When it comes to using Instagram, many businesses don’t realize what a powerful recruiting tool it can be, or that automation growth can be such a help to building a targeted, engaged, audience. If you’re a recruiter for any industry, take a cue from these Instagram accounts - and you may be surprised at just how well it works for you.

1. General Electric @generalelectric
General Electric isn’t one of those “sexy” brands you’d think would be easy to promote on social media. Yet they have an astonishing presence across all social media platforms - showing they have a team that knows how to rock it.
They use Instagram to show behind-the-scenes images of what they do - from complex machinery to the engineering projects they’re working on. They routinely show close-ups of engines and other machinery, captioned with all their high-tech specs, images of new prototypes, photos of their processes with captions that tell everything about them, and photos of employees, like the one seen below, that show what everyone does.
At the time of this writing, they have over 383,000 followers, and often get more than 1500 likes and 100 comments on each post. GE has cracked the code on how to engage and excite their audience, and produce content they love.

2. Marriott Careers @marriottcareers
Marriott, a worldwide hotel brand, has been working Instagram so well they decided to create a separate Instagram account just for their job openings. Inside the account, which at the time of this writing has 46,300+ followers, you’ll see an assortment of photos from smiling employees who work all throughout the organization.
The most recent post, shown below, features a smiling executive sous chef who’s been with the company for 27 years, working at the Pine Cliffs - which also has their own Instagram account. They tagged the Pine Cliffs Instagram account, which is great for cross-promotion, and lets fans of that hotel know of job openings, too.
In their posts, you’ll also find hashtags of the countries where the employees either come from or work in. You’ll also find an assortment of inspirational quotes, along with shots of various hotel locations, and mentions of media recognition they’ve received.
Marriott Careers has done a fantastic job of balancing their employer brand. They show all the aspects of their brand while showing that the employees are serious about their work, yet still able to have fun.

3. Starbucks @starbucksjobs

Starbucks has an advantage on Instagram, and on social media in general, simply because everyone, customer or not, is at least aware of their brand. Like Marriot, Starbucks has a separate account that highlights their job availability and employee experience.
The account does a good job of showing how even though all the employees work for the same company, the experience can vary from one location to the next. For instance, one New Orleans store is decorated with Jazz instruments.
Beyond photos of employees having fun at work, they use their account to announce news for employees, too. In the post shown below, Starbucks uses a graphic to announce a new partner benefit called Care@Work. This benefit, in particular, involves a partnership with Care.com to offer flexible family care benefits. U.S. partners have immediate access to 10 subsidized back up care days for kids and adults every year, a free premium care.com membership, and unlimited senior care planning.
They also use Stories Highlights to categorize their past stories content - broken down into education, stores, veterans, tech, interview tips, and video shoots, so you can find content that’s interesting and relevant to you. You can find out more about their education benefits and their hiring practices related to veterans.

4. VMware @vmwareu
This account does a great job at proving you can still be successful on Instagram even if you don’t have a brand or product that’s particularly visual. VMware is a software company that uses Instagram to tell their employer brand story to college students. They use a lot of personal stories, glimpses into the company culture, and simple graphics to share their story.
Their success on Instagram also proves that don’t have to just use photos and video on Instagram. You can use graphic design - either from a professional graphic designer on your team or outsourced - or from easy to use sites like PicMonkey and Canva, to create Instagram content that will resonate with your audience. Though it does take a bit of extra work because you’re not just uploading images from your camera roll, it works well for brands that need a bit of an extra boost.
VMware uses Instagram to tell the stories of current entry-level employees and interns. They create photos of their employees with their name, job title, and the VMware logo. Then, they use the caption to explain the role in more detail, and explains how you can learn more about their experiences with the company.

5. Yelp Careers @yelpcareers
Yelp Careers does a wonderful job of sharing their employer branding and culture. They use the hashtag #FiveStarSpotlight to highlight their employees and their stories, like the one shown below.
They include a photo of the employee and detail what their job is and a quote from the employee in the description. They also integrate other hashtags into the description as they fit. They also tag the employee’s personal Instagram account and use various appropriate hashtags to increase discoverability.
They also use Stories Highlights to show the events they’re involved in, such as Pride 208 and Deaf Awareness, for greater insight into company culture.
Each one of these accounts uses Instagram for the same purpose, but do it in their own ways based on their company culture. The important takeaway is that all of them are authentic and encouraging. You can do it, too - just get your team involved and you’ll be successful.