LinkedIn has long been the go-to platform for recruiters looking to source and connect with potential candidates. But Twitter now X offers some unique advantages for finding tech talent in 2023. In this post, we’ll explore tips for leveraging Twitter to expand your talent pool.
How Do I Find Candidates on Twitter?
The first step is setting up a robust Twitter presence for your company and establishing yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry. Regularly share insights, company updates, and job openings.
You can search Twitter bios for relevant keywords like “software engineer” or “product designer.” Twitter lists allow you to follow and engage with people in your target talent pools.
Follow hashtags like #softwarejobs, #gamedevjobs, or #uxjobs to find people discussing relevant opportunities. Engage with them by liking, commenting, and retweeting.
What Percentage of Recruiters Use Twitter?
According to recent surveys, over 47% of recruiters use Twitter for sourcing candidates. 38% have successfully hired candidates directly through Twitter.
With 500 million tweets sent per day, Twitter offers a massive audience. Recruiters appreciate its real-time nature and opportunities for engagement.
How Do You Recruit Employees on Twitter?
- Share your job postings proactively, including tags for relevant skills (#Python) and locations (#BayArea).
- Build Twitter lists to follow: alumni of certain schools, speakers at industry conferences, active tech bloggers/podcasters.
- Join Twitter chats focused on your industry and engage with participants.
- Follow hashtags where your target candidates are likely to be discussing relevant topics.
- Build your own follower base by sharing great content regularly. Follow those who engage with your tweets.
- Consider promoted tweets to expand the reach of your job postings.
Does Twitter Help You Get Recruited?
Yes, having an active presence on Twitter can definitely help candidates get noticed and connect with recruiters.
Candidates should share insights, comment on industry news, post technical tutorials, and engage in discussions. This demonstrates expertise and builds your professional brand.
Follow leading companies in your industry, engage with their tweets, and join Twitter chats to get on their radar. Having original perspectives pays off on Twitter.
How Do You Recruit Hard to Find Candidates?
Here are some tips for connecting with in-demand candidates who aren’t actively job searching:
- Guest post on their personal blogs or industry publications they follow.
- Comment thoughtfully on their Twitter discussions to start a conversation.
- Share and praise their open source projects and technical tutorials.
- Invite them to speak at or attend your company’s events.
- Follow and engage people who work at their target companies.
- Promote your employer brand and job perks on Twitter to attract passive candidates.
How Do You Find Someone on Twitter Without Signing Up?
You can search Twitter profiles and public tweets without having an account using Twitter’s advanced search filters.
Just go to twitter.com/search-advanced and use filters like keywords, location, language, hashtags, date range, etc.
This allows you to identify potential candidates and evaluate their activity on Twitter before reaching out.
How Do I Find People on Twitter Near Me?
Add a precise location like “San Francisco, CA” in the “Near this place” filter on advanced Twitter search. Use a radius filter to expand the geographic area.
You can also search for specific neighborhood names, landmarks, or venues. Hashtag searches for your city/region like #BayArea or #AustinTX also work well.
The “People” tab will show the most influential Twitter users near your location. Check their bios and tweets to identify potential candidates.
How to Source for Candidates on Twitter
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to sourcing candidates on Twitter:
- Research relevant keywords, hashtags, accounts, and Twitter chats to follow. Set up lists and searches.
- Build your company’s Twitter presence with industry insights and engaging content.
- Search bios for terms like “hiring” or “open to work” to find active candidates.
- Engage with potential candidates by liking, commenting, and retweeting their tweets.
- Share your job postings and promote your employer brand to attract passive candidates.
- Connect promising candidates to your LinkedIn for more of their background.
- Evaluate fit based on their full Twitter activity history and make your outreach.
How Do You Recruit Employees on Twitter?
Here are some best practices for effectively recruiting candidates directly through Twitter:
- Build an authentic brand voice with a distinct personality on Twitter.
- Follow industry influencers, publications, and competitors to join relevant conversations.
- Share multimedia content like images, videos, gifs, and polls not just plain text.
- Promote employee testimonials and showcase your company culture.
- Respond to candidates promptly and move conversations to other channels like email.
- Measure results through your applicant tracking system by adding #TwitterSourcing to job posts.
- Analyze metrics like followers, engagements, clicks, and talent pool growth over time.
How Do I Use Twitter for Job Hunting?
If you’re a job seeker, focus on showcasing your expertise, joining industry discussions, and expanding your professional network on Twitter.
- Update your Twitter bio with your skills, experience, and “Open to Work” or similar tagline.
- Proactively engage with tweets from your target companies and hiring managers.
- Share examples of your work through tweets and threads, and optimize your profile.
- Build relationships with leaders in your field by commenting thoughtfully on their tweets.
- Use relevant job hunting hashtags like #Jobs, #Hiring, #CareerArc to increase visibility.
- Monitor hashtag discussions around conferences and events to connect with attendees.
- Search through company tweets and likes/retweets by hiring managers for intel on requirements.
How Does Twitter Hire Employees?
Like most companies, Twitter leverages their own platform to promote job openings and source candidates.
They highlight their culture, values, and unique perks to stand out. Employees share testimonials and “day in the life” stories as well.
Twitter looks for candidates who already engage actively on the platform about relevant topics, and follow familiar hashtags.
Hopefully these tips help you unlock the potential of Twitter for sourcing tech candidates more effectively! Let me know if you have any other questions.