What is Social Recruiting: Definition, Examples & Best Practices

Social recruiting sounds complicated, but it's actually pretty simple: It's finding and hiring people through social media platforms instead of traditional job boards.

Think about it this way. When you want to sell a product, you don't just put up a billboard and hope people drive by. You target specific audiences on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok with compelling ads that interrupt their scroll.

Social recruiting works the same way. Instead of posting a job on Indeed and hoping the right person finds it, you put targeted job ads directly in front of qualified candidates while they're browsing their social feeds.

But here's what most people get wrong: Social recruiting isn't just posting jobs on LinkedIn or sharing openings on your company Facebook page. That's social media recruiting, and it's barely scratching the surface.

Real social recruiting is a systematic approach to finding, engaging, and converting passive candidates using paid social media advertising and optimized conversion funnels.

This guide will show you exactly what social recruiting is, how it works, and why it's becoming the dominant way to find top talent in 2025.

Social Recruiting vs. Traditional Recruiting: What's the Difference?

Traditional Recruiting (The Old Way)

• Post jobs on job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Monster
• Wait for people to find you among thousands of other listings
• Compete for active job seekers (only 30% of the workforce)
• Hope qualified people apply from a sea of unqualified candidates
• Pay per job posting regardless of results

Social Recruiting (The New Way)

• Target specific audiences on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn
• Interrupt people's social media time with relevant opportunities
• Reach passive candidates (70% of the workforce who aren't actively looking)
• Pre-qualify candidates before they even apply
• Pay for actual results (clicks, applications, or hires)

The fundamental difference? Traditional recruiting is destination marketing. Social recruiting is interruption marketing.

With destination marketing, you create a destination (job posting) and hope people find it. With interruption marketing, you bring the opportunity directly to the right people at the right time.

How Social Recruiting Actually Works

Step 1: Audience Targeting

Instead of hoping the right person sees your job posting, you define exactly who you want to reach:

• Geographic location (within commuting distance)
• Professional interests (industry publications, professional groups)
• Job-related behaviors (career-focused content engagement)
• Demographic factors (within employment advertising compliance rules)

Step 2: Creative Development

You create compelling ad content that stops the social media scroll:

• Video testimonials from current employees
• Behind-the-scenes workplace content
• Value-focused messaging (salary, benefits, culture)
• Clear calls-to-action that drive immediate response

Step 3: Conversion Optimization

When someone clicks your ad, they land on a mobile-optimized application page that:

• Loads in under 3 seconds
• Takes 60-90 seconds to complete
• Includes knockout questions to pre-screen candidates
• Provides instant confirmation and next steps

Step 4: Follow-Up Automation

Qualified candidates receive immediate engagement:

• SMS confirmation within minutes
• Email sequences with company information
• Automated scheduling for interviews
• Human contact within 2 hours for top candidates

Real Social Recruiting Examples

Example 1: Healthcare Recruiting

Traditional Approach: Post "RN Position Available" on Indeed with standard job description

Social Recruiting Approach:

• Target: Facebook users interested in nursing publications within 20 miles
• Creative: Video of actual nurse saying "Tired of mandatory overtime? Join our team with guaranteed work-life balance"
• Landing Page: 60-second application asking "Do you have current RN license?" and "Can you work day shifts?"
• Result: 15 qualified RN applications in 48 hours at $12 cost-per-applicant

Example 2: Skilled Trades Recruiting

Traditional Approach: Post "Electrician Wanted" on Craigslist and hope for responses

Social Recruiting Approach:

• Target: Instagram users interested in electrical work and trade publications
• Creative: Photo carousel showing actual job sites with text "Earn $35/hour as a licensed electrician. No weekends required."
• Landing Page: Quick form asking "Do you have electrical license?" and "Available for 7am start times?"
• Result: 8 qualified electrician applications in one week at $18 cost-per-applicant

Example 3: Retail Recruiting

Traditional Approach: Put "Now Hiring" sign in store window and post on job boards

Social Recruiting Approach:

• Target: TikTok users aged 18-25 within 10 miles interested in fashion/retail
• Creative: Employee-generated video showing fun workplace culture with text "Flexible schedules + employee discounts. Apply in 60 seconds."
• Landing Page: Mobile-first application asking "Available weekends?" and "Previous retail experience?"
• Result: 25 applications in 3 days, 12 qualified candidates, 5 hires within 2 weeks

The Different Types of Social Recruiting

1. Paid Social Advertising

What it is: Running targeted job ads on social media platforms

Best for: High-volume hiring, specific skill requirements, geographic targeting

Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter

Investment: $20-50/day per campaign

2. Organic Social Recruiting

What it is: Posting job openings on company social media pages

Best for: Employer branding, referral generation, low-budget recruiting

Platforms: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Investment: Time and content creation

3. Employee Advocacy

What it is: Encouraging employees to share job openings on their personal social networks

Best for: Leveraging existing networks, building authentic employer brand

Platforms: All social platforms

Investment: Employee incentive programs

4. Social Sourcing

What it is: Proactively finding and contacting potential candidates on social platforms

Best for: Hard-to-fill roles, executive recruiting, specialized positions

Platforms: LinkedIn, Twitter, industry-specific platforms

Investment: Recruiter time and premium platform subscriptions

5. Community Building

What it is: Creating social media groups or communities around your industry/company

