Finding and enticing the best new talent in your market can often feel like a full-time job. As market leader salons, we always want to be hiring and on-boarding Associates - so how do we keep the pipeline flowing with career-minded service providers?
One of the most overlooked channels for recruiting New Talent is Instagram. The reason is because most companies see Instagram as an algorithm that needs to be mastered so that content (including recruitment content) gets in front of the right audience and entices them to take action. The truth is, Instagram can also be a dedicated brand voice for your company's recruiting efforts, as well as the first point of contact - if you know how to utilize it properly.
“The key to turning Instagram a powerful recruitment tool is to create a dedicated account that you then use to start engaging with new talent in your market,” says Katie Kennedy, social media content and web developer for Summit’s Social Digital Division. “You can create a new Instagram account that you then use to identify, like, comment and follow new talent. Once you have the brand voice locked down, you don’t have to generate new content – you just have to reach out and engage.”
So what do we mean by “locking down the brand voice?” We are talking specifically about a dedicated Instagram account that has 9-12 static posts that never change. The grid itself serves as a type of “recruitment flyer” for your company, and illustrates everything from earning potential and benefits to company culture and education opportunities. Below are some examples of our favorite Recruitment Instagram accounts, created by our own Social Digital Division.
Once you have completed the design of your dedicated account, you then log in weekly and seek out students and new talent in your market. All you need to do is follow the hashtags and accounts of cosmetology, barber and esthetics programs in your area – then find the students who are interacting with those accounts and hashtags and interact with them.
Does it seem too simple to be effective – well, it is and it isn’t.
There are three things you will need in order to make this work effectively as a recruitment tool for your company:
CONSISTENCY – this is something that needs to happen on a weekly basis. Like anything else with social – it is not about overthinking the content as much as it is about just grabbing your phone and DOING IT!
AUTHENTICITY – the talent that you are looking for is VERY social media savvy. They know when people are not being their true authentic selves online. Do not just post generic, one or two word comments on their posts – try to start a conversation.
FOLLOW-THROUGH – you are going to have to interact with a potential candidate several times before they actually take action and click on the “apply here” link in your bio. Keep track of who you are talking to and remember that they probably have a lot of choices coming out of school.
While we believe this is one of the best tactics you can add to your recruitment strategy, we also understand that the time it takes to do it effectively isn’t something that every owner or leadership team has time to do. That’s why we have developed our Instagram Recruitment Package, offered by the Social Digital Division. We can handle both the creation of your dedicated Instagram AND weekly engagement of New Talent in your market. Click HERE to learn more about what we offer, and how to take the next step!