Regardless of how competitive it may feel to get a job, it is important to remember that employers are often just as eager to find qualified candidates to hire. According to a Social Recruiting Survey conducted by Jobvite, 69 percent of employers expect to feel increased competition from other organizations next year. Many employers feel as though they are falling behind due to a shortage of workers with the skills they need and increased competition from other organizations. In fact, the most recent Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey released by the Department of Labor reported 4.8 million job openings in the United States – the highest number since January 2001.  Learn four techniques employers use to seek out and identify potential hires so that you can increase your chances of being found.

Get Social

Jobvite reports that a whopping 93 percent of recruiters, or individuals responsible for identifying potential hires, use social media channels to identify candidates. While recruiters do screen out candidates based on social media content that shows drug use, alcohol intoxication or lewd behavior, recruiters more often turn to social media to identify candidates who showcase their skills, interests and expertise effectively online.

While it’s important to keep your social media stream clear of content that may create a red flag for employer, a positive presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can pique employer interest and result in direct outreach from a recruiter or hiring manager. 


Like Instead of Friend on Facebook

Liking an Organization on Facebook is like entering a one-way street. You can see status updates and make comments on an organization’s page, but the organization cannot see status updates that you make on your own page. If an organization has done something notable such as winning an award or mentioning philanthropic work – comment on it and share it. If you are currently employed, hold off on publicly announcing your interest – and send a private message instead.

To send a private Message on a Facebook pages, go to the organization’s page and click on the Message icon.

Monitor Job Announcements, Conversations and News on Twitter

Jobvite says over half of organizations use Twitter. Use Twitter’s Search feature to search for jobs, bios and tweets of recruiters and employees of the organization you want to work for. Create a Twitter bio and reach out via an @reply message once you’ve built up a tweet stream that shows your interest and knowledge of the field and job you want to work in. Ask for a job and you’ll come on too strong, but ask a question or give a compliment and your messages may be met with a response or a follow – either of which gives you the opportunity to follow up and build additional rapport with the employer.

Get in Good Company on LinkedIn

A whopping 94 percent of recruiters say they use LinkedIn for recruiting. So if you only have the time and interest to participate on one social network, use LinkedIn. The first step in being found by employers online is to write a strong LinkedIn profile that contains the keywords that showcase your skills and match the jobs you want to do. Once you feel good about your profile, join LinkedIn groups in your area of interest and get started networking to increase your visibility.

While these four strategies may not help you get contacted by a hiring manager overnight, they are a proven way to increase your visibility and boost your chances of being found by an employer or recommended by a friend.