Meta’s recent release of the Twitter-like platform Threads resulted in a flurry of downloads and a lot of buzz across the internet. While the platform is still in its infancy, millions of people (including recruitment professionals) are quickly getting in on the action.
Like Twitter (currently rebranding to X at the time of this writing), Threads allows users to compose short posts that are publicly viewable to anyone with an account (but with a maximum of 500 characters, compared to Twitter’s 280 for standard accounts). Users can also attach images and videos, helping to improve the context of their messages and attract more views. While Threads currently lacks some of Twitter’s more robust features – like a web app and advanced search options – plans are in the works to improve its functionality.
Recruiters interested in using Threads to attract qualified employees can get started easily – and now’s the best time. Since the platform is still new, the competition is not yet at its fiercest. Therefore, companies that incorporate Threads into their recruiting efforts will likely see results that may exceed their performance on other social media apps.
Threads is potentially a powerful tool for businesses looking to expand their employer brand and connect with potential candidates. There are various ways that recruiters can use Threads to promote their company. When building a Threads recruitment strategy, consider the following:
Candidates are attracted to companies that share similar values. While tangible aspects like salary and benefits are also crucial, an employee that doesn’t agree with the organization’s direction or culture isn’t likely to stick around for long. They may not even apply for the role.
With the help of Threads, recruiting managers can craft a compelling narrative and demonstrate their company culture through their posts. Content highlighting the company’s mission and values helps attract the right potential applicants. Hiring professionals can include photos and videos within their posts, helping to further showcase the organization’s culture with their current employee ambassadors.
New employees typically don’t learn much about their future colleagues or the work environment until they start a job. Unfortunately, this can make it hard to know whether they’ll fit in or enjoy their duties. Job descriptions and interviews can help, but they may not tell the whole story.
To this end, hiring professionals can create video content highlighting the workplace and a standard day on the job. These videos can also allow potential workers to “meet” their future colleagues before they apply. Current employees can describe their typical workday and what they most like about their roles.
Sharing workplace video content through Threads offers a humanizing glimpse of what new employees can expect. Candidates can learn more about the company through videos instead of relying exclusively on written job descriptions or information from the hiring manager. This allows the company to be more transparent about what it’s like to work there and ensures candidate expectations are met.
All social media platforms are based on relationships and community, and Threads is no different. Hiring professionals will make the most of Threads when they post engaging content that interests viewers and take the time to respond to comments.
Remember, social media isn’t a one-way street. Simply posting content and expecting people to apply for open roles won’t do much for a business. Instead, interact with followers in real-time by replying to their inquiries, concerns, and questions. Hiring professionals can ask for feedback on posts and what the audience would like to see more of.
The more socially active employers are on Threads, the more likely they are to create relationships that lead to more interest from talented workers.
While Threads is new, its close parallels to Twitter and other social media platforms make it a little easier to develop a strategy for attracting applicants. These tips can help.
Like any online marketing strategy, it’s critical to identify the types of candidates the employer hopes to attract and develop content catered to them. Figuring out the ideal candidate persona helps avoid wasteful, time-consuming posts that reach people who don’t align with what the company is looking for.
For instance, if a hiring professional is looking for employees in a specific geographic area (Los Angeles, for example), they’ll want to highlight their Los Angeles office and job site. Unless the job is remote and has flexible working hours, there’s no point in localizing content for someone on the other side of the world.
Similarly, hiring professionals should consider the type of talent they hope to attract. After all, not every employer will require employees with the same kind of skill set. While two companies may need a software developer, one might specifically target their content for a mobile app developer, and the other might take a very different approach when hiring a back-end programmer for website development.
Another consideration that should go into a Threads recruitment strategy is talent acquisition objectives: Hiring managers should set goals for what they hope to achieve through Threads. Consider:
Once hiring professionals establish their objectives, they can set metrics to determine whether their strategies are working. These metrics can include post engagement, such as likes, comments, or visits to the company’s recruiting page. As they continue to post, they can set benchmarks that allow them to determine whether a strategy is working.
When developing content for Threads, it’s essential to think about how the audience will engage with it and whether they’ll find it interesting. Boring posts will likely go unnoticed and won’t do much for the employer’s brand. However, clickbait that attracts a lot of attention isn’t necessarily a great strategy either, especially if it’s made for the sole purpose of generating likes and shares.
The right strategy involves creating engaging content while remaining true to the employer’s brand. People crave authenticity; they’re tired of seeing content clearly made to sell them something. They want to see posts that inspire them, encourage laughter, or make them think. And given how visual the online audience is, professionals should prioritize photos and videos to captivate readers.
But the best way to truly resonate with an audience that aligns with a company’s brand is by posting content that relates to it.
Consider unique selling points such as:
Every company is different, but this also means they’ll have a unique factor that will resonate with a specific audience. If hiring professionals figure out what these traits are and incorporate them into Threads content, they can quickly build an audience of interested, like-minded people.
All users must already have an active Instagram profile to create a Threads account. While this might be a drawback to recruitment marketers who don’t have Instagram, it has some advantages, such as expanding a post’s reach through existing Instagram followers.
While users can prompt their Instagram followers to follow them on Threads, recruitment marketers may find that only some of their followers will make the transition. As a result, employers may not have quite the number of followers on Threads that they did on Instagram. However, Threads allows users to reshare their posts through Instagram stories and feeds. Not only will posts reach more of the employer’s existing audience, but they’ll also have more opportunities for discovery thanks to a larger, more established user base.
This means that hiring professionals who regularly post to both Threads and Instagram will see the broadest reach for their content. By effectively cross-posting, they’ll attract the maximum amount of viewers and boost talent acquisition efforts.
While social media apps often struggle in their early days, Threads has a massive advantage over the competition because of its connections to Meta and Instagram. This also means that it’s already a valuable tool for growing an audience and building a team. With around 150 million downloads in under two weeks, Threads is nothing to ignore, and hiring professionals who take action early will likely see benefits.
Keep these tips in mind when posting on Threads. Most importantly, remember the value of authenticity and nurturing relationships with talented workers. Likes and shares are nice, but they don’t do much for employers if they don’t lead to applicants and awareness among their targeted audience.
With the right Threads strategy, hiring professionals should see a significant boost in their recruitment efforts.
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To keep abreast of all these changes, reach out to the team at Recruitics! Our skilled team of seasoned recruitment marketing experts, employer brand masters, and social media mavens is ready to meet your challenges and exceed your hiring goals.
