How to Create a Recruitment Marketing Strategy

18 SEP 2023 | by julie jones

What is recruitment marketing?

The benefits of recruitment marketing

• • Attract more candidates.
  • Attract the right candidates.
  • Expedite the hiring process.
  • Enhance the candidate experience.
  • Increase diversity among candidates (targeting underrepresented groups).

Crafting your recruitment marketing strategy

Employer brand

By now, you should know your company’s brand, including your brand voice, brand story’ personality, differentiation strategy, audience, etc. Understanding and communicating your brand is what allows you to connect with your audience effectively when marketing a product or service. (psst. If you don’t know your corporate brand, you might want to start there-– reach out, we can help)

Recruitment marketing is no different. Your candidates have plenty of choices when it comes to a workplace, so you have to show them why they should choose to invest in you! Your employer brand paints a clear picture of why your company is an attractive place to work. To remain authentic, it should be an extension of your overall brand but focus specifically on what the candidate stands to gain from what you’re offering.

To discover this, use your company’s values, culture, and unique selling points to craft a story of why people should want to work with you- essentially, define your Employer Value Proposition (EVP). This entails getting clear on the advantages of working for your company, which can include compensation, benefits, career growth opportunities, culture, work-life balance, and more.

Recruitment marketing tools

Once you understand your Employer Brand, you can determine the right tools and tactics to get your brand story in front of the right people.

For example, a careers page on your website is a great place to start. Career pages simplify the candidate’s journey and demonstrate your company’s commitment to the hiring process. We had the privilege of collaborating with Biovectra on their “Come Stay Grow” recruitment campaign, where we helped develop an impressive careers page. In a single page, candidates can explore the workplace culture, location, benefits, and the company’s core values, providing a comprehensive glimpse into life as a Biovectra employee.

Remember to incorporate search engine optimization (SEO) best practices when crafting your careers page or recruitment campaign microsite. This ensures that individuals seeking new career opportunities can easily discover your page. Additionally, compelling design can serve as a distinguishing factor that sets your company apart in the minds of potential candidates. Design was a significant part of our work with Biovectra.

Other tools to leverage your employer brand include inbound recruitment methods such as social media, digital ads, blogs and newsletters.

Content can encompass staff spotlights, testimonials, engaging community service initiatives, and behind-the-scenes photos or videos illustrating your organization’s culture and values. For instance, Insight Studio recently published blogs on building strong client relationships and promoting green internet use, highlighting our values. When seeking new members for the Insight team, we seek individuals who align with our communication and social responsibility values.

You can also share workplace awards, company updates and good news, or any content showcasing your company’s expertise and commitment to your industry. At Insight, the “Our Work” page on our website is for potential clients to see what we can do, but it doubles as a resource for potential employees to see the kind of work we take on and the kind of clients we work with.

• 1. IKEA’s “Assemble Your Future”: When IKEA opened a new store in Australia and needed to hire 100 employees, they devised an ingenious idea. They placed ‘career instructions’ inside their product boxes, mimicking their iconic assembly instructions. Customers opening their IKEA items discovered these instructions, guiding them on how to “assemble your future.” The campaign was a hit, with thousands of customers applying, ultimately leading to the hiring of 280 employees.
   
  
• 2. The Swedish Army’s “The Swedish Army Cares”: To recruit individuals with a selfless spirit, the Swedish Army conducted a clever social experiment. They placed a large black box in a public square, allowing one person to enter it every hour. Once inside, the person was ‘trapped’ unless someone else volunteered to take their place. The experiment was streamed online to generate publicity and engage viewers. Their goal was 4,300 applications, but they received nearly 10,000 and significant media coverage.
  
  
• 3. Cisco’s Hashtag Campaigns: Cisco, a global tech company, uses hashtags like #WeAreCisco and #BeYouWithUs in their recruitment campaigns. They showcase their diverse workforce through YouTube videos, employee blogs, and social media conversations. Real employees discuss company culture and their lives beyond work, highlighting the benefits of working at Cisco. The message is clear: you can be yourself and still be valuable to the company. Cisco continues to promote this campaign, emphasizing individuality and inclusivity.

Recruitment marketing audience segmentation

Tips for recruitment marketing

• • Leverage Your Current Staff: Your employees can serve as powerful advocates for your organization, sharing firsthand experiences highlighting why they love working with you. Having once been in the same position as potential candidates, their unique perspective allows for more direct and relatable communication.

   

  • Blend Organic and Paid Approaches: Start by engaging your existing audience, as those who follow you already have a connection to your brand. Reward their loyalty with job postings and information. Use paid ads to expand your reach to those unfamiliar with your organization, potentially converting them into valuable candidates.

   

  • Repurpose Content: Maintain consistency across all platforms to ensure your employer brand aligns with your consumer brand, creating an authentic image for customers and potential employees. Repurposing content from your company blog for podcasts, webinars, newsletters, and videos can maximize the impact of your recruitment marketing efforts while minimizing content creation costs.

   

  • Engage Actively with Candidates: Once you capture candidates’ interest, keep them engaged by promptly responding to emails, expressing gratitude for their interest, and maintaining ongoing communication through newsletters. These efforts should extend the conversation beyond their initial job search or viewing of a job opening, ensuring a positive candidate experience.