Entering your local Starbucks is much like crossing the mighty threshold of the pantheon to the coffee gods. And, inside this world wonder, lurks the famed barista–a highly skilled maven of java who, at a feverish pace, manages to transform the mere coffee bean into a glorious grande of utopian nectar.

Enter a Starbucks social media recruiting site and you will be awed once again. The hallowed grounds of the finest roasts is also a fun place to work, where employees are “partners,” education is funded, and training is top-notch. And the application process is easy.

Yes, Starbucks has shaken and stirred the world of recruitment, making social media the go-to place for new hires. And other companies–including yours–may want to follow their lead.

Share Your Shoes

Before applying for a job, most jobseekers ask themselves “what would it be like to work here?” Starbucks makes answering this question much easier. For instance, a visit to Starbucks’ Facebook page reveals a series of videos bearing titles like “What It’s Like to Be a Starbucks Partner” and “Meet a Few of Our Store Partners.”

Their Twitter feed highlights a training session recently conducted in Peru in which baristas were able to take a Masters Class in coffee. And on Instagram, the company shares a collection of images of smiling partners dressed in Christmas and Halloween gear.

Using social media to enable hopeful job applicants to experience the benefits of joining your team can prove highly effective. Whether you choose to include video testimonials, candid photos, or a diary-style entry composed by one of your employees, enabling a potential candidate to spend a day in your employees’ shoes will not only help you attract greater interest, but it will also better ensure that those that do apply are a better fit for your team.

Create a Human Face

Your hospitality business is more than just a corporate entity–it is a team comprised of real people. And social media is the perfect way to showcase your company’s “human side.”

Starbucks has cleverly used its Twitter account to do exactly that. Starbucks’ feed is personalized from the get-go, giving shout outs to its partners, including Maxine, the company partner who manages their Twitter account.

Not only does this “human face” boost your company’s online image and spark applicant interest, but it also makes potential hires feel like they are submitting their resume to a real person and not a computerized e-mail response-generating system.

Showcase Your Benefits

What makes your company a better employer than your competitors? You likely have a list as long as your arm of reasons why your business is an awesome place to work and social media is the perfect place to brag.

In fact, Starbucks uses its Facebook page toot its own horn with sections devoted specifically to boasting about its Internship Program, Rotational Development Program, Total Pay Package, Starbucks U, and employee discounts. Did you know that employees can take home one free pound of coffee, a box of K-Cup Packs, or tea per week? This is the power of social media–making talented jobseekers want to work for your company.

Help Them Apply

Perhaps, two of the most important aspects of recruiting via social media is that it makes it easier for jobseekers to learn about positions available with your company and it simplifies the whole application process.

No longer do potential Starbucks hires have to sit back and wonder “who are these mysterious baristas who hold the secret to creating the perfect caramel macchiato, iced cinnamon dolce latte, and green tea creme frappuccino? And how can I join their ranks?” Thanks to the company’s wise use of social media platforms, they can now easily locate positions within their region and apply with the mere press of a few buttons.

If you long to attract the best and the brightest, while greatly boosting your brand’s online image, social media recruiting is definitely the way to go. And you don’t have to be an international coffee magnate to make it work.

How does your brand use social media to recruit new talent?

Author Bio: Kimberley Laws is a freelance writer and avid blogger who confesses that she is addicted to Starbucks Chai Tea Latte. And don’t even get her started on the Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte. You can follow her at The Embiggens Project.