2x ⏩

Social media can no longer be thought of as just an organization’s marketing tool. It’s your brand’s reputation, your culture on display, and your most visible recruitment platform.

I had the honor of moderating a panel on Using Social Media to Attract and Retain Employees at the first-ever STN EXPO East in Charlotte. Big thanks to School Transportation News for bringing this event to the East Coast!

The panel included:

– Peggy Stone, Director of Transportation, Lincoln County Schools

– Cor’Darius Jones, Bus Driver, Escambia County Schools

– David Poag, Director of Transportation, Spartanburg County School District

While we focused on recruiting bus drivers as the conference is for school transportation professionals, these takeaways apply to any brand trying to stand out in a competitive job market.

Here are 3 ways to strengthen your recruitment strategy by using social media:

1. Empower Employee Advocacy and Personal Brands

Your employees already have networks and influence and whether they know it or not, they each have a personal brand. When they share what it’s like to work with you, it doesn’t just support recruitment, it also strengthens their own professional presence.

– Include a “Post of the Week” in your internal newsletter with text they can copy and paste to their social media.

– When you post a job or team update, tag employees in the comments prompting them to share it.

– Make sure your social media policy supports employee advocacy and gives clear guidance.

When employees talk about their jobs online, it builds trust, expands your reach, and helps your culture show up in an authentic way all while helping your team grow their personal brand in the process.

2. Use Video Strategically

Social platforms are prioritizing video. You don’t need a production crew, you just need a plan.

– Record quick videos of employee stories, team events, or day-in-the-life clips.

– If budget and/or resources are an issue, get creative. Partner with local students or career programs to create simple recruitment content.

– Focus on real, unscripted moments that feel authentic and relatable.

Video can get better reach and it connects emotionally.

3. Keep Content Simple and Consistent

Recruitment content doesn’t have to be complicated, it just needs to be consistent.

– Employee spotlights.

– Photos/videos from events, milestones, or behind-the-scenes moments.

– Testimonials about why people love working there.

Build a habit of capturing content and create a process to keep it flowing.

Social media is more than a marketing tool. It’s how you share your values, build a sense of belonging, and show others why they’d want to be part of what your organization is building. When you give your employees the tools to show up online with pride, you’re not just filling jobs, you’re building a brand that people want to work for.

BLUESKY: Another big name has joined.

Barack Obama joins Bluesky [TechCrunch]

FACEBOOK: I’ve mentioned this in a prior newsletter, but Facebook is sending out notifications as a reminder.

FACEBOOK: He has 27M followers on FB.

MrBeast says his strongest short-form monetization comes on Facebook. Will “O.G.” features add to that? [tubefilter]

INSTAGRAM: Middle and high schools can now join the waitlist.

Instagram has a new program for school officials to report bullying [engadget]

INSTAGRAM: I love 2x speed. The day this feature gets pushed to me will be a glorious one.

Instagram now lets you speed up reels just like on TikTok [TechCrunch]

INSTAGRAM: A March roundup.

From the latest updates to mythbusting with @mosseri — and beyond! [@creators]

INSTAGRAM: I remember when they first tested this years ago.

Instagram Is Adding ‘Re-Posts’ To Amplify Content [SocialMediaToday]

LINKEDIN: Excellent beginner advice here. For those building their personal brand, there is never a time I would NOT recommend adding a comment before you share a post.

Tired of awkward LinkedIn connections that go nowhere? [LinkedIn]

LINKEDIN: “Hooks have never been more important.”

We’re doing a LOT of testing 🧪 with video on LinkedIn. [Julia (Cabral) Flavin via LinkedIn]

LINKEDIN: An update to messages.

Excited to share more product updates, this week focused on improving how messages show up on LinkedIn.[Gyanda Sachdeva via LinkedIn]

LINKEDIN: This is the first time I’ve seen this Creators Hub.

Create on LinkedIn [LinkedIn]

LINKEDIN: I always tell people that LinkedIn Premium isn’t a must-have, but it is valuable. If you’re ever offered a free trial, take it. Use it to the fullest, see what features you actually like, and then decide if it’s worth keeping long-term.