For recruiting and HR managers today, social media has become a necessary resource. However, not everyone uses it in the right manner. In terms of what recruiting is all about, consider just how social it is – prior to the advent of sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, social activities included talking to others in person, networking with groups and holding conference calls. According to some surveys, though, Facebook is one of the poorest used services by the recruiter when it comes to hiring. Why is that?

It’s Not Ineffective

One of the misconceptions many have is that Facebook is just not wired to be a social networking tool for businesses or HR recruiting managers. It is a bit more difficult to use than other platforms out there designed for the HR industry, but only a small fraction of users of the site use it in the most efficient manner for recruitment.

The typical HR firm may have a Facebook Fan Page – a page dedicated to the recruitment for a company. It may list jobs that are currently available or information regarding the company, very few pages do enough to actual find and engage with the best talent in the current market. On the other hand, not everyone using websites like this actually want to be found. Many people use their Facebook page for private conversations with friends in their regular life. They do not want their boss infringing on that. Many employers do look at the Facebook pages of users to determine if they are a good fit for the company, too. Some do not provide an offer to an otherwise ideal employee based on what is on his or her Facebook page.

What to Do

For those HR managers looking for a way better to utilize this form of social networking, it’s best to make a few changes. The fact is, employers looking for top notch candidates need to move away from the trend of having page “fans” and rather build better relationships in “friends.”  Here are some tips to help you to do this.

• Fans really do not matter. Use these pages to provide information and to add content that shows who the company is, what it offers and what it can do for the other person.
• Volume is not the answer. Though it is commonplace to hear that one page has more “likes” than another does, the sheer volume does little actually to improve the quality of people on that page.
• Use this page actively to attract others. Engage in social networks as way of developing a brand and expanding. May those top-notch candidates want to like the page.

Though it can be more difficult to use than other sources of social media, Facebook does have its place in the circle of networking. The key is to use it properly to attract the right people to your page.