Looking for customer contact staff? Use social media recruitment!

Social media recruitment is becoming more and more popular among employers. The toughest job for almost every Customer Service Manager, for example, is filling open vacancies for customer contact staff. The shortage is so severe that some companies turn down assignments because of capacity problems. Fortunately, there is hope: with an online recruitment strategy you effectively turn the application process around. You use the reach of social media (Facebook and Instagram) and make sure applicants come to you, instead of the other way round. With these steps you can make a start on your strategy, with one ultimate goal: finding capable applicants for your open positions.

Step 1: Who is your ideal employee?

Are you looking for a commercial wonder who seduces (potential) customers into a deal with a dazzling pitch? Or do you need a sensitive person who listens to complaints and anticipates them? Every 'profile' calls for a different approach. The better you know which type of person fits well in your team, the sharper your content and ads become and the more explicitly you can communicate. The target group recognises itself in the content, which of course benefits conversion. Don't just think about 'tone of voice', but also about hobbies, age, area of residence and possible reasons for switching jobs. Because it's no secret: good customer contact staff aren't sitting at home right now.

Step 2: Create good online content

Once you've determined who your ideal employee is, you can start developing content together with your marketing department. Smaller organisations usually bring in an agency, because there isn't enough specialist knowledge in-house. Make sure you write a good briefing, whether you work with an agency or your own marketing department. It should clearly describe the points from Step 1. Copywriters and designers can then create visuals and copy based on it. There's a big difference between the content that appeals to, say, an Outbound Sales Representative and a Front Office Customer Service Representative. So think that through carefully.

Step 3: Decide on your online recruitment strategy

You're almost ready to 'go live' with your job ads for customer contact staff. In Step 1 you described what kind of person your ideal new colleague is. Together with your marketing department or marketing agency, you've created great content that's begging to be spread quickly via Facebook and Instagram. In Facebook Business Manager, you can now build a campaign (or have one built), based precisely on the starting points that matter to you.

The great thing about Facebook and Instagram is that the platforms hold a wealth of information for targeting your relevant audience. Are you specifically looking for people between 20 and 30 within a 20-kilometre radius of Rotterdam? Or do you want to reach everyone in the Netherlands with 'Customer Service' in their job title? The possibilities are endless! It is crucial, though, that you formulate your KPIs in advance. This makes your campaign measurable and means you can run benchmarks at a later stage. If you have no experience building social media recruitment campaigns, I'd advise you to discuss the options, with no strings attached, with an online recruitment agency. That will save you a lot of frustration and wasted ad budget.

Step 4: Keep your recruiters informed about the process

For the sake of argument, let's assume your campaign turns out to be a success: the applications are pouring in! It's essential that your colleagues in the recruitment department are aware of your actions. It regularly happens that Customer Service sets up a fantastic campaign together with marketing, without the recruitment department being informed. As a result, there isn't enough capacity to screen the incoming candidates, with the risk that the applicants have already found another job in the meantime. A successful online recruitment campaign stands or falls with alignment between you and your colleagues. The better prepared you are for the new intake, the more successful your campaign will be.

This blog can also be read on CustomerFirst!.

Want to know more about recruiting customer contact staff via social media? Get in touch!