Despite mixed economic signals, the overall job market has been going strong. Over the summer, there were almost two job openings for each jobseeker, despite the fact that 7 in 10 workers were looking for a new position, either actively or passively, according to CareerBuilder.
Why are so many positions going unfilled? The challenge of connecting with well-qualified candidates is one explanation.
Given today’s economic uncertainties, business owners may be hesitant to invest more in their recruiting efforts. But some businesses have found that committing more of their marketing budget to promoting open positions pays off. If it’s time for your company to commit more resources to recruiting, success begins with a good strategy.
Your Recruitment Marketing Strategy
Instead of simply (and haphazardly) promoting job openings as they arise, this recruiting strategy considers the big picture and uses marketing techniques to keep your company top-of-mind. This is where your HR/recruiting team’s responsibilities converge with those of your marketing department.
Building up your employer brand, and your candidate pool, is a process that can be broken down into stages, just like a traditional marketing or sales funnel:
1. Awareness
At this stage, the focus is on garnering attention and building your reputation as an employer, not sourcing candidates for a particular role.
2. Interest
Regularly sharing content online, such as thought leadership content and interesting company news, can keep people tuned in.
3. Decision
Now that you’ve gotten people interested, show what you offer as an employer by sharing details about open positions and company benefits.
4. Action
Invite candidates to take the next step by applying for a position.
Address Each Stage of the Funnel
Your HR/recruiting team should work closely with your marketing team or advertising agency to create a plan geared to your hiring needs.
- Set clear goals, such as hiring for specific positions or strengthening your talent pipeline.
- Identify your target candidates and the best ways to reach them.
- Create a content calendar for posts to your company’s social media, blog, etc.
How Do You Stand Out?
Just as you want to be known for offering a superior product or service, you’ll need to cement your reputation as a great place to work. Communicate your key differentiators. Candidates want more than competitive pay and free coffee in the breakroom.
Qualities like these help employers stand out:
- Paid training and opportunities for advancement
- Top-notch coworkers and an emphasis on mentorship
- A transparent and empowering company culture
- Better work-life balance
- Extended paid parental leave or unlimited PTO
- A demonstrated commitment to sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
3 Ways to Strengthen Your Employer Brand
Try these methods to show job seekers what you’re all about:
1. Thought Leadership
Share high-quality educational content for professionals in your field. This could include articles, guides and videos. As a go-to educational resource, you highlight your company’s expertise while building trust among passive job candidates.
2. Video
There’s a reason video makes up 82% of all consumer internet traffic. It’s engaging and easy to share. Produce attractive company videos featuring employee testimonials and candid footage of your workplace and company events. Video is often the best way to capture the energy and camaraderie of a great workplace.
3. Employee Ambassadors
Your team members can be your best advertisers. Encourage them to get the word out about job openings via social media and offline conversations. Since they know your business better than anyone, they’re also a reliable source for qualified candidate referrals. Consider starting a referral program to reward their efforts.
Finding the Right Fit
Obviously, you want to fill job openings quickly. But a careful, deliberate hiring process helps increase your chances of attracting top talent and helps you avoid the extra hassle and expense that results when a new hire doesn’t work out. To make your recruitment marketing more effective:
- Create a persona of your ideal job candidate. What are their skills, interests and values? What do they want from their employer? Where can you find them?
- Target your hiring efforts. When it comes to applicants, it’s about quality, not quantity. Narrow down your efforts to promote job openings based on what you know about your ideal candidate. Do they hang out on LinkedIn or Facebook? Could Instagram or TikTok advertising help? If you’re trying to reach a specialized group, advertising on niche platforms, including industry blogs and podcasts, could help you stand out.
- Make job descriptions engaging. Treat them as advertisements. The writing should be crisp and compelling and should reflect the ideal candidate’s point of view. How would they thrive at your company? Be transparent about the job responsibilities to dissuade unqualified candidates from applying. Keep job descriptions high-level.
- Simplify the application process. Too many candidates abandon their application because of a cumbersome process. Invest in an application portal that works well on mobile, can be customized for specific job openings and doesn’t require filling out lengthy forms over many pages.
Fine-Tune Your Approach
Use information collected with your applicant tracking system (ATS) to measure which job postings or advertising channels lead to better applications and successful hiring, so you can shift resources to the strategies that work best.
Keep Building a Great Team
Discover more ways you can compete for top talent or see if expanding your applicant pool to include remote workers could be the right way to boost your hiring.