Let’s Go Fishing
How recruitment marketing is transforming the recruiting industry
Posted on 03-17-2018, Read Time: Min
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It’s getting harder to break through the white noise of advertisements flooding the web. Consumers do everything in their power to block out as many marketing messages as they can (thank you, AdBlocker). But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear from brands. In fact, 71% want personalized messages that cater to their interests and shopping habits.
Inbound marketing methodologies are perfectly designed for this shift in consumer expectations. By identifying specific buyer personas and creating content that appeals to those groups, inbound marketing seeks to attract, engage, and convert organically rather than relying on interruptive techniques.
Guess what? It works for recruiting, too.
The Building Blocks of Recruitment Marketing
Steve Boese’s article on recruitment marketing in HRE’s online magazine last fall got me thinking about how the trend toward inbound is slowly bleeding over into the recruiting arena. Recruitment marketing is to your recruiting department what inbound marketing is to sales. It’s a creative approach that puts your message in front of the right eyes at the right time using carefully crafted content designed to appeal to specific segments of your target audience.
It’s a lot like fishing. You can’t just throw out any old lure at any old time and hope you get a bite. You have to study the habits of the fish so you know where they’ll be active and at what time of day. You need to know what kind of bait tempts which fish (forget using a top water lure for bass when the water is cold—they’ll be hanging out much deeper). And you need to know which fish are biting at what times of year.
Successful recruitment marketing requires that same kind of know-how. To get the job done, you need to:
Inbound marketing methodologies are perfectly designed for this shift in consumer expectations. By identifying specific buyer personas and creating content that appeals to those groups, inbound marketing seeks to attract, engage, and convert organically rather than relying on interruptive techniques.
Guess what? It works for recruiting, too.
The Building Blocks of Recruitment Marketing
Steve Boese’s article on recruitment marketing in HRE’s online magazine last fall got me thinking about how the trend toward inbound is slowly bleeding over into the recruiting arena. Recruitment marketing is to your recruiting department what inbound marketing is to sales. It’s a creative approach that puts your message in front of the right eyes at the right time using carefully crafted content designed to appeal to specific segments of your target audience.
It’s a lot like fishing. You can’t just throw out any old lure at any old time and hope you get a bite. You have to study the habits of the fish so you know where they’ll be active and at what time of day. You need to know what kind of bait tempts which fish (forget using a top water lure for bass when the water is cold—they’ll be hanging out much deeper). And you need to know which fish are biting at what times of year.
Successful recruitment marketing requires that same kind of know-how. To get the job done, you need to:
- Know your audience—Audience segmentation (using candidate personas) makes your message more compelling. By understanding the unique characteristics of each candidate you want to recruit, you can craft messages that speak to their unique pain points and goals.
- Create awesome content—Content forms the basis for all recruitment marketing efforts. Base your content subject matter and tone on your candidate personas and use persuasive writing techniques to build your employer brand.
- Personalize and promote—The final pillar is to personalize your content (you’ve got a good start with you candidate personas already) and promote it in the right places. Recruitment marketing moves beyond the job board to connect with candidates on social media, your blog, and over email.
The Right Tools For the Job
Of course, for any of that to work, you have to know some basic data about the kinds of people you want to recruit. And that’s where technology becomes essential. Here are four tools you can use to support your recruitment marketing efforts:
Of course, for any of that to work, you have to know some basic data about the kinds of people you want to recruit. And that’s where technology becomes essential. Here are four tools you can use to support your recruitment marketing efforts:
- Your HCM Software—Most HR software has some recruiting functionality built in. You can use your applicant tracking system to mine data that will form the basis for your candidate personas. Some systems also store, track, and search information like credentials, skills, and behavioral characteristics that will help you flesh out your personas.
- Recruitment-Specific Platforms—Tools help you dig even deeper into your candidate data. You can use them to optimize mobile experiences, manage recruitment vendors, and automate candidate engagements.
- Social Media—You may already use Facebook and LinkedIn ads to promote your open positions, but you should also create an organic recruitment campaign that leverages content on your existing channels. Build your employer brand by showcasing the human side of your organization and featuring your culture regularly.
- Old-Fashioned Email—Email is still one of the best ways to engage with candidates on a personal level. Even before a candidate submits an application, you can start a conversation with them using an email drip campaign or jobs newsletter.
With each of these tools, remember that recruitment marketing is about delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Segmenting your audience based on your candidate personas and promoting content that speaks to their interests and goals is the best way to set the hook and reel them in.
Author Bio
| Carolyn Sokol writes about small business issues such as human resources, PEOs, HR management software, and HRIS systems. She works in Business Development for compareHRIS.com and is the owner of PEOcompare.com and CompareAccountingSoftware.com. Connect Carolyn Sokol |
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