Employer branding hashtags that are #killingit at social recruiting and employee engagement
When candidates search social media to learn about your company, what will they find? Give candidates the information they are seeking on your social channels with social media recruiting hashtags. Hashtags that combine your company name with #lifeat, #jobsat or #workat (e.g. #lifeatGoogle) give insights into a company’s culture and communicate talent needs. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all allow users to easily sort and search content using hashtags.
Hashtags are important to your social recruitment strategy
When candidates click on your hashtag within a social channel, they access a portfolio of employee experiences. Your social recruiting content is made easily available to millennial and Gen Z audiences. Surveys show that these groups use social media for two to three hours per day. Adroit use of branded hashtags in your social media recruiting content also turns passive browsers and scrollers into active candidates.
Employee usage legitimizes your message
When employees organically post to their personal channels using the hashtags, they provide an endorsement of the company messaging. Then, when company channels respond to their employee posts with enthusiasm, that’s ideal social recruiting hashtag use.
Some companies are taking their hashtags beyond the #lifeat formula and are promoting unique ones in their employer branding. Here are four companies that are #killingit with original social media recruiting hashtags.
#ExpediaCares
#ExpediaCares is an umbrella hashtag covering the multinational corporate responsibility values of Expedia Group, their global social good efforts, as well as regional teams’ philanthropic works in local communities. The hashtag is used by employees all over the world when they serve the #ExpediaCares mission. It’s also the hashtag used by all Expedia Group businesses on their Global Day of Caring. That’s the day all employees leave their offices to serve thousands of local charities. Plus, it’s used in addition to #lifeatexpedia, which also has fantastic employee engagement!
#BeMagenta
T-Mobile has an army of employee advocates using #BeMagenta on their personal social channels. These posts are paired with employee photos wearing the brand’s signature color. Employee social shares range from on-site events, to selfies dressed in company swag, to decorations for employee milestones. When thousands of employees are posting about why they love wearing magenta and repping their company, it says a lot about the T-Mobile culture.
#IWorkForDell
Dell doesn’t have a specific theme around their posts — #IWorkForDell hashtag is a catch-all for employees of all levels, departments and countries who are proud of their work. Team building activities, group philanthropic work and speaking engagements are just a few of the many positive experiences shared. Significantly, content that Dell creates is also reposted by their employees, increasing the reach and adding that priceless layer of employee approval.
This is pretty cool.. #iworkfordell #proudoftheplaceiwork https://t.co/EdLKybFG6s
— Mark V (@VDitti) January 26, 2020
#TargetVolunteers and #WorkSomewhereYou❤️
Target encourages employees to volunteer in the community and to share their volunteerism joy using these hashtags. Alone and together, these two hashtags have been used by tens of thousands of employees showing their love for where they work and what they do.
Kicking off the new year Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope @ the San Antonio Food Bank, sorting 14,000 lbs of perishable goods, providing 11,000 meals to SA families! Bringing joy in and out of stores💕#safoodbank #targetvolunteers #peoplematter #endhunger #worksomewhereyou❤️ pic.twitter.com/p9fETONZqL
— Michael Lyssy (@lyssy_michael) January 23, 2020
Of course, even the most inspiring employee social media coverage can never replace longer, focused employee stories like videos, blog posts and career site content. But, branded company hashtags make it easy for users to easily find snapshots and snippets of employee attitudes on your social channels. When used by your employees on their personal accounts with pride and joy, the hashtag serves as an endorsement of your core values. And when your brand uses your hashtag on your official social media channels, you can use it as a sign post to bring users to your longer-form employer branding content.