How to Use Twitter for Recruiting

Since being introduced to the world more than a decade ago, Twitter has become a digital social hub. That means it's also a powerful recruiting tool. If you want to find your next quality hire quickly and easily, Twitter may be just the place.

Here are a few tips on using Twitter to recruit top candidates:

1. Grow Your Followers

The first thing you need to do is get people aware of your company on Twitter.

While your company may already have a Twitter account, it may be a consumer-oriented account. If that is the case, it's a good idea to split your recruiting efforts off into a separate Twitter account dedicated specifically to employer branding and hiring.

To gain followers for your recruiting account, regularly tweet about it from the company's main consumer account. You can also follow similar accounts, retweet people, and reply to people who might be looking for work in your industry. Also, try cross-promoting the account from your website and other social networks. The more followers you have, the higher your chances of finding the right candidates every time you post a job opening.

2. Display Your Company Culture

Make sure your profile image and header photo are related to your company and that your Twitter handle says everything your followers need to know. For example, if you were setting up a recruiting account for Apple, you might call it @AppleRecruiting or @AppleJobs. The simpler, the better. Fill out the account bio and use keywords like the company name, "recruiting," "job opportunities," and so forth. That way, people will be able to find you.

Not everything you tweet from the recruiting account needs to be directly about hiring. You can also tweet photos and stories that highlight the company culture. Show candidates why they should want to work for your company instead of your competitors.

3. Be Active

Make sure to check your direct messages (DMs) and notifications regularly. Candidates may tweet or message you with questions, and you should answer them as quickly as possible. Be sure to also interact with and thank accounts that retweet you.

If you have a recruiting Twitter account, you need to be present. If candidates are messaging you and not getting a response, they won't feel engaged. The more active you are, the more followers you'll gain, and the more interested talent you'll attract

4. Use Hashtags

Hashtags are the best way to get your job opportunities seen by more people – as long as you use the right tags and don't add more than a few to each tweet. Too many hashtags can look spammy.

You may also want to look at what other people are posting using the hashtags you use. You might find candidates who are actively searching for jobs or currently employed people you could tempt into moving.

Get in touch with people who seem to be a good fit for jobs you have advertised. If you find someone who could be a good fit in the future, but not for jobs you currently have available, be sure to follow and interact with them. Cultivate a relationship so that when something comes up, you'll be ready to hire them.

Like any tool, Twitter is best for recruiting when you know how to use it correctly. Follow these tips and you'll be making quality hires in no time.

Michelle Arios works as marketing assistant for BizDb.co.nz, a New Zealand business database.