, if you’re seen as a high-quality business, you’ll attract high-quality candidates, essential in professional services where your team are your core business asset.

Reluctance to engage

To many long-established professional services firms, social media can often seem like a marketing nuisance, distracting from the day job of generating fees.

According to Statista, 54% of Facebook users, 58% of LinkedIn users, and 61% of Twitter users are aged between 16 and 35.  When it comes to recruiting, these figures can’t be ignored.  Most of the new talent being drafted in by firms will fall into this age bracket.  This means that your firm’s next generation of recruits are all using social media.  Not only are they using it, but they value it, to the extent that, in the eyes of a young professional choosing where to build their career, a business with little or no social media presence will be jarring.

The heart of people-centred firms

Social media is unequivocally and undeniably important for people-centred firms.  The professional services sector is by its nature people-centred.  To a professional services firm, its people are by far its most valuable asset, so it is important to do all that you can to attract the best.

The catch, of course, is that the best individuals want to be recruited by the best firms.  Increasingly, their perception of what constitutes “the best” is informed by what they see on social media. Social media is now the largest driver of website referral traffic and is often the gateway to the rest of a firm’s digital presence.

A complementary platform for thriving businesses

Even for firms with a large existing client base, who rank on the first page of Google with a glitzy website, the power of social media shouldn’t be underestimated.  They might ask why they’d ever need to hire a marketer for social media when they’re doing so well without.  But the answer circles back to the notion that “your people are your greatest asset”.  There is no better way of connecting with people, building rapport, demonstrating authenticity and value in the online space than through your social media channels.

A website alone is no longer enough.  Whilst websites serve as a vital framework for businesses, they don’t tell the whole story.  When an organisation is people-focused, its primary currency is communication, authenticity and relationships are the currency of social media.

Making connections, cultivating relationships, demonstrating thought-leadership - these are the advantages of the social media sphere.  It allows you to carve out, in real-time, a reputation as a knowledgeable and reliable source of industry insights.  Quality candidates can then align their values with yours before ever applying for a job.

Conclusion

Rather than just being another marketeer’s plaything, social media is a valuable tool to deploy in the recruitment process, enabling candidates to lift the lid on what your business is about.

Cal Partners is a digital marketing agency and business development consultancy for professional services firms.  We work closely with clients to develop a tailor-made marketing package, including social media management.