In 2014, a survey conducted by PwC revealed that 93% of global executives believed that they needed to change their talent acquisition model, but nearly two-thirds had failed to do anything about it. The fact that there is a war for talent being waged isn’t news. Unemployment is down. Urban hubs are buzzing. Recruiting is getting tough.
Successful marketing efforts are built on delivering what consumers want, when they want it – and you have to make it easy for them to get it. The same can be applied to job seekers. If you’re in recruiting, here are four ways you can recruit like a marketer:
1. Search engine optimization
What is the fastest way to find the information you’re looking for? The internet (i.e., Google it!). So, you type in your search and the search engine determines, based on the criteria entered, what it believes to be the most relevant results to what you’re looking for. How often do you look past page 3 of the results? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) seeks to improve your measure of relevancy, and therefore the quality and volume of your traffic (in our case, candidates).
SEO can help level the playing field. You don’t have to be an employer of choice for job seekers to find your jobs. Consider how a candidate would use the internet to find a job and begin optimizing! Here are a few ways you can get started.
First, humanize your URL. The URL for your jobs should closely match the terms a candidate would search to find it (e.g., company, title, location). Try it for yourself. Search “SEO Manager Denver Colorado.” One of the top five results is Glassdoor.com. The root of the URL is https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/denver-seo-manager-jobs.
Second, be specific. If you’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer who is strong in C# and .NET, mention those programming languages. Don’t stop short and simply say “full Microsoft stack.”
Finally, a picture is worth a thousand words (or at least a few words). Search engines can pick up on the file name and the alt attribute text of the image you use. If you’re hiring in tech, consider adding a photo with the file name clearly depicting what you’re hiring for (e.g., Software-Engineer-Denver). You will get more traffic than just titling the photo “Dev1.”
2. Pay-per-click advertising
There are two philosophies to recruiting – hope they come to you or go directly to them. Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising allows you go to them. It allows you to target the candidates you want to apply for the job.
Traditionally, you pay a flat fee to post a job. The results of your posting are mixed at best. With PPC, you pay for the results (i.e., someone clicking through to view your job). So, what are the advantages of PPC recruiting?
First, you pay for performance, not upfront. If no one views your post, you don’t pay.
Second, you set the budget. The budget may be a daily budget or for the campaign as a whole. Do you get the level of customization with a traditional job post?
Finally, some platforms allow you to hone in on a specific candidate pool. If you’re hiring for a Director of eCommerce, your PPC campaign can be targeted to the level, title, industry, and location of the candidates you want to interview.
Know that you might get fewer views with PPC advertising, but you’re paying for higher quality traffic.
3. Blogging
Today, social recruiting is the craze, but companies are overlooking the advantages that good old fashioned blogging can bring. A company blog can showcase your company’s thought leaders, drive traffic to other parts of your business, and improve the image and brand recognition of your company with content worth sharing. Guest blog contributions can even open your company up to a whole new audience. You can potentially earn the audience of your contributors, who are likely to share and promote the fact that they were featured on your blog.
If you do decide to implement a company blog, know that this strategy is not for short-term gains. Blogs take time and regular attention.
4. Optimize for mobile
Nearly half of all job seekers say that they use their mobile device to search for jobs. It's imperative to run a mobile recruiting strategy. Whether it’s shopping or job seeking, the world is going mobile and your recruiting strategy should, too.
Remember, think like a marketer. Do you recall the last time you uninstalled an app from your mobile device? Why did you do it? Generally, uninstallation is due to poor user experience (e.g., difficult to navigate, slow to load). Make it easy on your candidates to apply for your jobs.
First and foremost, implement recruitment technology that is mobile responsive. This allows for your careers page to automatically adjust to fit the screen of any phone or tablet. Second, keep it short and simple. Mobile job seekers want information that is easy to digest. Finally, if you use video, make sure it can download fast. Otherwise, candidates will abandon the page.
Conclusion
Passive candidate recruiting remains essential, but make no mistake, marketing can drive serious results. So, save the 25% placement fee you’re about to pay an outside agency and start thinking more like a marketer.
