If you go online (and let’s be honest – we all do), this won’t be a surprise – Twitter (X), the beloved microblogging platform that has reshaped the way we communicate, has recently found itself under new leadership, with none other than Elon Musk at the helm. And whilst we’ve all heard of the change, we don’t know what it actually means for us, recruiters. What else, apart from the logo, is changing? Should you adjust the way you use X? This seismic shift in ownership has sent ripples through the digital landscape, leaving many to wonder how this change will impact not just the platform itself, but also their recruitment strategies.

The short answer is – yes. Changes are coming, and if you want to continue utilising X for your recruitment and branding efforts, you need to adapt.

X, with its 330 million monthly active users and over 500 million posts sent daily, has long been recognised as a potent arena for recruitment – and let’s be honest, most of us has used it at some point. In fact, over 43% of recruiters actively use X for sourcing and engaging with potential candidates. Moreover, X’s real-time nature and broad global reach make it an attractive platform for connecting with talent – and updating your candidates and clients on everything that’s going on within your agency, whether it’s job cultural news, brand awareness posts, or valuable insights.

But as X has been acquired by Elon Musk and changes have been announced, it’s time to dissect the potential implications of his stewardship on X's culture, policies, and user engagement. As recruitment professionals, it's vital to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to these changes.

Long-form content – emerge!

One of the bigger content changes that Musk has announced involves a shift in the so well-known Twitter post format. Whilst short thoughts will still be at the forefront, X’s users will be given the option to attach long-form content to their posts from within the platform. There is no longer a character limit, so no more dealing with the troubles of trying to cut down your promotional messaging to comply with those. You just need to make sure that your long-form content is engaging enough to reel your new audience in!

Creators will get paid – and a lot

Another surprising announcement involved introducing an X Creator Programme, where active creators will be getting paid for their work. Right now, it’s expected to be in the form of paid subscriptions and tips that creators can charge for up to $9.99 per month. What is more, Musk mentioned giving a bigger cut of the ad revenue than YouTube to the creators.

This could have the potential to bring more influences and a younger generation back to the platform, something that has been lost over the past few years. If Gen Z starts heavily utilising the platform, it gives you an opportunity to clock this fresh talent before any of your competitors do!

Enter: Content Moderation Council

One of the more concerning changes that Musk is bringing to Twitter will be the new ‘content moderation council’ – and some users are worried, as up till now, Twitter (now X) had fact-checked a lot of tweets to stop misinformation, hate speech, and other concerning messaging being spread, Musk now wants this to be scraped to allow “a wide range of beliefs to be debated in a healthy manner”. Although this has no immediate effect on recruitment or the industry it does have the potential to make the platform a bit of a joke or a breeding ground for hate – so keep an eye on this unfolds and run for shelter if things start going west!

The return of Vine

Most of us remember Vine, the short-form funny video platform that was seriously trending back in 2013. After Elon Musk conducted a poll with 70% of users voting to bring back Vine, he announced it may make a comeback. And it wouldn’t be surprising – in the era of short-form video content, it’s only logical for Musk to want to bring it to X.

If this is the case, you’d expect the X algorithm to really favour this type of content and will have to make a conscious effort to utilise short-form videos – yes, there’s no running from them anymore! Just like the rollout of TikTok, many recruiters/agencies have adapted to this content strategy to get their brand in front of fresh eyes.

Yes, the platform may be called X now and changes may be coming but it’s always important to not forget the basics. Stay informed and keep up to date with all the changes on the platform that you can. Create engaging content regardless of any changes that are made.