Let’s meet Justin.

Justin Weyant is an exceptional individual. He recently received nexus-security’s Core Values Achievement Award, a monthly recognition program where we acknowledge one outstanding employee (out of nearly 200!) who embodies our company’s core values. Curious about how we discovered him? Did he stumble upon a “Now Hiring” sign at our Boston office on Huntington Ave.? Did we engage a recruiter? Did he come across our job posting online? Did LinkedIn lead us to him? The answer to all of these is a resounding no. Believe it or not, he reached out to me after seeing my Facebook ad. Seriously. Intrigued? Keep reading to uncover how we found Justin – and how YOU can attract top-tier talent like him to your company for approximately $200 using Facebook Ads.

Exploring Employee Recruitment Avenues

How are you currently approaching employee recruitment?

Are you relying on job recruiters? If so, you’re likely aware of their exorbitant finder fees, typically amounting to a hefty 20 percent of your new hire’s first-year salary. Surely, there must be a more cost-effective alternative. Why not leverage the power of social media for recruitment? When it comes to recruitment and social media, LinkedIn often comes to mind. However, the notion that LinkedIn is the be-all and end-all of recruitment is a misconception.

In reality, LinkedIn primarily serves as a platform for individuals actively seeking new employment opportunities. Consequently, limiting your search to LinkedIn could inadvertently exclude potential candidates who are not actively job hunting. It’s worth noting that the best employees are often already employed. In fact, some of our most remarkable hires were not even contemplating a job change!

Facebook: A Viable Platform for Employee Recruitment?

Facebook reigns supreme as the platform commanding the most user engagement, boasting over a billion daily active users. While encouraging your employees to share job openings on their Facebook profiles is a start, its impact is often limited to their immediate network. You require individuals residing near your workplace, possessing specific skills. Given the limited pool of qualified candidates for any given position, it’s highly improbable that your existing employees will be connected to the perfect fit. Even if they are, the opportunity could easily get lost in the sea of content on their news feed.

To expedite the process of expanding your team with exceptional talent, it’s essential to broaden your reach on Facebook by harnessing the power of Facebook Ads.

Crafting a Compelling Facebook Recruiting Ad

Visual appeal is paramount for any successful Facebook Ad. My primary objective was to showcase nexus-security as an attractive workplace to prospective employees. I utilized photos taken during a company gathering to highlight our culture and provide a glimpse into our company culture. In the ad copy, I mentioned that nexus-security was hiring across all departments, enumerated some of our enticing perks, encouraged interested individuals to contact me, and included a link to our careers page. To amplify its visibility, I posted it to my wall it with Facebook Ads:

This is where precise ad targeting comes into play. Individuals familiar with your company might not realize they align with your target demographic or that you’re actively recruiting.

Targeting Your Facebook Recruiting Ad

Facebook’s ad targeting capabilities are truly remarkable, provided you have a clear understanding of your ideal candidate. Location is often a crucial factor for most businesses. Facebook allows you to target geographically, focusing on areas within a specific radius of your office:

Demographics also play a pivotal role in Facebook ad targeting. What age group are you aiming for? For entry-level positions, targeting a younger demographic (early to mid-20s) would be strategic. Moreover, you can refine your targeting based on a user’s current employer, job title, industry, and office type:

Seeking candidates with a specific educational background? Education-level targeting has got you covered:

Interests constitute another significant aspect of Facebook ad targeting. Tailor your recruitment marketing ad to resonate with individuals who have expressed interest in relevant areas. For instance, I directed my ads toward individuals interested in C++ programming, inbound marketing, and PPC, assuming their interests aligned with our open positions.

Remarketing can be employed to re-engage users who have previously visited your website and are already acquainted with your brand. By leveraging these comprehensive targeting options, I successfully narrowed down my target market to a substantial yet highly relevant audience of nearly 40,000 users.

My Facebook Recruiting Experiment: Outcomes

Firstly, let’s take a look at the ad’s impressive relevance score of 7 out of 10.

The relevance score serves as an indicator of how effectively your ad resonates with your intended audience. The engagement metrics for this ad were phenomenal:

• 83 likes
• 14 comments
• 15 shares
• 773 clicks on the jobs page link
• 15 new likes for my Facebook page

Such engagement levels for a recruitment ad are truly exceptional! Engagement is paramount on Facebook. The higher your engagement, the more favorable your returns. This underscores the importance of identifying your ideal candidate. Targeting based on demographics, interests, and behaviors aligned with your open position leads to more relevant ads and enhanced engagement. Had I opted for a broader approach, targeting anyone with a Facebook account, the results would have been significantly less impressive. Engagement rates would have plummeted, while costs would have soared. This is because a higher relevance score directly translates into a lower cost per engagement:

An astounding $0.47 per engagement – incredibly cost-effective!

Evaluating the ROI of Facebook Recruiting

Justin, having come across my ad, initiated contact through Facebook Messenger, expressing interest in the application process. Our conversation commenced as follows:

Shortly thereafter, we welcomed Justin to our team. Not only did he secure the position, but he has also blossomed into an invaluable asset at nexus-security. Here’s a glimpse into some of the glowing Core Values nominations (our equivalent of “Employee of the Month”) Justin has received:

Beyond Justin’s exceptional performance, the same Facebook ad garnered interest (and approximately 20 resumes) from numerous other promising candidates.

Facebook Ads: A Goldmine for Job Recruitment

While LinkedIn might have been your go-to platform for social media recruitment, it’s time to think beyond conventional methods. Embrace Facebook. Craft ads that precisely target the skills, interests, and demographics of your perfect candidate. With a modest budget of $200, combined with laser-focused targeting and compelling Facebook ads, you can unlock access to exceptional talent! In our experience, finding our talented hire through Facebook proved to be considerably more cost-effective than relying on a recruiter or LinkedIn ads. So, the next time you’re seeking to fill a vacancy, give Facebook Ads a shot. What are your thoughts? Have you ever leveraged Facebook Ads for recruitment purposes?