The typical business use for social channels is creating and showcasing content. However, with the boundaries of social media continuously being pushed, and with 80% of Instagram users following businesses or brands, could we be entering an age of social talent acquisition?
Instagram, or ’Insta’ as many call it, quickly developed into one of the most successful social networking apps of the last decade with its visual-first content. But as the platform develops, so does the content, and so does the way we use it. One of those developments is talent acquisition. With over 1 billion active users on the platform, there is substantial scope for who you can target when you have an active job position. Instagram is filled with communities, as well as users with varying interests who aspire to work with brands that they follow. So how can you tap in and reach these audiences?
Organic Reach
Let’s say companies are looking to hire new employees as positions have become available. In the ideal scenario, the top candidate will apply for the role through your website or a job board. However, not everyone is actively looking for a job consistently. So how do you attract the best candidates who are not actively looking? Instagram Stories and posts could be one of your options. Posting an available job on a business’ Instagram page or Story will engage the passive candidates, and although not everyone will apply, it will bring the opening in front of a new audience that wouldn’t have seen it otherwise.
But do you want your content to take a sudden switch to attract new recruits? Probably not, and neither does your audience. A way to avoid potential backlash is to create a dedicated channel directly for job related content. By creating this page, your followers and potential applicants are likely to have a genuine interest or passion in your brand.
Not only does it improve reach, but it becomes a place to actively find candidates on a more personal level. Most Instagram users have their personal profile, while others also have a second account in which they publish their passions or work. Now, depending on your industry – finding these people might be easier than other industries. With the use of hashtags and keywords, you can utilise key points from your job description to find users that match what you need.
But a big problem brands face when it comes to messaging users the message being sent will go directly to their message requests leading users to believe that it could be a spam message and ignore it. It’s also important to consider how you would have to manage this.
Scrolling through Instagram to find potential candidates is a timely task. Does your brand have the capability to do this alongside daily tasks? Unlikely.
Paid Targeting
With growing amounts of data becoming available to brands and businesses, ad targeting is the most efficient way to reach talent on the platform, but unfortunately, it comes at a price. It’s precise and tailored to exactly what you need, giving you leads that may not necessarily be actively looking for jobs. But how does it work?
You can target users based on their location, demographics, behaviours and interests, meaning you can really narrow down who you want to apply for a role. By using location targeting, you can narrow your search to only areas that you want to apply for your role – creating a smoother application process when screening.
Through targeted feed ads or Stories, users can be taken directly through to your application page, creating a seamless transition between Instagram itself and the application page.
Instagram’s main form of engagement is through likes. Unlike Facebook, Instagram users cannot see the content, or ads, that users have liked or shared on the feed unless it’s shared privately through direct messages. With this in mind, your job advertisement may not get spread to different audiences outside of the ones you’re targeting.
The main problem? Although targeting can be very effective, it can also be inaccurate. The way in which you target relies on user data. If they haven’t updated their job description in a while, you could be targeting someone on a new career path.
Is it effective?
Leading with targeting, your talent acquisition process can be enhanced with tailored ads that drive applicants with the skills that you require, while also leaving the opportunity for organic acquisition.
As with all forms of talent acquisition, there are clear positives and negatives – but Instagram has real potential to develop your team. With the platform being led by visuals, and audiences also being driven by them, it is a powerful platform to create eye-catching roles that audiences may not actively be searching for.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Jack Watkins