10. Understand the Informed Candidate
In today’s world, the recruitment marketing game has changed. It used to be that marketers could push out outbound marketing only (billboards, print ads etc) and they would be embraced, but companies really need to start considering the fact that 2016 candidates are more informed than ever. For instance, in his #INBOUND2015 talk, Daniel Pink mentioned that the seller needs to beware rather than the buyer.
"Something curious has happened in the last 10 years in that you can walk into a car dealership with the invoice price of the car, something that even the salesmen/women at car dealers didn't know too long ago. And so in a world of information parity, or at least something close to it, we've moved — caveat emptor (buyer beware) is still good advice, but equally good advice for the sellers is caveat venditor, seller beware."
This is why companies are starting to embrace the concept of Inbound Marketing to showcase the best qualities they have to offer at the beginning of the process. If you want candidates to apply, you need to give them a reason to do so, and you need to be aware that they can and will find it on their own.
9. Share Employee Experiences
Your employees are your best resources when it comes to finding new ones. If your existing hires are happy and are willing to share their stories they could be broadcast widely on websites and social networks. With the wide availability of social channels to share these stories, the promotion options are endless!
8. Be Social!
In a previous post I talked about why you should be creating separate social media career pages was a great idea and the fact is, it is still completely valid and necessary. By putting career-centric posts aimed at candidates (from employee stories and job openings to little things like #MotivationMonday promotions), you will increase and build a pool of people who follow your company for career opportunities. Just remember, the more personal you get, the more engaged your audience will be!
7. Do a Professional Photo Shoot
In a world filled with stock photography, this may seem unnecessary, but that couldn’t be more incorrect. People are well-versed in even the high-end images available for sale on the Internet. Having your own library of personalized images of recruiters and staff from all departments is invaluable. People relate to real people doing real jobs. Your best move is to show an honest, realistic view of your career opportunities by showing candidates that their next-door neighbor just happens to work at a great company (and they could too!)
6. Segmented/Specific Marketing
Gearing your marketing towards a specific group of people allows it to be easily digested. If you are looking to recruit for a heart surgeon, placing that job on a general physician board will not benefit you as much as a discipline-specific site. Make sure to give candidates as much information as possible in one defined location and you will reap the benefits. Don’t know what a microsite is? Check out our helpful article here! So What is a Microsite?
5. Get Mobile!
Since many articles about Mobilegeddon broke last year lots of people have become hyper aware that their sites were not mobile friendly, but surprisingly, not many took steps to change it. In the recruiting game, that’s just not something that can happen anymore. Even as early as 2014, Glassdoor reported that 9 in 10 job seekers search for jobs via mobile.
4. Start/Maintain a Talent Network
Per CareerBuilder the overall candidate application process has a 95% abandonment or “drop-off” rate. Starting what is known commonly as a Talent Network, Talent Pool or Bench will allow you to stop that sort of negative pattern. Talent Networks are ideal for candidates who aren’t quite ready to apply, but might be interested in future positions. Simply place a button or form on your site that asks candidates if they would like job alerts or updates and wah-lah! An untapped candidate resource right at your fingertips!
3. Conduct an Ongoing Military Search
Every day people finish their term with the military and search for new jobs. These heroes are incredibly reliable and easily sourced if you have a page on your site dedicated to recruiting. Offer them transitional tools and outline their options so that they can plan a future with you. This market is largely untapped when it comes to specific recruitment websites, so consider starting one today.
2. Clear Job Descriptions / Transparent Hiring Process
What is the worst possible situation for a recruiter or employer? You got it! Hiring the WRONG employee or bringing them in for an interview when they just aren’t the right fit. That being said, candidates do not always go for jobs they aren’t right for intentionally. The fact is, most job descriptions are written in a canned, nebulous fashion that leaves job seekers feeling that they are the right person for the job. Alternatively, some jobs never get applied for because they are just plain boring. As a rule, try to write a job description that the ideal candidate would want to read and better results will come.
Just like job descriptions, the application process should be clearly outlined to candidates. It should not be hard to navigate. You should lay out the process simply with clearly defined steps like or submit your application, be contacted by a recruiter and get called for an interview. There should be notes/auto responses in place if candidates should not expect an immediate reply. Make the experience as easy as possible so that candidates leave feeling sure of their next steps.
1. Put Videos in Your Job Descriptions
Video is a great way to drive traffic on social networks, but most people forget just how helpful it is on actual job postings. Not all sites will allow that kind of integration, but if you have a microsite, you can integrate videos with the description. People are extremely visual and therefore they respond favorably to imagery that helps them find the job relatable. The more approachable you can make your organization the more people will want to know about your company.
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In closing, the only constant in life is change and now is the time to jump into a more inbound method of recruiting with these recruitment marketing best practices. Start today by reaching out.
