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When I heard this recently, I was reminded of a conversation I had ten years ago about online banking. "That will never work," they said back then. Now we can hardly imagine a world without it.

Social media in recruitment isn't 'the new normal' - it is normal. But I understand the skepticism. We see daily examples of organizations that post a few items on LinkedIn and then quit in disappointment. "See, it doesn't work."

But that's like saying television doesn't work because your first commercial didn't attract viewers.

Take Tim, a driver we recently connected with a national transport company. He didn't come through a traditional job vacancy. He responded to a video where one of his future colleagues talked about a special project. That authentic insight sparked something - he could already see himself there.

The difference? It wasn't a corporate story. No glossy job description. Just an honest tale from a craftsman who is proud of his work.

Social media doesn't work if it's a digital version of your job newspaper. It works when you use it for what it's intended: sharing stories, building connections, providing a behind-the-scenes look.

The irony is that the biggest critics are often the same people who scroll through Instagram on Saturday morning to find a new couch, or spot their next car through Facebook Groups. We're all already online - why would talent be any different?

But perhaps the most important thing is this: social media in recruitment isn't about the platform. It's about the people behind it. If you think an Instagram post is going to bring in your new colleague, then I don’t believe in social recruitment either. But if you understand that it's about telling your story, reaching the right people, at the right time, with the right message... then a world of possibilities opens up.

Because ultimately, we're not looking for followers or likes. We're looking for people who see themselves in a story. And that story, you simply can't tell offline anymore.