Why social media works differently
1. You also reach passive candidates
On social media, people are not actively looking for work. They scroll through their feed. And that is what makes it powerful.
Someone sees a job posting with a clear salary and a recognizable position among messages from friends. She wasn't planning to apply, but thinks: this is interesting. Within thirty seconds, the application is sent.
This is not search behavior, but interruption of attention with something relevant. If your targeting is correct, it doesn't feel like advertising, but like an opportunity.
2. Apply without friction
The traditional application process consists of many steps. Each extra click or manual entry results in dropouts. Out of a hundred interested, often only a few remain.
On social media, it works differently. With Lead Forms, name, email, and phone number are already filled in. Sometimes uploading a resume is optional. Three clicks, thirty seconds, done.
The result is not a conversion of five percent, but fifteen to twenty-five percent. With the same message, you get three to five times as many applications.
3. Each platform has its own audience
Not every platform is suitable for every vacancy.
Facebook and Instagram mainly reach professionals between 25 and 45 years old, broadly deployable and suitable for, among others, retail, sales, marketing, and hospitality.
TikTok is younger, visual, and fast. Ideal for starters, students, and junior positions.
LinkedIn focuses mainly on experienced B2B professionals, but is considerably more expensive per click.
Those looking for young talent look to TikTok. Those looking for experienced professionals are often better off on Facebook and Instagram. It's not a gamble, it's demographics.
What exactly are Lead Forms?
Lead Forms are ad formats where candidates can apply without leaving the platform.
The candidate sees a job posting, clicks on apply, gets a form that is largely already filled in, and sends it directly. No external website, no account, no long forms.
This exists on Facebook and Instagram, but also on TikTok, where it works especially well in combination with short, authentic videos.
The real problem: what happens next
For candidates, Lead Forms are ideal. Often not for recruitment teams.
Applications come in through ad platforms, not in the ATS. That means logging in daily, downloading leads, retyping data, uploading resumes, and manually linking everything to vacancies.
At ten applications per day, that's already an hour of work. At fifty per day, it's unsustainable. The result is always the same: leads are left unattended, candidates receive no response, and advertising budget is wasted.
The solution: automation
That's why Recruit Social exists.
After a one-time setup, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok leads are automatically forwarded to the ATS. Data, resumes, and answers to questions appear within minutes at the right vacancy, including source attribution.
No manual work. No delay. No lost applications.
What this yields
Automation saves time. What used to take hours, now takes nothing.
Applications are followed up faster, while candidates are still motivated.
All data is available in the ATS, allowing you to compare and optimize campaigns based on real numbers.
The business case in practice
A retail organization with a monthly budget of a thousand euros often gets around ten applications through job boards. Through social media, with Lead Forms and automation, that can be more than a hundred at a fraction of the cost per application.
More applications, lower costs, and no extra workload for recruiters. The calculation almost always adds up.
Practical lessons from practice
Start with Facebook and Instagram before adding TikTok.
Keep Lead Forms short; each extra question lowers conversion.
Start with broad targeting and refine based on data.
Ensure your ad is immediately clear about salary and benefits.
And most importantly: respond quickly. Whoever calls first gets the candidate.
Common misunderstandings
Social media recruitment does not work with small test budgets and half-hearted efforts. Without sufficient volume and without automation, it quickly seems like it doesn't work.
More applications also mean more unsuitable candidates, but in absolute numbers, you actually get more good candidates than through traditional channels.
And automation is not an additional cost. It replaces hours of manual work that is already being paid for, just less visibly.
What will happen
Social media recruitment is growing rapidly. In the Netherlands, it is still lagging behind other countries, but the increase is clear.
Targeting is becoming more precise, video is becoming the norm, and AI is taking over more and more optimization. What doesn't change: speed remains decisive. Whoever responds quickly wins.
How to start
Start with a few vacancies on Facebook and Instagram, a realistic test budget, and short Lead Forms. Automate from day one. Optimize based on data and scale up once it works. Don't see social media as an extra channel, but as a primary source.
Conclusion
Recruitment has become multi-channel. Social media plays an increasingly larger role in this.
It works better than traditional job boards, but only if the process is right. Without automation, it becomes a burden. With automation, it becomes a competitive advantage.
The question is not whether you should use social media for recruitment.
The question is how quickly you can organize it well.
About Recruit Social
Recruit Social connects Lead Forms from Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok directly to your ATS, such as Otys, Carerix, Bullhorn, or Recruitee.
Applications come in automatically. No manual work. No lost leads. Live within a week.