What was once started by Friendster and MySpace has now become one of the most influential innovations in our lives. The social media revolution led by Facebook made us more connected to each other than ever — at least virtually.

It’s hard to see how much has changed in our lives without looking back ten or five years ago. Here are some of the top areas of our lives that social media changed over the years.

The Impact of Social Media on Our Day to Day Lives

#1. Social media is now our source of news.

Before, we used to wait for the morning paper by the door. Today, for most of us, the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning is to check our Facebook Newsfeed. Social media gives us the power to follow people, pages, channels, and groups that interest us. So, it’s only natural that we check up on them first thing in the morning.

Also, experts have noticed that friends on social media are increasingly becoming a trusted source for news and recommendations. Even more than Google! According to tech blogger and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, more and more people are finding his blog through Facebook and Twitter. Don’t be surprised when these social media giants will eventually compete with Google in the coming years.

#2. Social media has changed how we meet and connect with people.

Social media has made the world a lot smaller. Now, you can make friends with someone in the Pacific without meeting him or her first. You can also connect with other people who share your interests and passion through Facebook Groups.

“Call me.”

“Find me at this address.”

You don’t hear much of these words nowadays. Instead, people say:

“Add me on Facebook”

“DM me on twitter”

“Message me on messenger.”

 The time spent on social media has been steadily growing over the years as more people use these platforms to find and maintain friendships.

#3. Social media increases our influence.

The so-called mainstream media is no longer always the sole influencer of public opinion. With social media came the rise of a new breed of influencers. Each influencer can have hundreds of thousands to millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitters, or YouTube.

Posts and videos can go viral garnering millions of views, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments. Social media has changed us from passive bystanders to active participants who, within our own circle of influence, can present a convincing voice.

#4. Social media changed the way we do business.

Social media has made it easier to launch a new business. Entrepreneurs with little to zero marketing budget can leverage social media to grow their customer base and find potential collaborators. Thanks to interest-focused groups, hashtags, etc.

Remember how Uber started? Without Twitter, there’s a big chance that Travis Kalanick’s and Ryan Graves’ path will not cross. And the Uber we know today will be completely different — or non-existent.

Here’s the tweet of then Uber CEO Travis Kalanick in January 2010:

Looking 4 entrepreneurial product mgr/biz-dev killer 4 a location based service.. pre-launch, BIG equity, big peeps involved–ANY TIPS??

— travis kalanick (@travisk) January 6, 2010

To which Ryan Graves tweeted:

“Here’s a tip. Email 🙂”

Understanding the Hiring and Recruitment Process

In general, there at least 10 important steps involved in the hiring and recruitment process. Let’s talk about each one briefly below:

1) Identify the need.

Any hiring process begins with identifying the need for a new employee or position in the company. The HR and the management team sit together and make an informed decision based on several metrics. The overall workload, its effect to current employees, and whether or not the decision will drive the company toward its goals must be carefully considered.

2) Create a recruitment plan.

Once a need has been identified, the Human Resources and the management can now come up with a recruitment plan. This details the number of employees needed, their skills and qualifications, and the job description.

The plan will also include details from publicizing the job to how the employee onboarding process is to be conducted.

3) Making the Open Position Public

During the posting process, the management should notify current employees and find out if there’s a possible internal candidate. If not, you can post the vacant position externally. There are several outlets for this — online job boards, local classified ads, LinkedIn, and even through social media like Facebook or Twitter.

4) Review applications.

The HR can take the lead in reviewing cover letters and résumés. Shortlisted candidates will be forwarded to the hiring manager. Sometimes, a phone interview is conducted to further screen applicants.

5) Interviewing most qualified applicants.

A panel or a hiring manager interview the most qualified applicant(s) to determine who’s the best job and cultural fit. During this phase, applicants give the company permission to do background checks.

6) Perform Background Checks

The purpose of a background check is to make sure that all the claims of the candidate (i.e. education, job history, and criminal background) are true.

7) Select the most qualified person.

All the interviews and background check should give you an idea of who’s the most qualified candidate. Determine the compensation you are willing to offer.

8) Give the offer

You should have a written job offer at this point, detailing the compensation and other arrangements for your new hire. Notify shortlisted candidates who did not make the cut.

9) Negotiate the start date and salary details

Feel free to negotiate the salary, paid time off, severance pay, and other important details with your new hire at this stage. Most common issues are more paid time off and higher starting salary. Be flexible and do what you think is best for both parties.

10) Onboarding your new employee

Congratulations on hiring a new employee. The onboarding process will make sure that your new hire will get up to speed right away.

Using Social Media to Attract Top Talent

Social media has now become a very powerful tool for finding, engaging, and converting top talents into applicants. A survey released by LinkedIn shows that 49% of professionals follow companies in social media to stay updated with their job vacancies.

To successfully attract top talent using social media, your company needs to establish a strong employer brand. Here’s how to do it:

1) Establish your company’s why

Your potential candidates should know why your company exists. You can do this effectively by establishing a consistent tone and style in your employer branding. Take note of the following best practices:

• Be genuine
• Be approachable
• Be friendly
• Be unique
• Be consistent

2) Produce great content

Your future employees want to visualize themselves working in your company. Feed their imagination with unique content, awesome visuals, and great storytelling. Social media allows you to use photos and videos of:

• Your office and working environment
• Your employees
• Corporate activities
• Interesting projects
• Awards
• Perks (like a free-flowing cafeteria, in-house gym, a game room, and of course, bean bags and ping-pong tables!)

3) Always engage with your audience

Social media recruiting and establishing a strong employer brand is like a dialogue. Build relationships with your target audience by:

• Asking questions
• Responding to comments, messages, and reactions
• Avoiding canned messages or replies
• Timely communication

4) Use the right social media platform(s)

There are many social media platforms out there. And not all will work best with your business or your target audience.  The 4 social media giants — Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram — are the norm. But it doesn’t mean you have to use all of them.

How do you know which social media platform to use? Simple. Your choice will depend on the persona of your potential candidate. For example, if your potential candidate is someone who spends a lot of time on Instagram, then it’s the best place for you start building your employer brand.

Microsoft’s Employer Brand Example

Above is a video grabbed from Microsoft’s career page on Facebook. A couple of things we like about this post are:

• The name Microsoft Life. It shows future employees that working at Microsoft is a way of life, not just “another” job.
• Allowing Chandler to share her experiences makes the message more genuine and personal.
• The video gives us a sneak peek at what Microsoft offices look like.
• At the end of the video, we see Chandler pursuing her passion, which is teaching young girls, while working at Microsoft at the same time.

Use an HR Software for Your Social Hiring Process

Since around summer we have received tons of questions on whether CakeHR is going to introduce a Recruitment / ATS module and I’m happy to finally announce that – YES, we are! It’s already being tested and in Q1 it will be available for everyone. Exciting stuff! 🙂

Using an HR Software like CakeHR can simplify and speed up your social hiring process. Automate your onboarding process by assigning predefined task lists to your new hire as soon as they join the company. And get detailed reports with each progress they’ve made!

Julianna.

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There is a subtle difference between a good and a great HR management software. Know how we deliver nothing but “Great” by starting your 14-day free trial at CakeHR!