Pros and Cons of using Social Media to Recruit

Social Media - there's no denying it governs everything consumers do. It's a valuable means of communication, and brand dissemination, between businesses and their market.

Most potential candidates and applicants for sales jobs will, too, use social media, and as of such it may be increasingly tempting to use social media to recruit sales staff.

LinkedIn seems to provide the best blend of business and social media - allowing individuals to display their experience, but it to has its caveats. To help you conquer the world of social media recruitment we've compiled a quick pros and cons list of social media & LinkedIn.

For a more in-depth guide on how to properly utilize social media check out 'How to Recruit Effectively with Social Media'.

Social Media Pros

Cost

Social Media recruitment is free, it costs nothing to go onto candidate profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (presuming they're public not private) and have a root around. While this doesn't equate to reading through CV's etc. it does allow you gain further insight into a candidate's life without spending any extra pennies. Here's our FAQ on Recruitment Costs.

Insightful

As mentioned just above; using social media when recruiting can let you understand a candidate's personality, and how they behave outside of work. This can indicate if they're a party animal, if they share lots of interesting news - or even if they often say undesirable things for all to see. Do remember, however, that while someone may act one way in their personal life - it may have no impact on their professional capacities, it's about judging character in both realms. Remember, social media isn't enough to give insight into personal qualities - but the right interview questions can be.

Creative

By far the best advantage of social media is that it offers platforms for candidates to really be creative. There have been many stories of applicants using websites as innovative portfolios and CV's - but on social media people can constantly showcase their creativity. Social media permits recruiters to see if applicants are passionate about projects/interests and if they have talents which are harder to communicate in a CV or cover letter.

Social Media Cons

Discrimination Issues

It is illegal to discriminate for reasons of age, race, religion, gender, physicality, health, marital status, and more  (check out our article on discrimination law here). If a candidate has reason to suspect you've discriminated against them based on what you've found online you could be in trouble. Not only would you be liable to charges, but you could also have misinterpreted what you've seen. What is depicted online is not always the whole story, nor is it completely representational of a person's character.

Falsified Personas

Leading on from the last point, candidates can manipulate their social media output - making them appear far more desirable than, in reality, are. For example, an individual could share hosts of news articles on their Facebook - making them seem educated, without ever having read them. They could present themselves as composed and professional through their photo/media uploads - when they might not be. Take everything you see with a grain of salt.

Encourages Oversight

Using social media also overlooks relevant experience, it will never equate to a CV's capability at detailing an individual's experience and history. If you do choose to use social media in your recruitment campaign make sure you balance it by giving due diligence to applicant CV's, cover letter's, and references. Using social media is never enough on it's own - it won't give you a holistic idea of whether a candidate is suitable for your business. For more advice on analysing applicants, check out how to shortlist candidates.

In short - it doesn't ultimately change the face of recruitment. But it does add another recruitment
channel, and it is an incredibly useful tool for recruitment.

LinkedIn has two major facets which alter the recruitment game:

Personal Profiles

Personal profiles are the basic user account on LinkedIn these let users market themselves towards other users, and companies. They can act as an extended CV, detailing employment history, skills, and personal qualities and interests. Skills can even be commended by peers to add credibility to claims.

Pros of LinkedIn Profiles

LinkedIn profiles are beneficial for recruitment because they allow for recruiters to ascertain an individuals skills and interest, and employment history, at a glance. This provides insight, and also validation to their claims. For a first impression its an incredibly useful tool - and can be used to reach out for candidates who aren't applying for roles actively should you wish to headhunt. Profiles also detail an individuals connections (people they've digitally networked with) - to see if they have any useful contacts, or if their contacts are spammy - suggesting they have little credibility and try to offset it with masses of useless contacts.

Cons of LinkedIn Profiles

Contrastingly so, LinkedIn profiles can contain falsified information, or have skills reviewed by peers - boosting their image to one above their genuine capabilities. As of such recruiting from LinkedIn has to consider alternate routes of validation - using references, checking CV, and always interviewing a candidate. Should you look at a candidate they will also get a notification to say you've been on their profile - which can be troublesome if you wish to remain unknown.

Company Pages on LinkedIn

Company Pages, albeit still in their early stages, are community facing pages for brands and companies. Allowing a business to share information with it's following, and must exist for users to claim they have worked there - all decent employers should have one of these pages. If a user claims to work for a business, and it doesn't have a page it would suggest the business doesn't exist, or isn't savvy enough to use LinkedIn. But maintaining one has pros and cons for LinkedIn recruitment.

Pros of Company Pages

Having a company page on LinkedIn allows you to interact with professionals in your market - allowing for you to work on your brand, and getting it into relevant spheres. Create and share the right content on LinkedIn and you can position yourself as an expert in your field. Perhaps, more importantly for recruitment you can post job roles on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has its own job posting system - allowing candidates to apply to you directly - however this is severely limited in function, and is typically a good way to create a longlist of candidates before slimming it down.

Cons of Company Pages

Company pages are also a burden - if poorly maintained it reflects negatively on your business, damaging your brand identity. Job postings on LinkedIn only allow for users to apply using LinkedIn's own 'quick apply' - which uses the information on a users profile to make an ad-hoc CV and allows user to type a brief cover letter. This means the information you get is rarely specialized, and provides a general overview - not helping at all to determine candidate suitability.

