Part 2: How you can use social media to grow your workforce

This is part two of a two-part series on using social media to gain new hires. Read part one here.

Gone are the days of hammering “Now Hiring” signs at the end of your driveway.

According to a survey released by the Society for Human Resource Management in 2017, 84 percent of organizations reported using social media to recruit in 2015, while 9 percent planned to use it.

Now that you’ve established your social media sites, it’s time to delve into the best strategies for finding new recruits. In an exclusive interview with Pit & Quarry, Laura Sage, director of workforce services at Butler Tech, offers a few tips for accomplishing this goal that go beyond simply posting a job listing online.

1. Invite students to your aggregate operation to come and see what you do, then use the tour to leverage social media traction. Inviting students to tour your facility not only offers them an educational viewpoint of your operation, but also an opportunity for you to accrue followers and potential leads. Sage suggests that you set up a step-and-repeat with your company’s logo and, at an appropriate time, allow the students to take photos with the background to share on social media.

Make sure you include a sign with your company’s social media handles so the students can both follow or “like” your page, as well as tag your accounts.

“You now have a list that allows you to get in contact with those students,” Sage says.

2. Use social media to celebrate your employees, milestones and accomplishments. As a rule of thumb, Sage suggests covering 10 percent company news and 90 percent employee news on your social media accounts. Why? Because you want to emphasize your company’s culture, from employee accomplishments to volunteer work to important milestones.

“I’ve noticed students are willing to go for a little bit less pay if the culture is good and what they expect,” Sage says. “The atmosphere is very important to them, and they really want to make sure that it’s going to fit their lifestyle and their values and what they believe in.”

3. Integrate new-age platforms, like Instagram and Snapchat, into your social media strategy. While Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn serve as three of the more notable social media platforms used across all generations, Snapchat and Instagram experience heavier usage by younger generations.

According to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, 67 percent of 18-29 year olds use Instagram, while 62 percent use Snapchat.

These platforms may not be as ideal for posting a job listing as other platforms, but they’re beneficial for showcasing your company’s culture, sharing behind-the-scenes videos and photos, and reaching younger audiences. It gives insight into what kind of company you run, which is important for today’s job candidates.

“Social media is very effective if businesses use it right,” Sage adds. “It’s the way today’s generation connects.”