Instagram is a source for recruiting job candidates.
With over 100 million active users on Instagram, there is no doubt that recruiters should be jumping all over this photo sharing tool in order to build their brand and recruit passive candidates.
Over the past years, social media has become more dominant in our everyday society, even becoming a regular practice in many industries. IT staffing is no exception. Recruiters need to be actively be involved in social media in order to stay current and on top of the industry.
You might want to try recruitment on Instagram, especially if you’re looking for candidates who are in visual/creative careers such as graphic designers, web developers, and photographers.
A bit about Instagram
Instagram is a photo sharing application which allows users to share their photos in both a private or public manner with their followers depending on their account settings. It has a great editing tool which really allows users to create and post photos with a professional element to them.
Similar to Twitter, if you are sharing your photos with the public and use hashtags along with your photos, your photos will come up when individuals search using that hashtag (for example #webdesign).
Although people do not directly post resumes on Instagram, many will post pictures from their portfolio and include a link to their actual portfolio or website underneath the picture. That’s why Instagram is great for finding candidates who are in visual/creative careers such as graphic designers, web developers, and photographers. I have been reading a few success stories of candidates who have been recruited from Instagram, so the possibility is endless with this popular photo sharing tool.
Four tips for recruitment on Instagram
- Use hashtags: Regardless if you are adding photos to your account or searching for accounts, hashtags are the easiest way to search the site as well as to gain traction to your profile. Make sure you are using relevant hashtags when searching Instagram or posting pictures.
- Follow industry related accounts: Follow accounts of individuals who directly involved in the industry you are recruiting for. By following key influencers, you will be able to gain more credibility to your own personal brand.
- Post photos: In order to captivate a large number of followers, you need to keep your audience interested. Post photos that are workplace appropriate but yet still show your personality as well as your interest in your career field.
- Think outside the box: When searching on Instagram, make sure to think of keywords and abbreviations that candidates would use to tag their photos. Try to be as creative as possible and really get into the mind frame of the candidate when you are searching on Instragram.
Please feel free to share below any other tips or tricks you have when recruiting or job searching on Instragram!