98% of recruitment consultants are using social media for recruitment. Are you one of them? The fact that content can be distributed to millions of people quickly makes social media a powerful tool for recruitment consultants today, but how are consultants taking advantage of this popular medium and using it to source candidates? In 2013, Bullhorn found that 97% of recruitment consultants rely heavily on LinkedIn for hiring, while only 12% use all three major social networks―LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. This is surprising because there are so many benefits to sourcing candidates on social networks. What are the benefits of social recruitment and how do consultants get the most out of it?

Top 5 Benefits of Social Recruitment:

Increased Access to Candidates ― Social media is a great way to connect with a wide variety of members of today’s workforce, who spend an average of 37 minutes daily on social media. It’s also a great way to engage Millennials, who currently represent 15% of the workforce and are its fastest growing segment. According to Forrester Research, 30 million Millennials are ready to join or have joined the workforce and another 46 million are waiting in the wings. The key to effective engagement on social media is to be genuine and transparent while providing useful and relevant information. Interact and converse with candidates rather than only advertising your job postings.

High Visibility ― Social media networks give your agency and open jobs greater exposure in places where your target audience spends a lot of time. By now, most recruitment agencies have established a presence on social media websites, but suffer from a low number of visitors and limited interaction. If you want to gain more visibility on social networks, participate. Ask your clients for reviews and testimonials. Reward contributors in ways that spur bragging rights. Offer more valuable content than your competitors do. Become the go-to expert in your field and you will increase your brand’s exposure on social media.

Low Cost ― Recruitment costs related to social recruiting are typically lower than other sources. Joining a social network like LinkedIn or Twitter is free, which automatically reduces the cost to hire. More often than not, social media allows for no-cost messaging, job posting, and relationship building. There are some fees associated with select features that you may or may not decide to use, but overall, social recruitment is a low-cost strategy.

Referrals and Relationship Building ― The nature of social media networks enables recruitment consultants to make new connections daily. Those relationships can offer tremendous value in the form of referrals if they are properly sustained and nurtured. Long-lasting relationships lead to higher acceptance rates and more revenue for your agency. Make sure you spend time initiating conversations and getting involved in related communities in order to successfully build relationships and referrals on social media.

Passive Job Seekers ― Passive candidates aren’t necessarily looking for a new job, but they are highly qualified individuals in the workforce. Social media helps consultants get in front of these types of candidates and convince them to make a move. By recruiting passive candidates on social networks, recruitment consultants can tap into specialised skill sets and ultimately present better candidates to their clients.

Social media is and will remain a powerful recruitment tool in 2014. There is still a lot of opportunity for recruiters to connect instantly with thousands of high-quality candidates. It’s up to consultants and recruitment agencies to leverage these networks for the greatest return.