We're always looking for new ways to get in front of candidates before our competitors do, and a great way to do this is to start spending time on platforms that aren’t totally saturated with other recruiters (aka LinkedIn!).
Instagram is incredibly popular at the moment, so it makes sense to fish where the candidates are, right? But you can’t seriously get a real return recruiting on an image-sharing site... can you?
Instagram is a social media platform that’s most popular among millenials and Gen Z – in other words, the candidates that are slowly dominating the workforce and that you should be targeting for your agency.
Facebook might be the platform your agency is focusing on for social recruiting, but did you know that people spend almost the same amount of time on Instagram as they do on Facebook these days – and engagement levels on Instagram are much higher?
That’s a huge market to tap into, if you know how!
One factor that is driving Instagram usage among this demographic is the search for authenticity.
Candidates are looking to connect with brands and agencies that come across as genuine and truthful, and Instagram is a great way for them to assess this. If your agency has a presence on Instagram, your candidates are more likely to connect with you, you’ll be more memorable and they’re more likely to think of you before your competitors.
So, let’s take a look at some recruitment agencies on our radar who are absolutely killing it on Instagram at the moment – and what we can learn from them!
Instagram handle: @Revoco_Talent
Revoco are recruiters in the technology space, and one of my personal favourite recruitment accounts on the ‘gram).
Revoco have really mastered the art of Insta: They keep their account crackling with activity, posting photos and Instagram stories on a regular basis and their agency values shine through in all of their content.
Their insights into office life and playful company culture are more than just good fun too – it’s content like this that candidates lap up, and will make the brand more relatable and memorable over a faceless agency that has no real Instagram presence.
Best thing about Revoco’s Instagram:
They bring the fun back into recruitment! The Revoco team clearly love what they do, and this comes across really well on an image-based platform. Smiling recruiters, happy candidates, kind words from clients… it’s all gold dust for your social media engagement, and helps candidates put a face to the name when they’re scrolling.
Instagram handle: @LoveMondayNZ
This is an great account managed by recruitment agency owner Carrie Callaghan, who recently wrote an excellent blog on recruiting on Instagram.
Carrie knows her target market inside out so she knows exactly what content they’ll find most engaging. Her irreverent blend of job ads, memes and no-holds barred honesty will resonate with millennials and Gen Z candidates who are all over Insta and keen to cut through the recruiter #bulls**t.
Best thing about LoveMonday’s Instagram:
Their awesome dedication to branding! If you visit LoveMonday’s profile and scroll down the grid view, their brand is totally distinct. Their colours are instantly recognisable, regardless of the content, meaning their posts stand out for followers when they appear in the feed.
They're also great at conveying personality and authenticity on Instagram and that's what this platform is all about.
Instagram handle: @westrayrecruitment
Recruiting for engineering and manufacturing roles, Westray Recruitment’s Instagram account strike a healthy balance between promotion and entertainment, without being too salesy.
Their content focuses on their job ads and adding value to their candidates’ feed, which is the formula you need if you want to attract followers and kick start your Instagram recruitment strategy.
Best thing about Westray’s Instagram:
Their consistent (but not overbearing) job ad shares and relevant hashtagging are a great strategy to get content in front of the right candidates. Instagram not only shows users content from accounts they’ve chosen to follow, but candidates can also choose to follow certain hashtags too so they see content relevant to their interests too. Therefore, steady use of relevant hashtags will help your posts appear to the talent you need, without any extra effort.
Instagram handle: @CreativeRecruitment
The clue is in the name for this one! Creative Recruitment are an agency targeting mostly London-based candidates who work in creative digital roles.
With the bulk of their posts containing no direct promotion of their roles at all, you might be wondering why they’re on this list, but scroll through for a minute and it becomes clear that Creative Recruitment know their market really well.
Their artsy shots of London, nights out and graffiti will all appeal to candidates working in the creative industry – and any client who stumbles across their profile (again, their niche hashtags will make this happen!) will be confident that the team have the knowledge to fill their roles.
Best thing about Creative Recruitment’s lnstagram:
Their industry knowledge and lack of self-promotion. Creative recruitment use their Instagram purely to connect with people in the advertising and creative industry in London and show that they’re the agency most ‘in the know’ with this network.
Instagram handle: @Hydrogen_Recruitment
Hydrogen Recruitment are a large agency that recruits across a variety of very different sectors – but this doesn’t stop them from killing it on Instagram!
This account is highly focused on supporting candidates, and has tapped into one of the types of content Instagram loves – quotes. But before you roll your eyes, there’s no ‘live, laugh, love’ going on here!
Instead, Hydrogen have run a series interviewing women in top leadership positions, posting snippets from these as high quality graphics.
These kinds of posts help them stay front of mind for their followers and really show their values as an agency.
Best thing about Hydrogen’s lnstagram:
Hydrogen regularly posts their hot vacancies as stories rather than regular Instagram posts, which stops their page getting clogged with vacancies and also gives a sense of urgency for those looking to apply (stories are only live for 24 hours - more info on this here).
You could also create a ‘Hot Jobs’ highlights area at the top of your profile that holds on to the ‘stories’ you post until you choose to delete them. This way, you’re increasing the longevity of the job ads you post until they’re filled.
If you’re not totally convinced that Instagram is worth spending your time on, it’s a great idea to create candidate marketing personas to work out if Instagram is the right option for you, and if not – where you should focus your efforts instead!
And don't forget to follow us on Insta if you haven't done so already!