What Is Social Recruiting and How to Use It for Active Candidate Sourcing

Finding the right talent has never been more challenging. In today’s highly competitive job market, how can companies stand out?

Social recruiting offers a powerful answer—leveraging social media not just to identify and attract candidates, but to build genuine, long-term connections with them.

Platforms like LinkedIn allow companies to expand their reach, connect with qualified professionals, and strengthen their employer brand.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, in 2024 the number of applicants per job posting on LinkedIn rose to 2.5, up from 1.5 in 2022—a clear sign of growing competition in online talent acquisition.
This trend makes one thing clear: integrating social media into your recruiting strategy is no longer optional—it’s essential.

How Does Social Recruiting Work?

Social recruiting supports companies in proactively sourcing candidates while also boosting their employer branding. It combines the power of technology, digital marketing strategies, and direct engagement.

With social recruiting, companies can:

Find passive candidates:: Reach out to professionals who aren’t actively job-hunting through platforms like LinkedIn.
Engage active job seekers:: Share valuable content such as job postings, company culture insights, and behind-the-scenes stories.
Create attractive content:: Use posts, videos, stories, and targeted campaigns to showcase your culture and draw attention from top talent.

LinkedIn: The Go-To Platform for Social Recruiting

When it comes to social recruiting, LinkedIn is the undisputed leader. Originally a professional networking site, it has evolved into a critical tool for companies looking to attract talent, boost brand visibility, and build meaningful relationships with candidates.

Active Candidate Sourcing on LinkedIn

Active sourcing means reaching out to candidates directly—before they apply. This proactive strategy is especially useful when searching for:

Highly qualified professionals or niche skill sets
Talented individuals not currently seeking a new job, but open to the right opportunity

By taking the initiative, recruiters can connect with top-tier talent ahead of the competition.

How nCore HR Can Help You Import Candidate Profiles from Social Platforms

To streamline the sourcing process, nCore HR has developed an innovative Active Sourcing Plug-in that automatically imports candidate profiles from professional social networks like LinkedIn into the nCore HR platform.

This tool captures only public information and allows you to send AI-generated personalized messages inviting candidates to explore specific job opportunities.

With the nCore HR plug-in, recruiters can: