Social recruiting with data-based personas

Traditional job advertisements are no longer enough to reach qualified specialists. Younger generations in particular are increasingly finding out about career opportunities on social networks - a trend that companies can make targeted use of. This is because social recruiting offers the opportunity to address candidates exactly where they are: on platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest or TikTok.

But which networks are suitable for which target groups? How can wastage be avoided? And how do you address potential applicants in such a way that they feel addressed? The key: data-based personas. Read here to find out how social recruiting works in practice and why data-driven personas significantly increase the success of your recruiting on social networks.

What is social recruiting?

Social recruiting uses social networks to recruit personnel. It's not just about posting job ads, but also about building an attractive employer brand and engaging directly with potential applicants. Those who use social recruiting strategically increase the reach of job vacancies and also reach specialists who are not actively looking for a job.

Social recruiting works particularly effectively on these platforms:

• LinkedIn and Xing - ideal for specialists, managers and B2B recruiting
• Instagram - suitable for reaching a broad target group with creative ads
• TikTok and Snapchat - ideal for young talents who are attracted by innovative, entertaining formats

Recruiting via social networks offers a major advantage: Companies can proactively approach their ideal candidates here instead of waiting for applications to come in. Employer branding plays a crucial role here. Employers who regularly provide authentic insights behind the scenes, use employees as brand ambassadors or share interactive content increase their attractiveness and gain the trust of potential applicants.

However, a successful social recruiting campaign requires more than just a presence on the right platforms. It is crucial to target the right content to the right target group. This is where data-driven personas come into play.

data-driven personas: the key to successful social recruiting

data-driven personas help companies to target the right candidates instead of randomly placing ads. They are based on real data that shows which platforms are used, what content appeals to them and how your ideal candidates communicate.

With the help of this data, among other things, you can precisely define target groups for your social recruiting:

• Internal recruiting data: Which applicants have applied in the past? Which campaigns were particularly successful?
• Social media insights: What age groups, interests and behaviors do the followers of your company profiles exhibit?

• Web analytics & tracking data: Where do visitors to the career site come from? What content is clicked on?
• Surveys and studies: What expectations do existing employees or applicants have of your company?
• Media usage behavior: Which platforms are most popular, how do active and passive searchers prefer to be addressed (tone of voice), on which topics and with which content (stories, reels, photo-text posts, interactive formats, ...) and when - i.e. on which days and at what time?

Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram offer extensive targeting options that you can use optimally in the context of social recruiting with data-based personas. Ads can be targeted according to the following criteria:

• Professional experience - e.g. students, career starters or experienced professionals
• Industry affiliation - relevant business and specialist areas
• Interests and online behavior - suitable topics

Example: Social recruiting with data-based personas

A company is looking for junior marketing staff. The analysis shows that this target group is particularly active on Instagram and is interested in creative content. Instead of placing a classic text ad, the company opted for Instagram Stories with short, authentic videos of employees. Combined with targeted ads, the campaign reaches exactly those people who have job titles, interests or degrees that match your desired candidates. The result: greater reach, more qualified applications and more efficient use of the advertising budget.

data-driven personas therefore not only help to select the right channels, but also to optimize advertising measures in a targeted manner. They enable a personalized approach that is tailored to the needs and expectations of potential candidates - a key success factor in social recruiting.

However, targeted ad placement alone is not enough to make social recruiting successful. Companies need to continuously adapt and optimize their campaigns. Other success factors include mobile-friendly application processes, for example, as mobile-optimized application forms or one-click applications lower the hurdle to applying. You should also test different ad texts, images or formats and continuously optimize them based on relevant KPIs.

Efficient social recruiting thanks to data-based personas

Use the potential of data-driven approaches to further develop your social recruiting strategy in a targeted manner - and find exactly the talent that will drive your company forward. We support you with customized, data-based personas to precisely target your recruiting campaigns and attract the best candidates. Let us advise you or find out more about our various services.