Companies Using Instagram for Recruiting

Using social media for recruiting purposes goes way beyond LinkedIn. While 97 percent of U.S. recruiters used LinkedIn for social recruiting purposes last year, just 40 percent of job seekers did. Compare that with Facebook and Twitter, which were used respectively in 67 percent and 45 percent of job seekers’ searches. Some companies trying to attract younger employees find that Snapchat is an effective recruitment tool. Taco Bell is doing an awesome job on Pinterest. And then there are the companies recruiting on Instagram. Looking for recruiting inspiration on Instagram can be kind of like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There’s a LOT of stuff out there, and most of it isn’t very good. Depending on how you go about your search, you may come across content about making six figures a year by working from home, weight loss schemes or weird modeling opportunities. But then there are other companies recruiting on Instagram that are taking advantage of the platform to interact with prospective candidates and showcase their brand in a visually appealing way. Here are four that are doing it well: 1. Salesforce “Honored to be named among @Forbes #MostInnovative Companies, five years in a row! This wouldn't be possible without our incredible employees.”

This CRM platform doesn’t just have a corporate account – it has a separate jobs account specifically for recruitment purposes. Scroll through the posts and you’ll see a bevy of Hawaiian shirts, office dogs and reposts of employee pictures. Though #dreamjob isn’t the sole domain of Salesforce, they’ve incorporated it into their profile picture and have been able to evangelize it so that employees frequently post using the hashtag. Additionally, the flow of communication on the account isn’t just one way. In the image above, a user asked a question about applying for internships. Salesforce thanked the user for their question and said they’d inquire. Then they followed back up with an answer. For job seekers, it means the world when a company – whether they’re five employees or on the Fortune 500 – takes this type of personal approach to candidate communication. 2. Marriott "We're proud of our #NewOrleans associates as they join @habitatnola's rebuilding efforts this week to honor their city's recovery. #Repost"

Like Salesforce, the third-largest hotel chain in the world also has a recruiting account on Instagram that’s separate from the main corporate account. Travel and Instagram just go together – who doesn’t have the occasional dream of visiting a far-flung place where everything’s all stunning architecture and ocean views and delicious-looking food? In a repost originally taken by one of their Big Easy hotels, the @marriottcareers account commemorates the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by featuring their employees’ rebuilding efforts with Habitat for Humanity. Corporate social responsibility is a big deal to candidates – 53 percent of workers say “a job where they can make an impact” is important to their happiness. Most workers would even sacrifice pay in order to realize this goal. You can use Instagram to showcase the good you’re doing in and out of the office. 3. Entourage Clothing & Gifts "TAG A FRIEND who needs to join Entourage! We are expanding and growing FAST and that means we are HIRING at all locations - even our corporate warehouse!! Check out all of the available listings on our careers page! #shopentourage #hiring #nowhiring"

If there’s any industry that’s going to give travel a run for its money on Instagram, it’s fashion. Instagram and fashion are a match made in heaven. The proof is in this seven-store clothing chain’s account numbers: more than 7,500 posts and almost 70,000 followers. This post simply and effectively conveys Entourage’s staffing needs while beautifully showcasing their product. The real stroke of genius here is the call to action about tagging a friend. Entourage isn’t just sitting back and hoping that users will like the image–they’re enlisting their followers to help source for them. Also: their hashtag game on point. 4. Reddit "On Friday, @realeliroth stopped by redditHQ for two things; 1) To marvel at the majestic gold curl that sits atop Co-founder/CEO Steve's head like a brush stroke in a DaVinci masterpiece... And 2) to offer a private screening of his new film #TheGreenInferno for reddit employees #perksOfWorkingAtReddit #wereHiring (reddit.com/jobs)"

How many workplaces give employees the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities? Well, online community platform Reddit, for one – and they smartly feature this unique job perk on Instagram. Reddit’s users skew quirky, geeky and male, so putting a subtle hiring plug in a photo featuring a renowned horror film director? Genius. Scroll through the account and you’ll also see funny photos posted by redditors and details about upcoming Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions.

From engaging with users one-on-one and demonstrating corporate social responsibility to enlisting followers as recruiters and showcasing unique perks, these companies are effectively making Instagram an important tool in their employer branding arsenal.