It’s no secret that social media is here to stay. The world is more connected now than ever, which means that it should be simple for target jobseekers to find the company. This is crucial, especially given the current talent shortage in the construction industry. Using social media to attract and engage talent will result in a bigger pool of qualified candidates to choose from. Websites with career pages are great, but they aren’t going to be able to keep up with the pace of the current candidate search. Companies can’t rely on a website alone to attract the candidates they need. It may sound like a tall order but getting started with social recruiting is simple and well worth the initial investment.

Which Platforms to Use

According to Construct Marketing, 50 percent of construction marketers see Facebook and LinkedIn as the two most effective social media platforms, so create a LinkedIn profile. This is the place where most jobseekers are going to start their search. It is easy to target audiences such as recent trade school grads, high schoolers or even the competitor’s employees and their connections. Facebook offers similar opportunities, but people may not necessarily be as responsive to direct messages.

While Facebook and LinkedIn are great, feel free to experiment with lesser used profiles such as Instagram or Twitter. They can be great to integrate with other platforms, but they should not be the sole focus of social recruiting efforts, as they don’t have as many engaged users as Facebook or LinkedIn.

Building Profiles

Be intentional about the message the company profile sends. What is said and how it is said matters in the real world, so why shouldn’t it matter on a company’s social media profiles? A social media profile should have all the basic contact information, business hours and a link to the company’s website (which should also be updated and fully functional). Utilize images and videos in posts to boost engagement and click-through rates and entice users to follow the company for the long term.

Practice balance when posting content and make sure there is a mix of company updates, events, employer branding and industry knowledge. Focusing solely on social recruiting may miss the casual job hunter who knows the company is hiring but, being unsure about what the company actually does, makes them markedly less likely to apply. Feel free to brag about the 100th building completion, new state contract or the company’s 25th anniversary. It helps make the company personable and attracts the employees needed to reach the 1000th building completion and 50th anniversary.

Who to Connect With

The trick here is to follow people that will maximize impact and put the company’s job listings in front of the right audiences. Where do most jobseekers come from? Trade schools, high schools and employment agencies are great places to start. Follow these groups and don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask to post job opportunities on their pages. They’ll likely be happy to have more information to give their students and clients. Another demographic to connect with is veterans. Veterans often have the skills many construction companies are looking for and, upon discharge from service, are looking for employment. Time and time again, veterans have been lauded as exceptional employees, so be sure to connect with veteran transition organizations and veteran services groups to find some of the best candidates on the market.

Social recruiting is the new frontier of employee talent management in the construction industry, especially as the newest members of the workforce become more and more connected. Meet highly qualified candidates where they already are to find the best fit for the company.