Employee Engagement For Dummies
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Having an engaged workforce starts with finding the right employees. You can use social media to help you start the hiring process. The world's largest social networking site, Facebook boasts more than 1 billion (that's billion, with a b) users. Although originally a social networking site for people to stay connected with family and friends, Facebook is increasingly becoming a tool for job seekers and employers alike.

What can you do to leverage Facebook as a recruiting tool? Here are a few ideas:

  • Establish a company Facebook page and use it to post job openings.

  • Encourage existing employees to share job postings on their personal Facebook pages, and reward those who bring in new talent — not just with recognition and thanks, but with an employee referral bonus.

  • To increase the number of eyes on your job postings, use Facebook's promotional tools. For a fee, you can target those Facebook connections whose profiles match keywords you identify.

  • Link your company's website to your company's Facebook page. Several apps are available that enable you to update your Facebook page automatically when new job postings are added to your company's site.

Ironically, many companies maintain a Facebook page but ban the use of Facebook in the workplace. If you want your company to leverage social media, you need to encourage its use as a “connector tool.” Employees need to feel comfortable using Facebook and other forms of social media as professional tools to make professional connections.

Simply put, firms that disallow Facebook at the office are out of touch. You have to trust your employees to use social media properly in the workplace. Besides, if an employee spends three hours a day goofing around with his friends on Facebook, you have a performance issue, not a social media issue!

About This Article

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About the book author:

Bob Kelleher is the founder of The Employee Engagement Group, a global consulting firm that works with leadership teams to implement best-in-class leadership and employee engagement programs. He is the author of Louder Than Words and Creativeship, as well as a thought leader, keynote speaker, and consultant.

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