I invited Ron Stewart, who runs the Jobs4Group, to write a post for us today on recruitment marketing.
What is Recruitment Marketing And How Can It Help Your Business?
Have you ever posted job offers on social media or set up a campaign to attract candidates to your business? If so, then you may have inadvertently tried your hand at recruitment marketing. When a company is looking to sell a job vacancy to the public, they will usually come up with strategies to attract and connect with applicants and these are the main driving force behind recruitment marketing.
In a saturated job market, recruitment marketing can be the difference between standard and quality hires. With around 75% of internet users operating some kind of social media account, there is a clear advantage to social recruitment. In fact, 78% of recruiters using social media have made a hire through it (pdf), making it one of the most effective ways to discover new talent. But, as with all strategies, only approaching candidates from one angle can damage your chances of finding the best person for the job. In order to unearth genuine professionals, you need to ensure you’re covering all your bases.
Connecting With Passive Candidates On Social Media
Let’s start with the biggest goldmine. Since social media is responsible for so many hires, it’s important to find a way of routing out the most suitable candidates. Recruitment marketing shouldn’t just be about posting adverts on LinkedIn and waiting for the responses to roll in. Although the social networking service is geared towards business connections, your ideal candidates won’t necessarily be looking for jobs when you post them.
Since there are varying degrees of passivity, you need to look at the whole spectrum. According to LinkedIn (pdf), only 25% of candidates are actively seeking their next employer, which leaves 75% either open to talks with recruiters or simply not looking at all. Obviously, this means there is a much higher chance that the ideal candidate for your company is hiding silently somewhere in the depths of social media. So how do you connect with them?
Your main priority should be convincing people that your company is a better place to work than the job they are currently in. On average, passive candidates require 17% less skill development than active candidates, which makes the time you invest in attracting them extremely advantageous. Putting together a recruitment marketing strategy on social media can increase your chances of tempting passive candidates towards your doors. Network with like-minded people across all social platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.) and begin to learn the interests of your target candidates. Knowing exactly what candidates are looking for in a job will make the whole process a lot smoother.
The Art Of Job Descriptions
With your social media network covered, you can begin to think about the way you present yourself in other areas. Recruiting marketing is more than just a hit and hope philosophy, so, whilst your social media activity might help entice a few passive candidates to the role, you can’t afford to forget about those actively seeking employment.
Many businesses see job boards as an outdated method of recruitment, but they are still responsible for 18% of all successful hires. This is mainly due to the fact that they are still extremely popular amongst active candidates. But standing out amongst hundreds of job listings involves some careful thought. Candidates tend to search for very specific keywords, so you need to become clued up on what your audience is typing into the searchbar. SEO can become a powerful tool for companies looking to push their adverts to the top of the pile, since keyword optimisation makes it a lot easier for jobseekers to find them. Taking the time to tailor your ads to your audience, rather than simply reeling off a list of requirements can really give you an edge over your competitors.
But it’s no use directing candidates to your job listing or website if you can’t hold their interest. Job descriptions need to be concise and appealing. In order for recruitment marketing to work, you need to sell your company by attracting candidates, not interrogating them. Clearly lay out your business philosophy in the opening paragraph and indicate exactly what the role can offer to the candidate, as well as what they can offer to you.
If your company is struggling to make the quality hires they are after, then investing a little more in the development of strong recruitment marketing strategies could be the way forward. Discovering talent should be a thorough and well-conceived process, as finding a small group of consummate professionals will put you in much better stead than filtering through reams of ill-suited CVs.
Ron Stewart has worked in the recruitment industry for 30 years, having owned companies in the IT, Construction and Medical sectors. He is currently running the Jobs4Group, including medical job board, Jobs4Medical.