What do you think will be most important for recruiters in 2018? Take this 10-question survey from TalentHero and let the HR community know what is most important to you now and in the future. The results will be shared in a detailed report in 2018, and in exchange for your opinion you’ll be entered for a chance to win some amazing prizes (like free Social Media Hiring Reports from yours truly).

5 Social Media Trends Recruiters Should Look Out For in 2018

For HR & Recruiting, there are a lot of trends on social media to watch out for in 2018. No, we’re not talking about disturbing trends in online behavior, but rather some of the latest ways to engage with talent online and make the recruiting and pre-hire processes way more effective.

1. Authenticity is Everything

Social Media is saturated with marketing content everywhere you look. As a result, social media users and job candidates alike respond better to authentic, unedited video content and images than perfectly tailored media that comes across as “too market-y.”

We aren't the only ones recognizing this pattern... Video content is about to get a lot more competitive as new platform providers make it ever easier to publish viral-worthy videos.

So how can you capitalize on this trend? Instead of posting a bland job description to Linkedin and other recruiting sites, why not add a simple, honest video about the role? Briefly explain the role you're hiring for and describe a few things you love about the company or department. Maybe you have great snacks, or your office allows pets! No one can say no to puppies.

2. The Gen-Z’s Are Here (and They’re Ready to Work)

Generation Z (also called iGen) is the generation born right after millennials, and believe it or not they're old enough to start their careers. Just as you've finished wrapping your head around millennial recruitment strategies, Gen-Z is here to shake things up.

According to Social Media Today, Gen-Zs have a more practical approach to their future. While millennials seek growth and fulfillment in their careers, their younger counterparts have seen them undergo considerable financial duress in the pursuit of those dreams. As a result, this highly digitized generation understands their current economic situation and has the technological skills necessary to jump head-first into advanced software and mechanical concepts.

3. Trying to Reach Young Talent on Snapchat? Save Your Money

It may seem trendy to reach young talent on perhaps the most Millennial of all social media channels, and while an estimated 70 million (mostly young) people across the country check into their Snapchat every day, placing an ad in Snapchat Stories probably isn’t the best place to spend your social recruiting dollars.

In 2017, Instagram made leaps and bounds by offering Instagram Stories, a direct competitor to Snap Inc.’s biggest moneymaker. Their hard work paid off-- according to mobile video platform dubdub, Instagram Stories received 35% more ad views than their counterpart. Since Instagram users also tend to be older and more established than Snapchat users, you’ve found yourself a data-backed strategy to capturing more attention from more qualified candidates in 2018.

4. Yeah, Social Media Background Screening is a Thing Now

Even though social media background screening has been around for a while, the general public is finally coming to terms with the fact that, yes, most employers look at social media accounts before making a hiring decision (about 70%, according to CareerBuilder). While to some it may seem like a step beyond their personal privacy boundaries, the greater consensus indicates that checking out a candidate’s social media accounts is actually a much safer, more accurate alternative to other background screening methods.

Done the right way (usually by a third-party like Social Intelligence), screening for online behavior complies with all FCRA hiring guidelines and eliminates the risk of discrimination complaints that can arise from criminal background checks. If you’re looking for a safer way to decrease negligent hiring risk, protect your reputation, and save a ridiculous amount of money in discrimination claims, make 2018 the year you implement social media screening into your pre-hiring process.

5. Passive Recruiting Could Help You Automate

It may be the result of a decade of tumultuous economics or easier access to new career information, but it’s now estimated that 70-75% of the country’s workforce would be open to new career options if they came up, even if they are already employed. They're called “passive candidates” and they present a unique opportunity for recruiters.

Draw in passive candidates with educational content through social media over time and you create relationships with a large pool talent even if they’re employed elsewhere. When it comes time to actively engage them for recruiting, your brand has already established a positive rapport with passive candidates, giving you a leg-up in convincing them to leave their current role.

Without a social media strategy in place in 2018, you could be missing out on a huge pool of talent.

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As you head into the New Year, don't forget to incorporate a few of these strategies into your business plan. If you don't have time to test all of them, that's okay too! Only focus on what you know you can accomplish, and you'll be well on your way to a better, more efficient recruiting strategy in 2018.