21.04.2023

Recruiting through social media in Poland: pros and cons

Every national labor market has its peculiarities and therefore a unique recruiting philosophy. Despite global trends, some tools work better than others. In Poland, there are nuances in recruitment, including communication channels. Social networks, an integral element of modern life, have found their place among the means of communication between Polish employers and job candidates. But are they used to the fullest? Let’s explore the specifics of using social networks in recruitment processes in Poland, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their application.

Features of recruiting through social networks. 

First of all, it should be noted that in Poland, social networks, although used in the process of hiring new employees, are not dominant. Among the information resources for posting vacancies, job search websites (Pracuj.pl, Praca.pl, Jobs.pl), job aggregators (Praca.WP.pl, Adzuna), or specialized applications (ePraca, YesWare) prevail. Email remains the number one communication channel for a long time.

Secondly, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are not used at all for recruiting purposes. Preference is given to Goldenline and LinkedIn. Their architecture allows participants to create their profile and a network of business contacts. It is noteworthy that some job offers are published exclusively on these networks, and you won’t find them anywhere else.

Thirdly, Instagram and Facebook are used by recruiters as an additional tool to obtain more comprehensive information about a potential employee. Informal information on these social networks complements the professional profile of the candidate presented on Goldenline or LinkedIn. Thus, the employer gets a comprehensive impression of both the professional skills and personal qualities of the future employee.

Disadvantages of social media recruiting:

  • Lack of control over the accuracy and reliability of information provided by job candidates on their social media profiles.
  • Risk of discrimination based on non-work-related factors, such as gender, age, or appearance, when reviewing candidates’ social media content.
  • Limited reach of social networks compared to job search websites, which can attract a wider pool of candidates.
  • Time-consuming process of reviewing candidates’ social media content, which can add to the workload of recruiters.

The most popular social networks (Facebook, Instagram) are primarily used to obtain reference information, and their potential as channels for disseminating information about a company and its vacancies is underestimated;

The fact that most young professionals without experience (students, interns) are active social media users, and they gather most of their information from these sources, including during job searches, is not taken into account;

Preference for general messages over specific ones indicates orientation towards everyone and at the same time towards no one, and weak connection to the target audience;

Attention to active social media participants (who are not necessarily the best professionals) and lack of interest in passive ones (but equally competent) leads to a situation where some highly qualified candidates do not come into view;

Lack of proper knowledge and competencies among recruiters in social media work, lack of verified samples, recommendations, and training does not allow to gain maximum benefit from these tools;

Low level of advertising use in social media, and hence, lack of deep analysis of user interests and clicks, hinders in-depth understanding of the audience.

Advantages of recruiting through social media:

  • Dissemination of up-to-date information about the company, latest news, achievements, goals, collaborations, and vacant positions serves to promote the company’s brand, its popularity, and recognition;
  • Participation in thematic LinkedIn groups expands communication not only within the recruiting community, but also with professionals who are being targeted by recruiters;
  • Formation of interactive communities in expert-oriented social media groups (Goldenline, LinkedIn) promotes two-way communication with existing and potential employees.

As we can see, the entire innovative potential of social media as a recruiting tool in Poland has not yet been fully realized. Greater emphasis on this tool can help Polish recruiters not only update their functional arsenal, but also optimize a significant number of recruitment processes.