The Importance of Recruitment Marketing

Today, candidates search for and interact with employers in the same way they search for and choose products or services. Therefore, you need to market yourself as an employer to candidates in the same way you promote your offerings to customers. 

To do this effectively, you must understand the importance of recruitment marketing and the tactics this form of promotion entails. 

A large percentage of candidates today don’t just want a job. They’re also concerned with the company’s mission and culture, as well as the perks and flexibility provided. In addition, job searchers are conducting more research, especially online, just as consumers are. They look to social media, referrals, and reviews to discover what it’s like to work for different employers. 

Therefore, focusing on branding, crafting the right message, and using the same channels as you do to promote your products or services is crucial when looking for incredible new talent. 

If you want to give your recruitment strategy a boost, keep reading to understand the importance of recruitment marketing and how your company can implement it to attract the best talent.

What is Recruitment Marketing?

Before you can understand the importance of recruitment marketing, you must grasp what it is. 

Recruitment marketing is when you promote yourself as an employer through an employment brand and marketing techniques. This marketing is similar to how you promote your brand and offerings. 

Recruitment Marketing includes every tactic used by the hiring team to build awareness, create a brand, and attract, recruit, and retain candidates. From social media and email promotion to SEO and paid advertising, there are many marketing channels and tactics you can use to attract candidates. 

This type of marketing focuses on always putting yourself forward as an incredible company to work for, even when you have no vacancies, making it easier to recruit once you have an opening. 

You want your efforts to build a candidate pipeline and nurture those candidates. Candidates must want to work for you even when a position isn't available. They'll check back for positions relevant to their field frequently, applying as soon as an opening occurs. 

Recruitment marketing ultimately centers on attracting talent to the culture, missions, and values of the business. Recruiting, on the other hand, focuses on attracting candidates to a job opening, and often in a way that’s not as effective or well-targeted as recruitment marketing.

Recruitment marketing is when you promote yourself as an employer using a brand and marketing techniques.

The Importance of Recruitment Marketing

So, what exactly is the importance of recruitment marketing? And why is it preferential to just posting a job ad when you have an opening?  

Recruiting top talent is like attracting customers. You need to effectively market your company to these candidates and stand out above the competition (other companies they’re in demand with and may want to work for) as the place they want to work. 

These days, there are many channels you can use to promote job openings and your company and its culture. But, this market is now crowded.  Job opportunities get promoted in many places, and there’s a lot to compete with, especially on job boards. 

As with making customers want and need your products and services, you have to make candidates want to work for you above others. Having an effective recruitment strategy will help you do this. 

The following are some of the main reasons why recruitment marketing is so important. 

1. A Drop in Effectiveness of Traditional Recruitment Tactics

In today’s market, the importance of recruitment marketing and including it in your marketing efforts centers around the fact that traditional recruiting tactics are not as effective as they once were. 

For example, traditional marketing efforts, like posting job openings in newspapers or journals, won't bring results. Even posting on digital job boards won't draw in talent like it once did. 

Posting job openings on these online job boards isn’t targeting the best candidates. You’re posting ads, probably on non-industry-specific boards like Indeed, and hoping the perfect candidate comes across it and applies. 

While it never hurts to post a job on platforms like these (assuming you don’t get inundated with applications from under-qualified candidates), this alone will not bring the best results.

Traditional marketing efforts and even posting on digital job boards won't draw in talent like they once did.

2. The Ability to Reach Passive Candidates

Recruitment marketing can also connect your opening with candidates that aren’t actively looking for a new job. If searching on a job board, the candidate is likely actively looking for a new job. While some of these will be top candidates, the best out there often aren’t looking for a new role. 

Seeing your brand and a job opening on social media, for example, can grab the attention of someone who would not otherwise have thought about sending in an application or even seen your job posting. 

Posting about company culture and the value you offer employees can also grab the attention of these passive candidates. They will begin to think about working for you and are more likely to apply if they see an opening arise.

3. Changes in Candidate Mind-Set and Wants

Candidates these days have more demands, especially younger Millennial and Gen Z candidates. They want flexibility, a fun and friendly work environment, flat hierarchies, better perks and benefits, and the like. 

You need to use recruitment marketing to really grab their attention and show you offer these things.

With this in mind, you must start treating candidates more like consumers. You need to appeal to them and get them to apply. You can’t just expect people will be interested because you have a job for them. The playing field is much more level these days, with candidates actually having more power in some cases, just as consumers do. 