Best for: Long-term talent pipeline development, employer branding

Platforms: Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Discord, Slack

Investment: Community management time and resources

Platform-Specific Best Practices

Facebook & Instagram

Best for: Healthcare, skilled trades, retail, hospitality, warehouse roles

Targeting: Interest-based, geographic, behavioral

Creative: Video testimonials, workplace photos, employee stories

Compliance: Must use Special Ad Category for employment ads

Example Campaign:

• Objective: Lead generation for CNA positions
• Audience: Women and men 18-65+ interested in healthcare within 25 miles
• Creative: Video of current CNA discussing work-life balance
• Budget: $30/day
• Expected Results: 10-15 applications per week at $15 cost-per-applicant

LinkedIn

Best for: Professional roles, management positions, B2B sales, technical roles

Targeting: Job title, company, industry, skills

Creative: Professional content, company culture posts, employee spotlights

Compliance: Less restrictive than Meta platforms

Example Campaign:

• Objective: Applications for sales manager role
• Audience: Sales professionals with 3+ years experience in target industry
• Creative: Employee testimonial about career growth opportunities
• Budget: $50/day
• Expected Results: 5-8 qualified applications per week at $40 cost-per-applicant

TikTok

Best for: Entry-level roles, creative positions, Gen Z targeting, retail/hospitality

Targeting: Age, interests, behaviors, hashtag engagement

Creative: Behind-the-scenes videos, day-in-the-life content, trending audio

Compliance: Emerging platform with evolving employment ad policies

Example Campaign:

• Objective: Hiring for retail associate positions
• Audience: Ages 18-25 interested in fashion/retail within 15 miles
• Creative: Employee-created "day in my life" video with trending audio
• Budget: $25/day
• Expected Results: 15-20 applications per week at $8 cost-per-applicant

Common Social Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating Social Media Like Job Boards

Wrong: Posting standard job descriptions with corporate language

Right: Creating engaging, conversational content that speaks to your audience

Mistake 2: Ignoring Mobile Experience

Wrong: Directing social media traffic to desktop-optimized career pages

Right: Building mobile-first application experiences that work on phones

Mistake 3: Poor Targeting

Wrong: Targeting "everyone in the city" to maximize reach

Right: Starting narrow with ideal candidate profiles and expanding based on performance

Mistake 4: Weak Creative Content

Wrong: Using stock photos and generic messaging

Right: Featuring real employees and authentic workplace content

Mistake 5: No Follow-Up Strategy

Wrong: Letting candidates apply and waiting days to respond

Right: Immediate automated responses followed by human contact within hours

Measuring Social Recruiting Success

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Click-through rate: 2.5%+ for employment ads
• Cost-per-applicant: $8-25 depending on role complexity
• Application completion rate: 80%+ on mobile-optimized pages
• Qualification rate: 60%+ should meet basic requirements
• Time to hire: 50% faster than traditional methods

ROI Calculation

Total Campaign Cost ÷ Number of Hires = Cost-per-Hire

Compare this to:

• Traditional job board cost-per-hire
• Recruiting agency fees (typically 15-25% of salary)
• Internal recruiting costs (recruiter time, tools, etc.)

Most companies see 40-60% reduction in cost-per-hire with social recruiting.

Getting Started with Social Recruiting

Week 1: Foundation

• Analyze your best employees to create ideal candidate profiles
• Choose primary platform based on your target audience
• Set up business accounts and advertising access
• Create mobile-optimized landing pages for applications

Week 2: Campaign Creation

• Develop 3-5 ad creative variations
• Set up targeting parameters within platform guidelines
• Configure conversion tracking and analytics
• Launch with modest daily budget ($20-30)

Week 3: Optimization

• Monitor performance daily and adjust budgets
• Test different creative approaches
• Refine targeting based on who's actually applying
• Calculate ROI vs. traditional recruiting methods

Month 2 and Beyond

• Scale successful campaigns with higher budgets
• Expand to additional platforms
• Develop employee advocacy programs
• Build long-term talent communities

The Future of Social Recruiting

Social recruiting isn't just a trend, it's becoming the dominant way companies find talent. Here's why:

Changing Candidate Behavior: 73% of millennials found their current job through social media platforms. Gen Z is even more social-first in their job search behavior.

Platform Evolution: Social media platforms are investing heavily in employment features. TikTok launched TikTok Resumes, LinkedIn continues expanding its recruiting tools, and Meta is developing new job-focused ad formats.

AI and Automation: Advanced targeting algorithms and automated optimization are making social recruiting more effective and efficient than ever.

Cost Efficiency: As traditional job boards become more expensive, social recruiting offers better ROI for most types of roles.

The Bottom Line

Social recruiting is simply a more effective way to find and hire people. Instead of hoping the right candidates find your job postings, you proactively reach them where they already spend their time.

The companies that master social recruiting first will have a massive advantage in attracting top talent while their competitors fight over the shrinking pool of active job seekers on traditional platforms.

The tools are available. The audiences are there. The only question is: How quickly will you make the switch?

Ready to start social recruiting? Pick one role, choose one platform, and launch your first campaign this week. You'll be amazed at the quality of candidates you can reach when you meet them where they are.

Want to see social recruiting in action? Lahda makes social recruiting simple with automated ad creation, mobile-optimized application pages, and built-in candidate screening. Book a demo to see how we're helping companies hire 3x faster at half the cost.