Social Recruiting For Dental Labs: Your Guide to Recruiting Dental Technicians via Social Media

Recruiting via social media is an efficient and cost-effective way for dental laboratories to reach talented dental technicians. Social media sites provide employers with the ability to craft tailored messages aimed at specific candidate groups, such as ceramists, CAD/CAM technicians and prosthetics technicians, not to mention those in the millennial and Generation Z generations who already spend considerable amounts of time on these platforms.

Dental labs can deploy both paid and organic campaigns to attract active and passive job seekers, while advanced tools and software provide additional support to streamline the recruitment process. In short, social media recruiting is an ideal way for dental laboratories to access a wide range of talented dental technicians.

Why use social media for recruitment?
Dental laboratories can increase their visibility and recruit the best talent by incorporating social media into their recruitment strategy. According to research from software company CareerArc, 86% of job seekers use social media to find employers, with Facebook, LinkedIn and niche industry sites being among the most popular search tools.

Additionally, research from talent acquisition software vendor Employ found that 46% of job seekers use information from friends, 39% rely on social media sites, and 33% look to employer career sites when seeking out openings.

Social media can also enable dental labs to draw attention to a good corporate culture, strong benefits packages, or career advancement policies. Companies can even create easy channels for prospective candidates and job seekers to interact with them, making the recruitment process smoother.

Social media recruiting has become an integral part of the overall recruitment strategy, but it should be used as a complement rather than a replacement for traditional methods, such as job boards and advertising on corporate websites.

By incorporating social media into their hiring strategies, dental labs can increase their visibility, reach more dental technicians, and attract the best talent. 

Benefits of using social media over traditional recruiting
Social media recruiting offers a number of key advantages over traditional recruitment methods. It enables labs to reach vast numbers of dental technicians instantaneously and target them based on desired skills and credentials.

Furthermore, social media allows employers to spread information about job openings through their connections and colleagues, amplifying their message more effectively than traditional methods such as cold-calling.

Finally, social media can provide these benefits at a lower cost than more conventional recruitment methods, making it an effective solution for today’s tight labour market.

 
Which social media platforms to use
Recruiters have long relied on LinkedIn to find candidates, but job seekers are increasingly engaging with a variety of social media platforms. According to a recent survey, the most popular platforms used by large companies are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

For younger professionals, TikTok and Instagram are particularly popular, while designers may gravitate to Dribbble, and software developers can be found on GitHub.

Facebook and LinkedIn are favourite hangouts for dental technicians and lab owners alike, with Facebook groups being particularly popular.

Recruiting successfully on social media can often mean understanding the differences between social media sites, so that their messaging matches the expectations of each platform's users. They also know when it's appropriate to reach out via social media and when to avoid certain platforms. 

To maximise recruitment efforts on social media, dental labs should stay up-to-date on new platforms and changes in user activity, as well as take advantage of each site's unique features. Above all, they should strive to create a positive brand presence across social media so that potential candidates can learn more about your lab before applying. 

Ultimately, with the right approach and tools, dental labs can use social media to find the right candidates and build relationships that will benefit their business in the long run.

Facebook
With their exclusive members-only approach, Facebook groups are a great way to reach out to dental technicians in a more intimate setting. Plus, Facebook Group members are usually more willing to engage with one another and share their professional experiences, which makes them a great resource for dental labs who want to find the perfect candidate for their team. So if you’re looking for experienced dental technicians, be sure to check out some of the great groups on Facebook! You never know who you might find.

LinkedIn
With LinkedIn, not only can you learn more about an individual's experience and qualifications, but you can also get a better sense of their character and work ethic - something that resumes alone can't always tell you.  LinkedIn also has a variety of different job posting options, making it easier for your lab to target the best talent.

Creating a better candidate experience
The pandemic caused many companies to focus on providing a positive experience for both their employees and job candidates, this includes developing recruitment marketing initiatives to create a better candidate experience, and this is story is no different for dental laboratories.

Ideally, employers should have career websites that have been optimized to allow technicians to easily search for jobs and apply. Dental laboratories should also ensure they have clear communication and follow-up processes in place when dealing with job candidates.

By providing a positive experience for both the dental lab and the technicians, businesses can build strong employer brands and establish themselves as attractive places to work.

This will help them attract the best dental technicians available and win over that talent from competitors. It is essential for dental labs to invest in delivering a great experience if they want to remain competitive in the future.

Blog post by Andy Foster