My HR Lab: Most HR professionals use social media daily for HR actions

• 70% of HR people in Romania use social media daily when recruiting or promoting the employer image of the company they belong to;
• Most use social media to post recruitment ads (75%) and to search for and approach candidates (60%);
• HR professionals generally use LinkedIn to conduct HR activities;
• 45% of HR people in Romania use social media to recruit different types of candidates; When recruiting entry level and juniors, HR people believe that the best method they can use is academia, especially student associations (71%);
• The companies that those who participated in the My HR Lab study work for are mostly present on LinkedIn and Facebook. Over 35% also use Instagram and YouTube.

The majority of human resources people (70%), employed in companies in Romania, use social media daily for HR actions, according to a study conducted between November and December 2023 by the human resources consulting company My HR Lab. Most HR people use social media to post recruitment ads (75%) and to search for and approach candidates (60%). About 50% use online social media channels to promote the employer image of the company they work for.

Around 45% of respondents use social media to recruit candidates with various experience levels, 25% use social media channels to recruit entry-level/junior, and 25% recruit through social media specialist individuals. When recruiting entry-level and junior candidates and promoting the employer image to them, HR people believe that the best method they can use is academia, especially student associations (71%).

Other channels they use to attract the interest of entry-level and junior candidates are job fairs and LinkedIn. To recruit seniors and managers and promote their employer image, 82% of respondents consider LinkedIn to be the most appropriate channel. Other options used by HR professionals to attract the interest of candidates with a high level of experience are referrals and recruitment agencies.

To promote the image of the employer through social media networks, several departments are designated in more than half of the companies. In 20% of organizations, promoting the employer image is the sole responsibility of the HR department.

Beatrice Galatanu – Owner & Trainer My HR Lab: “Until recently, promoting the image of the employer was only the responsibility of HR professionals. And we are happy to see that more and more companies have embraced the concept of brand ambassadors (employee advocacy), thus encouraging the involvement of all colleagues from departments such as marketing, internal communication, PR, sales or even board members in promoting the employer’s image. This approach reflects not only a welcome change in recruitment strategies, but also a concerted effort to show more authentically the company’s organizational culture and who the people are behind a brand name.”

The companies that those who participated in the My HR Lab study work for are mostly present on LinkedIn and Facebook. Over 35% also use Instagram and YouTube, channels that have grown in popularity in recent years. On the social media platforms where they are present, half of the companies promote both their images, both commercial and employer, while 26% of them promote only the employer image online.

121 people involved in human resources processes from over 100 companies in Romania participated in the study, companies that have between a minimum of 10 employees and up to over 10,000 employees. 40% are specialists (3-7 years of experience), 35% are seniors (over 7 years) & 25% are juniors (1-3 years of the experience). 33% recruit for companies active in the IT&C industry, 9% for the Professional Services sector, 8% for the Automotive industry, 8% for Retail & DIY, 7% for the Financial – Banking sector, 7% work for the Medical & Pharma sector, 5% for Construction segment. Approximately 68% of respondents work in Bucharest, 10% in Cluj Napoca, 4% in Iași, 4% in Timișoara, 4% in Brașov and 10% in cities such as Ploiesti, Sibiu, Oradea or Târgu Mureș.