#IWantThatHat! A Case Study on Hashtags and Creative Twitter Recruitment

Hashtag

I spent some time the other day exploring recruitment-related articles, blog posts and the like, specifically those related to recruiting via social media, and one story in particular jumped off of the page—Employers Take to Social Media for Recruiting. The title’s concept isn’t new by any means, but there is a lot to learn from the fantastic recruitment campaign created by the Minnesota State Patrol, which is explored within the article; specifically, the State Patrol’s success recruiting via Twitter (@MnDPS_MSP). Some context:

The Challenge: The Minnesota State Patrol sought an effective, non-traditional way to recruit high-quality, diverse talent (officers) and grow their talent pipeline.

The Hopeful Resolution: The State Patrol leveraged Twitter, Facebook and even YouTube to spread organizational awareness, share testimonials about the job, and ultimately recruit the talent they needed to continue protecting the law and safety of citizens on the road.

Breaking the Traditional Mold
What I see most often on Twitter from recruiters is the use of a simple hasthag: #job. Now, I’m not saying there is necessarily anything wrong with this strategy, but the State Patrol buried tradition and changed the game. They took one item unique to their uniform—the flat-billed, circular hat of a patrol officer—and created a relevant, fun and unique hashtag.

More specifically, they used the hashtag #IWantThatHat to create a buzz around their Twitter account. This is a popular, tongue in cheek (e.g., I’m jealous of Abraham Lincoln. #IWantThatHat) and seemingly irrelevant to recruitment marketing hashtag; however, it entered State Patrol into the consciousness of many Twitter users beyond those seeking such a position (i.e., passive candidates). Rather than settle for convention, they built a unique campaign around this hashtag and maximized its potential. From the very first Tweet on June 28, 2013 until their last on July 12, they posted this hashtag 104 times on Twitter and garnered more than 200 applications (in just two weeks!). Here is one example:

 
In addition to the Twitter campaign, the State Patrol posted YouTube videos featuring officers speaking about the job and even held live chat sessions on Facebook (engagement, engagement, engagement).

How Recruiters can Leverage this Model for Personal Recruitment Success
Think about what makes your requisition unique. When applicable, move beyond traditional hashtags (i.e., #job). Leverage websites that compile the use of hashtags into a database; engines such as www.symplur.com (specific to healthcare), www.hashtag.org and www.twubs.com enable recruiters to easily identify hashtags relevant to specific topics.

Once you have created or identified a unique/fun/relevant/non-traditional hashtag, build a customized campaign tailored to your requisition. If your hiring nurses, consider hashtags about saving lives or benefitting the community; look into trending topics that might relate to the position you’re recruiting! If you’re hiring engineers, run with something fun like #StartYourEngineers. A tacky example perhaps, but Twitter is your playground—unlock its potential! As can be seen through the State Patrol’s campaign, fun yet applicable hashtags just might garner the passive (or non-passive) talent you need to fill a demanding requisition.

Furthermore, use programs such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule your updates in advance. Schedule multiple updates per day for a set amount of time (scheduling 4-7 days out is optimal), and stay consistent by branding your Twitter posts with the same hashtag for all updates. Finally, look to your peers for successful strategies and follow their lead—as I have with the Minnesota State Patrol. As recruiters, we always want to be pioneers in our industries and build the new recruitment frontier. It can be equally effective, however, to learn from others before you pave you own path.  

Post contributed by Andrew Rojahn, Pinstripe Social Media Specialist. Connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

 


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