Most likely you’re already using LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, but what many recruiters don’t know is that Google+ is starting to make an impact. It is the second-largest social network and has more than a billion users. While this network has had a quiet emergence, savvy recruiters will find that Google+ offers some major advantages and the opportunity to get one step ahead.
How to Use Google+ for Recruitment
Getting started with Google+ is free, easy, and can be integrated into your daily social routine. Here are three key areas to focus on:
Complete and Enhance Your Profile
A complete profile presents a more professional presence for recruiters. Include keywords in your profile’s About section, the tagline, and your Intro paragraph to make your profile searchable. Google+ also gives you the ability to be more creative with the ability to customize your header photo, tag line, and “bragging rights” to highlight your personality behind the profile. There are also sections where you can include the names of websites and/or blogs that you are a contributor to, which will provide direct links to your posts and articles.
Google+ gives you the option to choose which sections of your profile to make public or private. While much of your profile may be public, you may want some information only available to certain followers; such as potential candidates or those you have interviewed.
- Include specific keywords in the About section of your profile
- Be creative with your profile, including your tagline, introduction paragraph, and header photo
- Add websites to your page and any blogs where you are a contributor
Post Strategically
One of the biggest advantages that Google+ provides is that its postings automatically generate a higher search ranking on Google. The company has formulated their search results to rank postings and tags from Google+ higher than posts from any other social network. This means that when you post a job opening, company news, or comment with a hashtag, you’re more likely to get your Google+ post noticed first.
Google+ also allows you to populate your page with both text and visual content such, as video, images, and now gifs. This network has become highly visual, so include visuals and a link in most of your posts. Be sure to use hashtags and titles in each post, too, so Google can scrape these and give the post a higher search ranking. Similar to Facebook’s “Like” feature, Google+ also has a “+1” that you can use to like posts and connect with others in your network.
- Include a title and hashtag in each post
- Use visual content in most posts
- Interact with other users by +1 and sharing their content
Engage and Connect With Followers
Another advantage of Google+ is that it allows you to group users into “Circles,” providing a convenient way for you to segment and categorize contacts. You can communicate information specifically to one or more Circles. For example, if you have Circles for “Recent Graduates,” “Healthcare — Nursing,” and “Colorado Candidates,” you could easily connect with candidates and promote a posting for an entry-level RN position in Boulder, Colorado. These types of segmented postings allow you to target your search and provide information to the followers who will most benefit from it.
In addition to Circles, Google+ has also created “Communities” which are similar to forums or LinkedIn groups. When you join a Community, you can share your own posts or choose from various categories of posts for the type of information you want to share. Communities are a feature of Google+ that allows users to connect and relate to you on specific topics. It is also possible to create your own Community and make it available for others to join, with the option to add specific profiles, Circles, or invite contacts through Gmail addresses.
- Segment who you follow into Circles
- Post content to Circles of users who will benefit the most from that information
- Use Google+ Communities to further promote your content
Overall, Google+ has many advantages for recruiters who get in the game early. Connecting and relating with people is what social media is all about. Having a strong presence on Google+ can help you stand out and make your work more efficient and easier. Now is the time to get started!
If you’ve used Google+ for recruitment, what has been your experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts.