Social media can be a great recruitment tool for you, from finding talented RNs for job openings to targeting ambitious nurses for MSN programs. And the concept isn’t new.
In 2013, ADWeek reported that 92% of companies were using social media trends for recruitment purposes.
Here are a few tips to help your social media recruiting campaign crush the competition.
1 — Communication conundrums
Since millennials make up 25% of the U.S. population, healthcare recruiters often work overtime to entice this group of prospective nurses into their academic programs and hospitals.
But before targeting an age group, be mindful of age discrimination risks in job postings, according to legal expert Nancy J. Brent, RN, MS, JD, based in Wilmette, Ill.
Specific language in social media posts can get you in hot water if you’re not careful, she said.
“The word millennial implies a younger person,” Brent said. “In a job posting, it would lessen their chances for applying if they are not in that age group.”
Instead, Brent suggests a few language swaps when it comes to writing job descriptions or slick ads.
- Use language like “experienced nurses are needed.”
- Phrases, such as “two years of experience needed,” is a more neutral way to describe job requirements.
- Insert phrases like “we will train you” because it could imply the job is suitable for a nurse new in the field.
Prior to the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967, Brent points out it was common for employers to use salacious language like, “married women need not apply,” which would land them in court by today’s standards.
2 — Background check basics
Recruiters can sleuth around to find out how prospective employees present themselves on various social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
If you do, the Society for Human Resource Management suggests printing out content for all candidates and to be consistent with the investigative process. Instead of randomly cherry picking for juicy details, look at the same social media platforms for each candidate to make it a fair process.
If you discover questionable content that prevents a nurse from receiving a job offer, also keep a printed record for the file.
3 — Customized landing pages
Avoid using links that send prospective candidates to no man’s land. Recruiters sometimes overlook the cyber journey a candidate takes to apply for a job.
When advertising jobs via social media, do not use links that send nurses to generic job boards or a hospital Facebook careers page, said Tyler Ross, client executive at Relias.
By doing so, you leave it up to the candidate to find the job listing, Ross said. It’s a big turnoff and some prospective nurses may click off because they lack the time to search for that job requisition.
Here’s the fix. Reel in the right candidates by developing custom landing pages with targeted links that drive nurses directly to the advertised job. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how often recruiters miss this opportunity, he said.
“A landing page can highlight the top five nursing jobs with links to those jobs,” Ross said. “Building a relevant landing page will improve your campaign performance.”
Did you know?
A 2019 Hootsuite Social Media Trends Report revealed that organizations struggle with personalizing content and experiences for users, a finding reported by 50% of survey respondents.
4 — Social engagement
Human resources expert Tracy Tibbels said the company she works for runs a day-in-the-life engagement campaign on their Facebook page to give potential candidates a true taste of what it’s like to work there.
“It gives you a real idea what it would look like to work here through pictures and quotes,” said Tibbels, who serves on a SHRM committee and holds the position of HR manager, employee relations.
Recruiters also stand by to live chat in case job candidates want to ask questions, she added.
5 — Monitor feedback loops
To manage positive or negative feedback left by job applicants on various social platforms, Tibbels said it’s a good idea for the corporate communications team to respond to those queries.
Although you might think the HR department should handle it, with corporate communications in charge all the messaging and branding remains consistent, she said. This includes responses on Glassdoor, as well.
6 — Create more buzz
Another idea is to host a weekly Tweet chat or public discussion on Twitter, according to Hootsuite’s report.
Use a specific hashtag related to a new hiring initiative at your facility during the chat. Also, consider holding a moderator-led chat session weekly or monthly at the same time and day of the week for consistency.
7 — Time to storify
Also start to amp up stories on your Instagram feed. Turns out stories surpass feeds in terms of engagement and is one of this year’s social media trends, according to Hootsuite’s report.
The report found a large number of respondents either implemented Instagram stories into their social strategy or plan to do so in the next 12 months.
Are you ready?