Candidate Research 

Candidates also have more resources to conduct research. They have access to reviews about what working for you is like and can easily access other information about your culture. 

You want to make sure they’re seeing what you want them to see and showing candidates how great it is to work for you. Your recruitment marketing tactics will help with that, putting forward the employer brand you want them to see. 

Candidate Decision Making 

In addition, at a certain level, candidates won’t just apply to anything that they see that they’re qualified for. They’ll narrow it down and choose just their favorite few companies to send an application to.  These choices will most likely center on culture, not the actual job, and this is where you can differentiate.

4. To Stand-Out in a Crowded Market

The recruitment market is getting more and more crowded. With the ease of posting jobs online and connecting with talent, candidates have tens to hundreds of job postings to get through.

You need to be able to cut through all this noise and differentiate yourself effectively so that your job vacancies and the idea of working for you stand out and appeal to the best applicants. 

Recruitment marketing helps build a brand around working for you and shows what makes your business different and a desirable place to work.

Candidates these days have more demands. They want flexibility, a fun work environment, and great benefits. 

Recruitment Marketing Tips

Now that you understand the importance of recruitment marketing, let’s look at some ways to implement a marketing strategy.

Again, just like marketing your products or services, you’ll need a recruitment marketing plan to be successful.

1. Set Goals

Start by deciding what you want to get out of your recruitment marketing strategy. 

For example, you may want to add two new hires to your team over three months. You might also want to build a pool of 50 candidates who have given you their application and are qualified for positions that could arise. 

No matter your situation, set goals, metrics to measure if you’re meeting those goals, and timelines. Then if these goals aren't met or are met quicker than expected, adjustments can be made to your goals and recruitment marketing strategy.

2. Think About Who You Need to Hire

Before you begin the process of recruitment marketing, think about who you need to hire. What roles, if any, currently need to get filled? What positions may open up shortly?

Do note that it’s not the best idea to be too strict on this. A currently filled position could open up at any point. Or, you could grow in an unexpected direction that leaves you needing hires you hadn’t thought of before.

Think about your short and longer-term plans too. If growth goes to plan, what roles may you need to fill in six months, one year, two years, etc?

This list of potential hires is who you need to be marketing to now, no matter when the vacancy could occur.

3. Create Candidate Personas

You may also want to make personas for each type of candidate. No matter what department or experience level, they will have similar culture-based qualities with values that match the business.

Then briefly make individual candidate personas for different roles. For example, while all candidates may appreciate a collaborative environment with a flat hierarchy, someone applying to a marketing role will think differently and have different wants to a web designer. 

Therefore, each persona needs to get targeted slightly differently. Put the most focus on creating personas for the roles you’ll hire for most or need to hire for most urgently. 

When creating candidate personas, collaborate with the staff who will work with each candidate and have previously held the role.

4. Decide Which Marketing Channels You’ll Use

Next, think about where you’ll connect with these candidates. Using your personas can help with that. 

Some things to think about when deciding which channels to use include: 

• Where do candidates go online? 

• Is there anywhere offline you can target candidates? 

• What type of content will candidates best interact with? 

Think about your short and longer-term plans. What roles may need filling in six months, one year, two years, etc?

Channels to Use in Your Recruitment Marketing Strategy

You’ll also need to know which marketing channels are available for you to use. There are many channels available to promote your recruitment brand and message. Of course, actual job openings can be promoted through these channels as well. 

The following are some of the most popular recruitment marketing channels.

Social Media

Social media is the ideal place to remote your recruitment brand and interact with active and passive candidates. The exact platforms you use will depend on your company and industry and where your ideal candidates spend their time.

Of course, LinkedIn is the most popular social media platform for recruitment. This is a great place to connect with professionals and highlight your company culture and achievements. You can also build links with potential candidates and post vacancies.

LinkedIn offers the added benefit of giving access to each individual's work history. This feature makes it easier for you to target the perfect candidates.

Other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram can help in promoting your recruitment brand too. Features like stories can show everyday office life, as can the ability to give quick updates.

Your Website and Via Search

Your website is probably one of your most relied upon marketing tools for promoting and selling your offerings. But, it’s also a helpful yet underused recruitment tool. 

As with product or service research, candidates will use your website as a resource when considering working for you. As with social, this can be a great place to highlight company culture. For example, add employee “about” pages and a page showcasing what it’s like to work for you. Adding a section with job openings can be extremely useful too. 

Optimize this content for search as much as possible, using keywords you think candidates will use with search engines when looking online for a new position. This practice is especially important if posting job ads on your website. 

