What is Recruitment Marketing?

We’re getting quite predictable, you and I. We use our consumer behaviors to shop for just about anything, be it a new dishwasher for our home, a software tool for work, or even our next job opportunity. Don’t believe me? Answer these questions. What do you do first when you need to buy a product or service? You go to the internet to research the problem that you need to solve, and you learn about the options available to solve it. When do you usually contact a company that you have put on your short list of possibilities? You probably don't want to talk to anyone until you have a pretty good idea of which direction you want to go.
 
Many businesses now realize that it's vital to create online interactions to guide people towards a purchase decision, but when it comes to recruiting talent and building a candidate pipeline, they’re missing the mark. Read on to learn why recruitment marketing is a growing trend not to be ignored.

Definition of Recruitment Marketing
 
Recruitment marketing is the use of marketing tactics that are applied towards the achievement of recruiting goals. These tactics include:

• Blogs and Website Content
• Employee Case Studies and Testimonials
• Video Marketing
• Email Marketing and Lead Nurturing
• Social Media and SMS
• Advertising

 
 
Why Recruitment Marketing is a Trend You Can't Ignore
 
You don’t have to be involved in the talent search business to know that competition for labor is intense. With unemployment hovering at around 3%, it takes a whole lot more effort to attract the attention of your ideal candidates, and then guide them towards a decision. It’s no longer enough to rely on job postings alone. You have to sell your company as if it were a product.
 
Selling the opportunities that your company can offer future workers means that you have to provide online interactions that allow them to get a feel for what it’s like to work at your company, and build their relationship with you. They’re already looking for this content on your website and in your social media channels. If they’re not finding it, then you could already be falling behind in the competition for talent.
 
Use Employee Stories to Get Started with Recruitment Marketing
 
It’s one thing for you to say that you are a great employer. It’s quite another to have your employees say that about you. When you interview employees to capture the story of why they work at your company, the picture that they paint will show how your mission and values have legs.
 
For example, Accent Computer Solutions in Los Angeles has just started to publish employee stories. In each of these stories the employees talk about how the company has helped them in their professional development. Written in storytelling format, these stories present compelling evidence that the company places high value on employees' professional development. They also make the company more memorable to candidates because stories activate emotional reactions.
 
Paint a Picture of Your Company with a Careers Blog
 
You already know that if a person is interested in an opportunity at your company, they’re looking for content that will help them get to know you. Starting a careers blog is a super easy way to consistently publish articles that will do this. What’s more, your careers blog makes it easier for your employees and referral network to put your name in front of the people they know because your articles give them a reason to talk about you.
 
You can publish your employee stories on your careers blog, but there are other types of content that will help you illustrate the value you bring to your employees such as:

• Day in the Life – Briefly walk through a typical day for each of your positions.
• Behind the Scenes – Tell a story of how an internal team works to serve customers.
• Kudos and Awards – Publish announcements about employee certifications and company awards, and don’t forget to send a press release to your local media.
• Philanthropy – Share how your company and your people help others.
• Programs and Professional Development – Share stories about programs that you have to help people to reach their potential, such as internships, training, goal-setting.
• Employee Spotlights – Let employees communicate what’s important to them.

 
Stepping Up to the Next Level
 
Publishing is just part of recruitment marketing strategy. Once you have committed to taking the first step to creating the online interactions that your candidates are looking for by publishing new content, where do you go from there? 

• Promotion and Distribution of your content – use of social media, email marketing and advertising to get your stories in front of people
• Lead capture and nurturing – Getting permission to communicate with candidates before they’re ready to apply, or influencing their decision when they’re in later stages of your process.
• Create a video strategy to bring your company to life.

 
 
Take Recruitment Marketing for a Spin
 
If you want to take Recruitment Marketing for a test drive, start by publishing a few employee stories on your company blog. You’ll be amazed at the way that your people paint a picture of how your company lives out your values, and how eager they are to help you get that story out to their own networks, where your next employees are waiting to hear about you.

Contact me to have a chat about how I can help you get started with Recruitment Marketing.