Ten years ago, if you polled human resources personnel about the methods used to find a qualified candidate, you’d have probably heard familiar phrases such as:

• Sifting through piles of resumes
• Reading numerous cover letters

Social media is changing the face of business. Not only has it changed the way businesses market services, but it has recently changed the way businesses hunt for qualified employees. Of course, that's a good thing compared to responses based on polls from years ago.

There are numerous reasons to take advantage of social networks when searching for the perfect candidate. The size of the talent pool is reason enough. Facebook has over 750 million potential job candidates. Other services such as LinkedIn offer a more targeted audience. The figures could seem overwhelming, but the targeted search options make it easier and more manageable than most imagine. Here are the 10 most effective ways to snag top talent using social media:

Ask & Receive
There is no shame in asking for referrals. This is the easiest method to find a qualified candidate. Send out a notice to followers about any open positions and include a link to an application.

Show Don’t Tell
Show off the office and the atmosphere to potential hires on the Facebook page. Don’t be afraid to brag. Top talent will be beating down the doors for a sweet deal.

Create a List
Advertise available job openings on a Facebook tab or company web page. Announce openings routinely so job seekers get used to coming back frequently.

Create an App for That
Large companies could benefit from an app that updates open positions on a regular basis. For a smaller company, this could be overkill. Large companies with 20 or more positions open per week could definitely benefit.

Join the Conversation
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter have conversational features that can be capitalized on. Direct recruitment on relevant forums and groups are an effective method for getting the word out about new positions.

Assess the Advanced Search Features
Discovering the ideal candidate doesn’t have to be hard. LinkedIn offers recruiters an effective method for searching for candidates using their advanced search.

Sign Up for Deluxe Features
A corporate account on LinkedIn can offer access to LinkedIn’s talent finder features. Of course, this service costs upwards of $100.00, but for a large corporation, this is a mere drop in the bucket.

Get Competitive
Depending on the available position, it might be wise to hold a contest to generate interest and find that perfect candidate. Creative positions can lend themselves well to these types of methods. Companies looking for a photographer can hold a best photo contest. Additionally, a company searching for a writer could hold a contest to search for the best writer. The possibilities are endless.

Talk it Up on Twitter
Toot the company horn. Chat up company culture and let the world know how great the company is for employees to work for.

Don’t Hold the Hash tags
Hash tags are used on Twitter for keeping track of multiple conversations about certain subjects. Making an announcement about a company on Twitter serves no purpose without the applicable hashtags. Additionally, don’t neglect to search Twitter for relevant hashtags. Sometimes the perfect candidate is out there using hashtags to search for a wonderful company to work for.

Once HR staff learn to use social media to locate talent they wonder how they ever found candidates any other way. Finding top talent using Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn is much easier than combing through resumes the old fashioned way.