What is Recruitment Marketing?

Defining Recruitment Marketing   

Recruitment marketing aims to attract more talent to your organization by marketing your brand, values, benefits, etc. Much like traditional marketing with consumers, the idea is to shine a light on everything you offer of value to your target audience. In this case, you don't want to just market the position that needs to be filled, you want to market your company, too, by communicating to the right candidates what you need and what you'll offer in exchange.  

The impact of recruitment marketing on business success is immense because businesses' most significant challenge is breaking through the noise and reaching qualified candidates. The problem most are having isn't that there are too few candidates (although 68% said this was partly the case) but that 64.5% receive primarily unqualified applicants for their positions.  

A recruitment marketing strategy, however, ensures you're spending all your time, money, and efforts on reaching the right people by: 

• Creating candidate personas for open positions 
• Targeting ideal candidates in messaging  
• Leveraging only the most relevant channels in your marketing 

Of course, you may still receive some unqualified candidates for those 'throwing their hat in the ring' and hoping for the best. However, you can also count on qualified applicants to see your opening and respond. 

How to Create an Effective Recruitment Marketing Campaign 

Now that you're getting more serious about recruitment marketing, it's important to note that doing the bare minimum will not generate the results you're looking for—you need the most up-to-date and effective methods available today. After all, most businesses have already started implementing a recruitment marketing strategy into their hiring process to overcome our current talent shortage.  

Fortunately, we have the scoop on the most important components of your strategy.  

Identify the ideal candidate   

Mid-West Family Madison calls this your "candidate avatar." Create a candidate avatar that represents everything you need from an applicant who will fill the position. Refrain from discriminatory content (that will get you into trouble). Instead, focus your avatar on details like: 

• Level of education 
• Soft skills: communication, problem-solving, leadership, etc.  
• Hard skills: technical skills you require for the job 
• Years of experience  
• Unique qualifications 
• Certifications 
• Licensing, etc.   

Create a compelling employer brand   

Your brand will be how you reach and resonate with candidates. It's also what they will research and review before deciding whether your company is the right fit. By creating a compelling employer brand and communicating it through various channels, you will: 

• Speed up recall and recognition—the more familiar your brand, the more likely candidates will choose you.
• Increase your public image—positive reviews and public image help highlight your company as a great place to work. 
• Create a bond with potential hires—job seekers want to work for a company that aligns with their values. In fact, 56% said they wouldn't consider a position that doesn't feel like a fit. The bonds you create are likely due to shared values, beliefs, and opinions. In turn, those candidates would better fit your company culture. 

Use a combination of relevant channels 

Choose a combination of advertising platforms to your benefit. Not everyone goes to job boards to find their next position. That's not to say job boards aren't still relevant, but rather multiple recruitment marketing strategies are required to reach every possible qualified candidate.  

Take, for instance, social media. Platforms like LinkedIn have become powerful tools for connecting companies and candidates. According to research, as many as 85% of recruiters turn to LinkedIn to hire new talent. Likewise, 57% of job seekers report using LinkedIn and other social media platforms to find new opportunities.  

Other channels include: 

• Employee referrals 
• Company websites 
• Candidate databases 
• Events, etc.  

Measure the success of recruitment marketing campaigns   

Identify areas for improvement and adjust strategies accordingly. Just like tracking and measuring are vital to improving how you reach and resonate with consumers, the same is true for candidates. The more you learn from current and previous campaigns, the better prepared you will be to reduce recruitment costs, speed up the hiring process, and identify the right applicants. 

Every campaign will come with lessons you can learn from and successes you can build from. Don't make the mistake of ignoring what you've learned. You should always use your successes and failures to shape your future campaigns.  

Perfecting the way you implement recruitment marketing into your hiring will take time. Fortunately, a media partner like Mid-West Family Madison can help you create the ultimate recruitment marketing campaigns for the best results. Contact us to discuss your recruitment needs and how we can get you in front of the right applicants.