As of such using LinkedIn to post jobs cannot be relied on to find and recruit a proper candidate, it needs to be combined with traditional methods. Using a recruitment agency is often the best way, as they know the best circles in which to post jobs and to longlist candidates - and then shortlist them to deliver you a tailored selection of the best candidates. Recruiting alone, or purely on social media prevents you from getting the full picture, and while it can provide incredibly useful insight into an individual's creativity and talent, it's best to use it for a closer interrogation of already shortlisted candidates.

To find the perfect professionals for your business a recruiter can often provide valuable assistance, critiquing and shortlisting candidates to save you time and expense. Fortunately, Aaron Wallis do just that - better than anyone else,  see what we do here.

5 Incredible Answers to Common interview Questions

Interviewers are used to the same generic answers; a creative answer to a common question sets you apart from the masses. To help you get your creative thoughts flowing, we've got together some inspiring examples of incredible answers to common interview questions;

1 ) What is your biggest weakness?

"Being impatient is what I consider to be my main weakness. I begin by delegating to employees, but should they fail to meet my expectations I tend to take the task on myself. This becomes inefficient, but I've addressed this recently by giving detailed training for tasks so that they perform to my standards'.

This answer shows that the candidate has prepared and whilst being honest it turns a negative into a positive by showcasing how they've overcome an obstacle. The 'weakness question' is a typically frustrating question - so we've given you a guide on how to address it here.

2) Can you start by describing yourself?

"Firstly, I'd describe myself as being flexible, for example I would say I am able to effectively and efficiently complete tasks, as well as being able to fulfil the needs of customers. Here's a good example..."

This answer avoids waffle, lists off positives and then uses an example to add credibility to your description. It's a direct way of positioning yourself in a strong light, without simply listing details from your CV (which they will have read!). We've also got some handy tips on how to write a CV - an interview only gets given on the basis of an impressive CV!

3) Explain what motivates you?

"Results - whether that is closing a deal and making big profits, or simply providing a quality service to customers to obtain repeat business".

Although it might look like a typical answer, it shows the interviewer that you are motivated to meet goals, and deliver results which benefit the business. This positions yourself as someone who naturally is driven and achieves results. For some motivational tips check Olympic Athlete Kriss Akabusi's article he wrote for us on motivation!

4) Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

"Still at the company, hopefully having progressed from my role - but my main aim is to learn more and advance my skills. I view my career as a marathon not a sprint, I am in this for the long run".

It might seem like this person is sucking up to the interviewer, but it shows that they're patient, and committed - not just using the company as a stepping stone. 

5 ) Why are you looking to leave your current position?

"I'm looking to better myself, through working at a company that will allow me to gain valuable skills and experience - a company with credibility such as yours".

The final answer shows that the candidate is being realistic, they aren't looking to become CEO within 5 years - but that they recognize (or can flatter) the company's expertise and position within its industry. It's subtle flattery that works.

Good interview answers can be boiled down to a few key things: creativity, examples, and discussing the business you're interviewing for. Real-world examples evidence your statement, using the business as a talking points shows you care, and a creative flair depicts you as innovative, and intuitive - someone who can solve problems, and not be completely boring.

For more information on interviews, or to apply for sales roles please visit our website.

Why You Should Never Use A Cover Letter Template

You're applying for a job, you've written a solid CV,  so now it's time to write your cover letter. When applying to several roles it's tempting to use a standard cover letter for a type of role, where you change the company name/job title each time. This is an absolutely terrible idea - employers know when a template has been used, they lack job specific details and are almost always disregarded.

In order to be successful you need to write separate cover letters for each job, boasting your strengths for a specific role, and why their company appeals to you! not just a job. Make sure that you have planned, prepared and have researched a job role and its employer before you start to write anything.

Below is our five step guide on to how to write a noteworthy cover letter, and why templates weaken an application:

1. Write your address and contact information in the top right hand corner!

This is standard, it shows your competent enough to know that if they want to contact you they need your information. While this should also be on your CV anyway don't overlook putting it on your cover letter.

2. Make Sure it is Clear what Role you are Applying for!

Templates using generic phrases like 'I am applying for the role at your company' are red flags. Use the specific job title, and then go on to list why you want the role, and why you are a viable candidate for it. Templates don't allow you to individually discuss a roles nuances and specifics - show an employer you understand the role and are genuinely passionate about it.

3. Remember to Tailor it to the Company

Using a copy and paste template and swapping out company names doesn't work. An employer will take pride in the heritage and history of their business, use this to your advantage. Discuss the business itself, their overt operations and campaigns and show you are an expert on their industry.

4. Keep it Short and Sweet!

A cover letter is supposed to be short and punchy - do not waffle! Fluff talk suggests you are inexperienced or a poor communicator. Clarity is key, using a template means content is vague and generic - portraying yourself as less of an authority, and more as someone with a pale set of skills.

5. Finish Strong

Always express your interest in meeting the employer, include your availability and say how you are looking forward to hearing from them. The final part of your cover letter is your best chance to leave a lasting impression - be creative, and don't use copy and paste content.

So there you have it, some useful tips on writing a cover letter - it's always worth taking the extra time to tailor a cover letter to each unique role. We work with employers everyday, we see cover letters rejected on a daily basis because they are inherently generic - avoid this pitfall!

For more information please visit our guide on cover letters.