It’s easy to put social media into the communications or marketing box and leave it to them, but HR input is vital in bolstering your employer brand.
If you think HR’s role in social media ends with internal policies and policing its effect on productivity - think again. It’s time to take the lead on integrating social media with your company’s recruiting, employer branding, and company culture strategies.
More and more recruiting is relying on sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. The age-old employee referral has a new-age twist as your workers reach out to their extended networks to find the right person for the role you need to fill. “Marketing understands communication really well… but HR has the corner on understanding people, leadership, motivation and those emotional factors that impact how we perform at work,” Associate Professor Sidneyeve Matrix from Queen’s University said.
Having a specific Twitter feed for recruiting or setting up a Facebook page to attract candidates can be a great way to reach out, especially if there’s an internal “social listening” policy. This enables everyone to know what other departments are working on, allowing followers to re-tweet and amplify the message, while maintaining consistency.
Equally important is having leadership involved. Gen Y wants to hear from your top players, Matrix said.
“There’s a lot of respect for advice coming from the top. Having a presence where your VP of HR might be available for a webinar, or taking questions on Twitter would go a long way,” she said. “It’s so important. I think it’s overlooked because it seems trivial. HR has already taken a leadership role in terms of corporate culture, and often they’re out in front in terms of sustainability and CSR, now taking the lead in social channels could demonstrate its importance.”
