Recruiters have faced massive changes and challenges in how they find, attract, and secure top talent over the last decades. Previously, outreach to candidates and job seekers happened when there was an open position. Now, recruiters are faced with a competitive job market and job seekers with nuanced, shifting priorities. According to a Glassdoor survey, 56% of surveyed workers said that a good workplace culture was “more important than salary” for job satisfaction. How can HR teams communicate to applicants their culture, benefits, and company story with just a job posting? The problem is that you can’t. Instead, HR teams have begun investing in recruitment marketing as a year-round tool to build their employer brand and attract talent.
Recruitment marketing is the practice of using marketing tools to communicate with and attract a targeted pool of potential applicants. These campaigns do not take place just when open positions are available, but campaigns build an always-on pipeline and continually enhance a company’s reputation. Let’s look at some of the recruiting myths that are limiting your talent pipeline, and how recruitment marketing can change your company’s hiring for the better.
Myth 1: I only need to advertise to and communicate with job seekers when I have open positions.
HR teams have historically been reactive marketers. Their efforts kick in when they have an open position and need to reach potential candidates. This strategy puts a lot of pressure on those in-market communications, as they have to convey the basics about the available job, who your company is, the ethos of your company’s culture, and why applicants should apply.
Instead, HR teams that are investing in recruitment marketing tactics have always-on campaigns that communicate key messages to their target audience with or without open positions available. This means they can build their reputation and employer brand, which attracts new talent and even helps retain existing staff. According to a recent Glassdoor survey, 75% of job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand. Glassdoor also found that companies that invest in their employer brand can reduce turnover by as much as 28%.
Always-on campaigns also entice workers who may not be actively looking for a new job to consider your organization. In fact, 63% of employees would consider leaving their current role for another company with a better reputation and learning and development opportunities. Brand-building campaigns can encourage top talent to consider your organization.
Myth 2: Most job seekers will engage with our posts on job boards and LinkedIn. I don’t need to worry about our website as much.
While LinkedIn and job boards are a primary way applicants find new job postings, job seekers don’t just stop there. Instead, they do their research and visit employer websites to better understand culture and priorities. Around 45% of job seekers consider company culture an essential factor before applying, and employers with a strong brand attract 50% more qualified applicants.
Teams that embrace recruitment marketing look at their website as a critical storytelling opportunity. It can show candidates what your company values and the types of people they would be working alongside. Many companies are investing in career microsites that are personalized by region or area of expertise. With a strong SEO strategy behind these pages, they can be impactful tools to bring new job seekers to your organization.
Myth 3: To find the candidates I need, I should cast a very wide net
When a job posting goes up, companies often assume that they need to get the listing in front of as many eyes as possible in order to find the right candidates. In the past, HR teams have had a limited set of tools available to them, and those tools and platforms have often prioritized reach. Now, recruitment marketing has opened up a whole new world of segmentation, audience personas, and hyper-targeted marketing.
First, recruiters should define the personas they want to target. A well-built persona includes information on geography, demographics, psychographics, and behavior. Once you have your personas established, you can reach them through the channels you know they would visit and engage with. This allows your team to speak directly and personally to the types of candidates you want and not waste your time, money, and resources on blanket communications.
Myth 4: Email is the preferred communication of all candidates
While email is still a top channel for many candidates, recruiters have many more channels in their toolbox now. For marketing efforts, teams can look at social media, SMS, and chatbots as other communication channels.
Social media, such as Instagram and TikTok, can be used for brand-building content that appeals especially to younger recruits, such as Gen Z and Millennial workers. According to a study by CareerArc and The Harris Poll, 58% of jobseekers search for information about potential employers on social media.
SMS/text messaging can be a powerful tool for direct communication with key targets. Text messages have higher open rates than emails, and combined with new automation technology, recruiters can simultaneously scale and personalize their text campaigns to target audiences. Text-for-info campaigns also put the power of communication back in the hands of your applicants. They can ask questions or receive needed information from your organization through an automated text campaign.
Start Building a Stronger Pipeline with Recruitment Marketing Today
Every organization is on the hunt for top talent. Help your company stand out by applying marketing tactics to your recruiting efforts. Instead of just speaking to job seekers when you have a position available for them, change your mindset to one of always-on communications that builds a strong employer brand and keeps your company front of mind throughout the year.
If you are having trouble building a reliable, full talent pipeline, ITAC Solutions can help. Founded with one clear mission, to provide exceptional recruiting solutions built on long-lasting relationships, ITAC Solutions’ team of recruiters is your partner for all your staffing challenges. Contact us today to see how we can help you attract and retain the talent you need
