Nick Frey - Founder at Avomind, a global platform connecting graduates and young talent with fast-growing firms.
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Working in talent acquisition and HR means I and my team spend a lot of time on professional social media platforms—PSMPs. These include LinkedIn, Xing, Viadeo and other public and private networks. It is arguably our most valuable tool. PSMPs allow us to build networks, learn from our colleagues and offer professional advice to people on an international scale. Above that, it gives us a massive pool of talent that we can comb through to build our teams.
As someone who works directly with young talent (0-3 years of experience), I spend a lot of time explaining to college students and young alumni the importance of PSMP presence and how career seekers can use these professional platforms to optimize their job searches. However, I do see a disconnect between higher-level and entry-level professionals on this kind of platform, let’s fix that.
Here are six things you can do to reach young talent on PSMPs and build a network of soon-to-be-great potential team members.
1. Utilize PSMP targeting features to advertise to specific age groups.
All professional social platforms are built on the foundation of connection and network, which means you can use this to your advantage when focusing on younger professionals. Staying up to date with the strongest current keywords and hashtags and using these in your posts will prompt these connections.
2. Create and/or join university-focused groups to build networks.
Q&A groups are great for everything, especially when they focus on topics that can be genuinely helpful, such as applications, interviews and career entry. Creating a group where young professionals can join and get advice on these subjects is a great way to build a long-term network and help create a ripple effect of loyalty to your company.
3. Target and tag universities in your posts.
As many know, students rarely spend time networking and connecting on professional social media platforms, but there is one sure way to connect with them—use the main piece of information they have on their profiles. Tagging your old university, universities in your area or university clubs related to your industry can help your post be shared with hundreds of young professionals.
4. Use other social platforms to direct young professionals to LinkedIn.
Despite being the market leader in its niche, LinkedIn isn’t on the list of the top 10 applications used by teens on a day-to-day basis, so the most effective way to reach them on LinkedIn is through another application that does make the cut. Using other social platforms to advertise roles, profiles and companies and focusing your CTA (call to action) on your LinkedIn platform will create more traction and build your network.
5. Share personal and professional insights and experiences to build a relatable and approachable personal brand.
Being relatable is one of the most attractive aspects when it comes to connecting with the younger generations. Share stories of your first interview experience and what you did when you made your first big mistake at work. Letting them know they are not alone will create connectivity and in turn, build your network and reach.
6. Connect with young professionals in your network and offer to mentor or be a resource for them in their career development.
If you have the time, offering some one-on-one assistance to young professionals by checking their CVs and cover letters or giving advice on how to prepare for interviews goes a long way to winning them and their colleagues over.
Fixing the disconnect between higher-level and entry-level professionals when it comes to the regular use of professional social media platforms is important for every professional, including those in human resources. By meeting young people—like the teens who will be entering the workforce over the next decade—where they are at, HR professionals can support the next generation of team members for their organization.
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