5 reasons why companies do not recruit on Facebook

17-06-'10 | HR, Social Media | No comments   

Think before you post…

You have an employer brand. You want to support your good influx of young workers online, and you know that many of them swim daily in social channels.

In fact, you have got the basics right: you have an attractive job site where the fast, personal and accessible application forms get plenty of traffic because of your smart media mix. You even have five good reasons to start recruiting through Facebook. Nice.

However, few companies in Belgium are on Facebook for recruitment. Why?

These are 5 reasons we hear most often. Along with our answers.

Few companies seem to hurry to start recruiting on Facebook

1. Privacy is in danger

Suppose your employees follow your recruitment page. What if the job you post is replacing someone? Do you want everyone to see what profiles you are looking for? And what if workers react? In public, and negatively? Because that is Facebook: like windows and doors to the company.

Privacy continues to be important in HR. Realize that everyone can read what you post here; workers, friends, customers, even prospects, as well as lawmakers. So think very carefully about what you post, and why. Do what anyone with common sense would do within the social networks of his or her office.

2. Customers are responding to our HR page

It is almost certain that your corporate brand and your employer brand are one online together, certainly in the eyes of customers, prospects and candidates. For them, there is only one brand. So what if they interact with your recruitment page about your product or service, or post questions, complaints, or ask for advice? Will that affect recruitment?

There is a real chance this could happen. However, you can make a clear distinction between your recruitment page and your corporate job page on Facebook: in text, visuals, in cross-links in your updates. Always refer people to the right page kindly. For the five hundred and sixty sixth time.

3. We could attract attention from ex-employees and ex-candidates

Facebook is open. Including to people who had less success in your business. This be may ex-employees, or candidates who were rejected. Would you open the door for their comments and questions?

Negative comments will always be there in social media. It’s part of the open doors and windows. If you treat negative comments as open and honestly as possible, it suggests that is how you would be as an employer, as well. Isn’t it better that it happens in your backyard rather than in places where you can not see? And, a game rule: Do not remove negative comments.

The chance that people would comment in such a way toward their ex-employee is indeed very small. It would be enormously damaging to their online image with other employers, even more than it harms your brand. It is very rare in recruitment.

4. I do not see how it will help me

It is the domino effect that is the power of social networks. Friends who share information, advise each other, giving a message more impact on more people. But would you share a beautiful job opening with friends? What if they are also good candidates? You will probably only share information about that new job if you have the job.

Adjust your expectations from the start. A Facebook profile lends itself more to branding you as an employer, rather than as a hard recruitment tool. If your Facebook profile increases traffic to your job site, you have already achieved a lot.

5. The workload is too high

Maintaining a presence on Facebook takes time. Both to maintain and expand your network quickly and manage it well when people respond, requires an effort. And the necessary skills.

Ideally, you need an ambassador, someone who is so enthusiastic about you as an employer that he or she wants to testify online. If your ambassador is already active in social networks, all the better. With the right agreements on investment in time, the content of posts and a few hours if necessary, you can go a long way. But you can also take your first steps by externally outsourcing, again based on good agreements.

Agree, disagree?
Let us know in a comment below.

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“Oxford train station – do not run” by Mark Hillary on Flickr.com
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