These days everyone is on social media in one way or another. Often times, you can find the same person on multiple platforms. Taking advantage of these platforms to engage with people that are important for your business is a necessity for success. Strengthening your social media presence can help you find quality candidates for your organization.

Job boards have long been used by recruiters and companies to post open positions and by job seekers to look for new opportunities. However, with 3.1 billion users of social media, businesses have integrated this digital platform into their recruiting strategies. Social recruiting, which is the recruitment of candidates through social media, is imperative for companies to utilize to find top talent. The question is: should social recruiting replace job boards entirely?

Pros of Social Recruiting:

  • Social recruiting, for the most part, requires no financial obligation. Recruiters can receive a better return on investment (ROI) for their time and effort, while keeping costs to a minimum.
  • There is no better way to target passive candidates than social media.
  • While job boards are effective, social media reaches a much wider selection pool. Millennials and Generation Z, in particular, are less likely to be found searching for open positions on job boards.

Cons of Social Recruiting:

  • While there are many more people on social media, you can’t target ALL potential candidates via this platform. There are many potential hires that can fall through the cracks without posting on job boards.
  • While LinkedIn’s search engine is among the most effective, social media platforms tend to have an inferior search interface than job boards.
  • It is often difficult to find talent on social media because not everyone posts their employment qualifications on their social profiles.

While social media has dominated the digital world, there is something to be said for tried and true methods like job boards. Using a balance of all effective strategies is the best way to ensure that you are reaching as many qualified candidates as possible.