Finding and keeping talented workers has always been an uphill battle for the senior living industry. As rewarding as the industry can be, it’s an often overlooked-job market that isn’t well understood by job seekers. But amid record-high unemployment, senior living communities have the opportunity to recruit a variety of talented jobseekers from adjacent struggling industries. The challenge is reaching them. Social media recruiting is an excellent method to get your community in front of professionals outside of the senior living industry.

Here’s how senior living facilities can use social media recruiting to find great candidates in unexpected places:

Showcase Your Culture

One of the best things about social media is that you can really show people what makes your team special. Show potential candidates what it is like to work at your facility. Regularly celebrate employee’s successes and achievements on LinkedIn. Feature your community’s special events on Instagram. And since working in senior living means developing relationships with residents, be sure to feature them as well. After all, creating those relationships with residents is what often makes working in this industry so rewarding.

Reach Beyond Senior Living

Almost 250 million people use some form of social media in the United States. And most of them have probably never considered a career in senior living. Even if you are not actually hiring, engaging in groups is a great way to gain exposure to certain professionals. Check out groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that are specific to industries that your community could consider recruiting from. Share your foodservice innovations with culinary groups, your healthcare updates with healthcare groups, or your exciting facilities upgrades with hospitality groups.

But don’t forget about those hashtags either! Each platform has its own best practices for how to use them properly (here is a great resource for that), but their function is similar. Hashtags make it easier for users to see your content if they might not be in your immediate circle of contacts. This exposure can make professionals more familiar with your properties and more eager to join your team when you have openings.

Find Both Active and Passive Candidates

Many job seekers actively use social media to search for job opportunities and potential companies. Be sure to get in front of them by posting and featuring any open positions on your own company page as well as the platforms’ job boards.

But also remember that sometimes the best candidates are the ones that are not even looking. Since most people do not have their email or phone numbers just floating around the internet, it can be tough to make the first contact with people who haven’t actually applied. Social media is an easy way to reach out directly to a promising candidate.

Access Data to Guide Efforts

All the major social media platforms have some form of data analytics available for business pages. This intel can be crucial to understanding where you may be struggling to reach candidates. You can see whether or not anyone has even seen your company and job openings. With this information, you can adjust your approach.

Partner with Recruitment Experts

Often, effective social media recruiting is time-consuming and a bit overwhelming. A great way to branch out to a variety of candidates is to partner with experienced senior living recruiters. They already have a vast network of professionals built up and understand how to reach new candidates through social media. With their recruiting expertise and your company’s own social media presence, you can unearth the unique talent that your senior living community desperately needs. Contact Horizon Hospitality today to learn how we can help your recruiting efforts