How can marketing help with recruiting employees? There are a number of tactics that you can use to bring the right talent to your door.
Let’s take a look at the top five listed here.
- Build out your website’s Careers page
Your website is often the first stop – and first impression – for a job-seeker considering your organization. Do you clearly identify what you do, who you serve, and your mission and values? Visitors also need to easily navigate to more information on your culture and available job openings.
Since your website is mostly geared towards your customer, the Careers page is the only place focused on prospective employees. Be sure to communicate your benefits, promote open positions and highlight what current employees love about working there.
- Showcase your culture through social media
A social media presence is important for any business, especially for recruitment and retention. It’s where candidates may learn about your organization and culture, and works well for sharing culture-related content like employee features, office events or displaying commitment to the community. You can engage with potential job candidates while creating a positive experience for current employees.
Also, encourage your employees to use social media to find candidates and share the content that your page shares. Consider training sessions for employees to teach them to build their online networks and how they can help you recruit candidates. TRG Marketing has led these “How To” sessions for several clients.
- Reengage with past applicants through email and/or text
How often have you reached out to a past applicant that did well, but ended up not being the right fit for that particular position? They may end up being a great fit for a different position. Consider sending a quick, personalized email asking to stay in communication. If even 10% respond, they may have just moved back into your hiring funnel. Also, take the time to respond to anyone who does reply.
Another way to reengage is through text messaging. A Pew Research Center study shows 33% of American adults prefer texts to all other forms of communication – regardless of the sender or content. Texts are also more likely to be read than emails. The same process of asking permission, personalization and authenticity applies to texts and emails.
- Build partnerships with local organizations and schools
Partner with local schools and universities with programs related to your industry. By doing so, you tap into young adults starting their careers and build great referral sources (professors, teachers, etc.). Consider implementing job shadow programs, creating internships and participating in college recruiting.
Young people care about growth opportunities and company culture, and 70% of millennials say they hear about companies through friends and job boards. Use community organizations and job board partners to engage target audiences. Building rapport (even if not for a specific job opening) gives potential candidates the opportunity to invite friends and ask questions without feeling committed to applying for a specific job.
- Reach new audiences through digital advertising
Organic engagement is based on the number of followers and how many shares you can get on a job posting. Fewer followers make it difficult to gain traction. One option to push that information on a specific job or your company culture is to utilize digital advertising on platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn.
Boosting a post or running a Careers ad on Facebook or LinkedIn expands your reach in a targeted way. This may be worth the cost investment since your message connects with your audience on a platform they choose to visit.
These five tips are just a few to get you started. Next time in Part II of my blog, we’ll explore five more ways to improve your recruitment process through marketing, including video, job descriptions, employee support and more. In the meantime, contact us with any questions.