Online Job Boards

Assuming you don’t get inundated with unqualified applicants, it can still be worth putting an ad on job boards. Try to find some niche job boards too. These boards can target candidates in your industry or those looking to work at your type of company (small business, startup, remote employer, multinational company, etc.)

Optimize Job Postings

Like with web content, using the best keywords is crucial if still posting on job boards or hoping to have jobs found via search. Job searchers will input keywords into job boards and even set up notifications for any time a job with that keyword gets posted. 

You need to ensure you’re using the right keywords and don’t make words you use unique. For example, a writer will search for terms like “writer”, “copywriter”, or “content writer”, so avoid using words like “storyteller” or “content genius” in place of those keywords. While you might think this sounds fun, job searchers may not see your job posting as that’s not something candidates will search for!

Digital Advertising

Your recruitment marketing strategy may also benefit from some paid digital advertising. This type of advertising can include targeted web or social media ads or sponsored content. 

In terms of sponsored (native) content, you may benefit from paying for a feature or article by an online publication or influencer that is engaged with the type of talent you’re looking to hire.

Traditional Advertising

Depending on who you are targeting, traditional advertising methods could be effective. These mediums include newspaper, magazine, and journal ads and TV or billboard advertising.

It could be worth seeing if industry or recruitment publications would be interested in doing a profile on your company. This tactic can help get your recruitment brand out there and start getting candidates interested in working for you, even if a position is not open at the time.

Headhunting and Continuous Recruiting

Although more a recruitment marketing tactic than a channel, it’s necessary to understand the importance of continuous recruitment and headhunting.

These processes center on two concepts. The first being that the best candidates are not actively looking for a new job. The second is that you should be encouraging applications all the time, offering the ability to pick from a pool of qualified candidates as soon as an opening occurs. 

To implement these techniques, actively encourage applications, connect with qualified candidates on LinkedIn, and promote your recruitment brand across the channels previously mentioned. Working with a recruitment agency (discussed below) also allows you to implement these techniques without being hands-on, saving your time, effort, and even money.

Networking Events and Efforts

Attending various industry networking events, implementing other networking efforts, and attending recruitment events is recommended. These efforts help with the above methods of headhunting and continuous recruitment.

As you grow your industry network, you’ll find more people to refer top talent to you. You’ll also meet with a range of qualified candidates you can reach out to should a suitable position arise for them. If you have a good relationship already and they know about your company, they’re much more likely to be interested even if they hadn’t been considering switching jobs.

Recruitment Agencies

You can also use recruitment agencies to promote your company and job openings. As with job boards, while larger, more broad-reaching recruitment agencies can help you reach your goals, using a niche boutique recruitment agency is the optimal path to follow. 

For example, Lynne Palmer Executive Recruitment works with clients in the publishing and medical communications industries. By choosing to work with us instead of a broader recruitment agency, clients benefit from our niche-specific experience, contacts, and candidate pools. 

Recruitment agencies will help with all of the above channels, can effectively and actively headhunt, and can help you quickly build up a pool of candidates, both active and passive.

Marketing channels you can use to promote your company and openings include social media, your website, and digital job boards.

5. Set Aside Resources and Delegate

Once you have a recruitment marketing plan developed, think about what resources you’ll set aside for it. Consider both the money you’ll put behind it and the time you’ll spend on these marketing efforts. 

You’ll also want to think about who will implement the strategy. Will it be HR? The Marketing department? Or, would you consider hiring someone specifically to take care of the marketing aspect of your recruitment efforts? 

You may even consider outsourcing recruitment marketing to a recruitment agency that offers these more extensive services.

6. Create Content and Start Promotions

Finally, you can start creating your content and implementing your recruitment marketing plan. 

As with all marketing promotions, you need to be organized. Plan content in advance and set strict content creation, scheduling, and posting deadlines. Then, be sure to track what you do and see what works best for your goals, adjusting strategy as needed based on those results.

In Conclusion

The way in which companies recruit has changed drastically over the last decade. No longer can you simply post a job ad (print or digital) when an opening arises and expect to get high-quality candidates rushing to apply. You need to show candidates that you are an incredible employer that offers them value, as well as the other way around.

In understanding the importance of recruitment marketing and implementing tactics to promote your employer brand, you can continuously attract top talent and make finding the perfect new hire easy. 

If you need some help with your recruitment marketing efforts, feel free to get in touch with the team at Lynne Palmer. We help companies in the publishing and medical communications industries implement high-level recruitment tactics to attract the best candidates in the market.