You may think of social media as a way to spread the word about what you’re doing. Maybe you see it as purely educational. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a key tool for building employer brand in today’s digital world.
59% of candidates research a company on social media before applying for a role. Which means if they don’t like what they see, you could be missing out on the best candidates. You’ll never know, because they never applied in the first place.
So, if you’re neglecting your social media presence, or it comes across as old-fashioned, you won’t attract people who can help you grow your business as much as you’d planned.
While it’s hard to avoid our personal digital reflections, it’s easy for businesses to avoid examining their online reflections. However, failing to objectively analyze it can mean you aren’t coming across how you want to. Don’t overlook this avenue for building employer brand.
You are what you share
The articles that the company, its leaders, and its employees share, will affect how people perceive the business on a conscious and subconscious level.
Consider how differently you’d feel about a business that regularly shares articles about climate change, compared to pieces on how to avoid paying tax.
One is going to come across as caring about the greater good, community, and our long-term future. The other is focused on itself and making more money.
It’s not just about the articles, though. It’s about the posts, too.
How are you talking about your business? Are you expecting employees to share what you post because you said so? Or do they share because they actually care about your business?
That caring is key. If they’re doing it because you’re running a dictatorship, the text they add when sharing your post could be lacking.
Or worse—they only share what you told them to. This is dispassionate and disconnected. Your audience will see right through it for all the wrong reasons.
If someone shares a post because they care, the accompanying text will reflect that. It will likely be full of enthusiasm and passion, something which is inspiring and contagious for your audience.
Anyone who doesn’t work for you and sees it will be uplifted by how much your employees care. It can make them want to be a part of that, too. This can then improve and streamline your hiring process because new recruits will arrive with a deeper understanding of your mission and values.
If the only social media content related to your business that your employees share is what you tell them to, it shows a lack of trust and old-fashioned ways of operating—at least in your marketing department.
But, since it’s your marketing team’s job to make your company look good, people are going to assume that what’s on your social media accounts reflects the company, even if it doesn’t. And this includes both your branded accounts and your employees’ own accounts.
Do you really trust your employees?
Some businesses still ban social media usage on work devices. But when employees can access these sites on their mobile, tablet, or even watch, what’s the point?
Instead of controlling your employees’ social media usage, you need to accept that you simply can’t. There are too many workarounds.
What you should be doing instead is educating them on how to use it effectively. Show them how to engage in a way that both benefits them and helps with building employer brand.
You can do this through your social media policy. It doesn’t have to be a boring document written in legalese, either. Employees are much more likely to engage with, and remember it, if it’s interactive and has examples.
Formatting your social media policy as a quiz with examples will also show employees how minor changes can make a big difference to what they post. And to their understanding of how social media can affect their employer.
Silence is not a good sign
Some brands don’t post on their social media. Or they post once in a blue moon. They think silence on social is better than saying something that could be construed as negative, and which could come back to haunt them.
But if you’re saying things that could come back to haunt you, chances are you’ve got bigger problems than your social media page.
With more than half of candidates researching businesses before they apply for a job, a neglected or non-existent social media presence can turn people away. In a world that’s all about community and connections, you want to show people that’s what you care about, too.
No social media presence can make people suspicious. It turns your business into a fortress, making it seem like you live in some far-off land. You’re closed off, like Elsa at the start of Frozen. Your walls are up, as if you have something to hide.
You want to be like Elsa at the end of Frozen, where you open the doors to your castle for others to see inside and enjoy.
You don’t have to give them the grand tour of everything inside, but allowing them at least into the grounds so that they get a feel for what you’re all about will reflect a more open and honest culture.
Conclusion
Like it or not, every social media post you, your business, and your employees make reflects your company culture. You can leverage this as you’re building employer brand, or you can let it detract from your image.
A compelling social media presence can help you attract more qualified customers and better-quality candidates. On the flip-side, poor or infrequent posts can turn people off who dislike the perceived secrecy or lack of engagement.
The question is, will you seize this opportunity, or remain stuck in the past and miss out on top talent.
If you’re looking for ways to get employees talking on social media, it’s important to first get them talking internally. Having an effective internal engagement platform like Workrowd can help. Drop us a line at hello@workrowd.com to learn more.
