Recruiting talent in today's job market is a highly competitive endeavour requiring much more than posting a job opening and waiting for qualified applicants to come to you; recruitment marketing has become an essential approach to scale high-performing teams and stay ahead of the competition. Let's take a deep dive into why recruitment marketing is so important and, more importantly, how it can change your hiring game.
1. Standing Out in a Crowded Market
The job market is competitive, and companies struggle to attract qualified candidates. Recruitment marketing enables organizations to stand out in the following ways:
- Showcasing your Unique Employer Brand: By showcasing your organization's culture_values and benefits.
- Highlighting Employee Success Stories: Offering case studies of development and fulfilment within your company to paint a compelling narrative
- Leveraging Multi-Channel Strategies: Reaching potential candidates via the platforms where they are the most active (i.e. job boards, social media, career sites, email campaigns, etc.)
2. Attracting Passive Candidates
Some of your most qualified candidates are likely not even looking. Recruitment marketing can:
- Engage Passive Talent: Using targeted ads, engaging content, and proactive outreach, you cultivate interest among professionals who may not otherwise be considering moving jobs.
- Turn Passive Candidates into Future Talent: Build a talent pipeline through engaging, personalized conversations with passive candidates who will be ready to consider future opportunities.
3. Focusing on Candidate Experience
Today's candidates expect an experience that is seamless and personalized with the employer they are engaging with. Recruitment marketing solves this with the following:
- Write informative content: Keep a good standard with a clear job description, videos, and FAQs that will educate your candidates.
- Personalized Automation: Automating communication to ensure timely follow-up and updates during the hiring process.
- Visible Culture Message: Virtual tours, employee testimonials, and posts to staff social media handles explaining your work environment.
4. Reducing Time-to-Hire
The longer it takes to get an employee on board, the more expensive it gets. It can speed up the hiring process through recruitment marketing by:
- Attracting Prequalified Candidates: These include, at a minimum, attracting prequalified candidates so that the right people are drawn to your open roles without as much need for screening.
- Talent Pools: You can keep a database of interested candidates that you can contact to fill future positions.
5. Improving Quality of Hires
Recruitment marketing doesn't only draw more candidates; it attracts the right candidates. When you do this in clear terms by communicating your organization's mission, values, and expectations, you are more likely to:
- Cultural Fit: Seek Those Who Complement Your Culture
- Target Relevant Skills and Experience: Leverage data-driven marketing to focus on candidates qualified to succeed.
6. Enhancing Employer Perception
An attractive employer brand helps you harness talent from the market and can also help position your organization as an employer of choice. Recruitment marketing helps:
- Optimize Your Visibility: Increase your presence on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed.
- Encourage Positive Impression: Communicate your mission of growth, diversity, and innovation to employees.
7. In-Line with Modern Day Job-Seeking Behaviors
Today's job seekers are knowledgeable and tech-savvy, and they most likely do research on potential employers before applying. That's where recruitment marketing comes in to address this behaviour:
- Adding Social Evidence: Displaying reviews, ratings, and employee recommendations to build trust
- Social Media Engagement: Posting valuable information that will connect with and bring in talent from where they are.
8. Supporting Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
Recruitment marketing can help organizations engage with diverse talent pools and showcase commitment to inclusive hiring practices by:
- Targeting underrepresented communities: Campaigns that reach out to those communities.
- Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives: Surfacing what you're doing to create a great, diverse place to work through content and storytelling
Conclusion
The competition for top talent is at an all-time high, resulting in an evolving need for recruitment marketing. It is not a nice-to-have any more, but rather a need! By promoting your employer brand, engaging passive candidates, and providing better candidate experience-led sourcing, you can attract the right talent and create a workforce that drives the business forward. You should start embracing recruitment marketing now so that you can help your organization emerge as an employer of choice.