Social Media is Gaining Popularity with Job Seekers and Hiring Companies

A recent Glassdoor survey found that 70% of job seekers use social media to find their next gig and hiring companies use Twitter, Facebook, and other social sites to announce jobs to their followers. “Social media has become a large part of our personal and professional lives, especially since the coronavirus pandemic forced social distancing,” says Dick McLaughlin, managing partner of LEAD New England, a skilled trade staffing company.

Advertising Skilled Trade Jobs on Social Media

LEAD publishes their skilled trade jobs on a variety of job boards and LEAD recruiters will often add a job to their personal profiles to enhance engagement and widen the candidate pool.

Dick says, “Using social media to advertise a job significantly improves our chances in finding the right match for our business partners. If I have a company who needs a construction worker or electrician with a specific skillset and I don’t have a candidate in house that fits, I won’t hesitate to create a post stating what I’m looking for. And, once I publish that post my hope it that my followers will share!”

In the past, hiring companies used social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn as just another set of tools in the recruiting toolbox. Dick, who has been in the staffing and recruiting industry for over 25 years, is astounded at how fast social media has become one of the main recruiting tools for many companies. “The opportunity of expanded access to job seekers that social media platforms offer is paramount. At LEAD New England, we look at social media as the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae – an added bonus,” says Dick.

Social Media Helps LEAD New England Find Better Job Candidates

Dick’s client companies are impressed by the skilled trade workers who he places. Companies are assured that Dick and his team will find the best candidates for their projects because he uses all available recruiting platforms including social media.

Dick says, “Potential and current company partners and skilled trade job seekers gain an understanding of the LEAD brand. Our commitment to be an industry leader for skilled trade workers throughout the Northeast, from New Jersey to Maine is evident in our social media presence.”  Job seekers or companies seeking to build their workforce are more inclined to use a company they know and trust – and they feel they know you because you are in their social world.

LinkedIn was built specifically for business relations and works well for LEAD New England. LinkedIn allows a user to upload job offers, look through potential candidates, and contact them for further inquiry. “When you share articles and industry trends on the LinkedIn platform, your followers begin to trust you as an industry expert,” says Dick.

A Solid Social Media Strategy is Essential to Recruiting

Creating, developing, planning, and managing a social media presence can be time consuming. “If you have the right strategy and view it as an investment, using social media to find the perfect skilled trade worker and build your brand and reputation as an industry expert, is definitely worth the time,” says Dick, whose Win-Win-Win philosophy in which field employees attain full time work, close to home with good benefits and good pay has proven results.

Be sure to follow Dick McLaughlin at linkedin.com/in/dickmclaughlin/ to learn more about LEAD New England and how they can be your skilled trade workforce resource.