Making Candidate Engagement a Snap: Snapchat as a Recruiting Tool
The most successful method of sourcing candidates is to go where they are! If your recruiting efforts include targeting an entry-level candidate pool, Snapchat may be a highly useful resource. According to Statista, there are over 249 million active users of the app –with the majority being GenZ and millennials. A report by Omnicore shows that 71 percent of Snapchat users are under the age of 34 and 45 percent are between the ages of 18 and 24. These statistics show why Snapchat is becoming an increasingly popular platform among recruiters in all sectors when targeting more entry- level candidates. For the healthcare sector, the need to utilize creative methods when recruiting couldn’t be more important in light of the competition for talent.
Snapchat Defined
Snapchat allows users to share photos and videos that evaporate after about ten seconds– although Snapchat does provide an option to share content for up to 24 hours. Users can create videos and “stories” and use filters to make images more interesting (e.g. change colors), as well as “lenses” to add special characters or 3D effects.
Snapchat for Recruitment
While vanishing content can seem a disadvantage, keep in mind that posts on other platforms are only fresh for a short period of time so this feature of Snapchat need not make a huge impact on your strategy. A report by MediaKix shows that well-known brands such as AT&T, McDonald’s, Sprite, Samsung, Macy’s, Netflix, and Toyota are using Snapchat to attract GenZ and millennial talent pools. EREMedia recently reported that Morgan Stanley has rebranded itself as an energetic, tech savvy workplace that uses Snapchat and other social media platforms to recruit recent college graduates.
Five Tips for Snapchat Recruiting
1. Let employees lead the way
Give employees that have strong knowledge of Snapchat access to the employer account so they can provide visitors with access to facility career events, expos and retreats and, perhaps most important, post written or video testimonials. Employees can simply post a series of snaps or videos to tell your facility’s story, add creative #hashtags, and encourage comments. This allows potential candidates an inside peek into the company and the opportunity to ask questions of current staff.
According to a Workforce article, Cisco initiated a #WeAreCisco campaign in 2016 to attract millennials to the company. Employee brand ambassadors were encouraged to post content about the culture of the company directly to the channel without editing. This effort resulted in a 600 percent follower increase in just three months.
2. Spread the news
Because content disappears relatively quickly, Snapchat is a great method for providing sneak peeks into organization events, whether career-based or social. Using a series of posts to mention facility activities can be a very effective method of engaging candidates and generating viral shares.
3. Post job vacancies as Snapchat stories
This is the most obvious method of using the site as a recruitment tool. Snapchat can be a highly effective way to advertise vacancies to a select talent pool. Share the news on other platforms and direct them to Snapchat for a special message. If the ad is compelling, this will drive interest and candidate flow.
How do you create a job post on Snapchat? Pretty easily! Just take a photo or video of employees and the office, add in creative content and provide a clear job description. Be sure to link to other pages.
4. Showcase facility culture
Most candidates are curious about employer culture which can be hard to grasp via the website or social media posts. However, candidates can get a great sense of culture via a Snapchat story. Post videos to show what happens behind the curtain but don’t turn it into a boring “this is what I do” type of presentation. Rather, shoot a video of a birthday party or patient discharge after long stay with clapping employees and balloons. Perhaps your facility has a pet therapy program. If so, post videos of the dog (or cat) providing much needed TLC to patients. These types of posts will promote your culture as caring and team-oriented, one that candidates will want to be part of.
5. Integrate with other social media channels
As we noted, content on Snapchat lasts from 10 seconds to 24 hours and then vanishes forever. Since posts have a short shelf-life, it can be difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of your brand messaging and whether it’s increasing brand awareness and building the pipeline of potential candidates. For this reason, Snapchat is most effective when used in conjunction with other social media platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram). Create viral activity around Snapchat content by providing links to other social media pages. This is a very effective method of integrating social media strategy and building brand recognition.
Is Snapchat Right for Your Organization?
The answer is, “maybe” because the effectiveness of Snapchat depends on who your target audience is. As we stated above, the majority of Snapchat users are GenZ and millennials so if you're seeking a senior-level healthcare professional, this platform may not be the most effective. However, if your target candidate demographic for a given role is entry-level to early career professionals, Snapchat is a great resource.
Snapchat is different from other social media platforms in that the app is fast-moving, creative, spirited, playful and spontaneous. It’s not about perfection but about authenticity and transparency. These are core values that will attract top talent no matter their particular age group.