How To Create an Effective Recruitment Marketing Strategy

According to a January 2023 study by the popular job board Monster, 96% of workers are looking for a new job. If your organization is looking to hire, now is the time. But how can you attract candidates to you that fit your company culture?

At Ph.Creative, we hold the keys to a recruitment marketing strategy that works — but we'll hand them over if you keep reading.

What Is Recruitment Marketing?

Recruiting involves directly connecting with potential candidates and encouraging them to apply for open positions. Done right, it's an effective hiring strategy. But it's far from the only one out there.

Recruitment marketing is a little different. Rather than reaching out to prospective employees, recruitment marketing focuses on attracting talent to your organization by showing them how great it is to work for you. It expands your reach beyond the standard job boards to meet people all over the web, which can help draw the best talent to you.

Understanding the Recruitment Marketing Funnel

Having an understanding of the recruitment marketing funnel is essential to creating an effective strategy. If we consider the traditional six-part recruitment funnel, the recruitment marketing funnel makes up the top three parts of the journey: 

• Awareness: Making people aware of potential opportunities even if they aren't yet looking for a new job
• Consideration: Making your organization stand out as a top employer to people actively looking for a new job
• Action: Creating a positive application experience so potential candidates can enter the rest of the funnel with confidence

Keep your candidates at the center of every step to maintain engagement and keep them excited about taking a position with you. And the best way to do it is to understand your target audience — where they spend their time online and what they're interested in. 

Use a Multichannel Approach

Using multiple channels broadens your reach so you can find talented individuals in their natural online habitats. Here are some suggestions to consider incorporating into your recruitment marketing plan.

Career Websites

We all know how important it is to make a good first impression. And for most candidates, your website is the first impression they get of your organization. 

That said, your customers make up your website's primary audience — and your employer brand should be separate from your consumer brand. A career website that's different from your public-facing website gives you a place to post content geared toward people curious about working for you.

You also need to bring people to your careers site before the applications can start rolling in. Search engine optimization (SEO) can help push your site to the front page of Google's search engine results page (SERP), making it an excellent technique for getting new people to check you out.

Job Boards

While many people find new jobs through networking, external job sites still serve an important purpose in the consideration and action stages of the funnel. People often browse job sites at the start of their search to get a feel for what's out there, so creating job postings that stand out is essential for catching new potential candidates. 

Some of the most popular job boards include:

• ZipRecruiter
• Indeed
• Monster
• Handshake
• Google for Jobs
• CareerBuilder

Social Media

Social media was created to connect people — that's why it's so great for posting people-related content. It's also one of the most popular channels people use during their job search, with 79% of job seekers using it during their 2022 job search.

Whether you're highlighting office parties, employee profiles or client success stories, your feed should center on the people and qualities that make your company unique. Keep an eye on your analytics to see what performs well, and feel free to reuse your best content.

And while LinkedIn and Facebook will likely always be great platforms for reaching potential candidates, establishing a presence on newer channels like TikTok can help you get ahead of the competition. 

Traditional Channels

In the digital age, it's easy to overlook conventional offline channels like job fairs and university career centers. These channels are excellent for reaching new grads or even current students. Virtual career fairs are also a great option for companies who want to hire outside their immediate location. 

Whatever kind of event you attend, maintaining your employer brand is just as important there as it is online. Make sure any physical materials you use — such as flyers or business cards — follow your branding guidelines, and include links or QR codes potential candidates can use to find your digital channels.

Recruitment Marketing Strategy Ideas

If you need some guidance on where to begin with recruitment marketing, we've got you covered. Here are some ideas for upping your recruitment marketing game.

Optimizing Career Sites and Job Descriptions

Optimizing your web postings makes you more appealing to potential candidates by creating a simple, smooth user experience. Here are some quick tips for career website optimization:

• Easy navigation: No one likes a wild goose chase. Design your site so users can quickly find what they're looking for.
• Live chat: An AI chatbot can directly engage prospective candidates by answering simple questions about your organization and directing them to more information. 
• Content: People visiting your career site are looking for information about open positions, so make sure it's front and center. Mention bonus info like benefits, perks and company culture.

You'll also want to pay special attention to your job descriptions. Optimizing them for SEO can help boost their placement on the Google SERPs, which will make it easier for job seekers to find you. And using straightforward, simple language helps make your organization look more trustworthy by clearly explaining the job responsibilities.

Managing and Engaging With Employee Reviews

Employee reviews are one of your most important recruitment marketing assets because they let your people express what it's really like to work for you. And since a whopping 86% of job seekers check them when deciding where to apply, managing reviews on sites like Glassdoor and CareerBliss is vital.

Even if a disgruntled employee were to leave a particularly bad review, you can still use the situation to your advantage. In fact, job seekers are more likely to have a positive opinion of a company that engages well with negative employee reviews. Always be cordial and make it clear you appreciate their feedback — this way, you show you value what your people say.

Creating Exciting Video Content

Video is the most engaging type of content you can put out today. Many consumers watch branded video content to learn more about a product. While your employer and consumer brands should be separate things, video is still king in recruitment marketing content.

Build Your Recruitment Marketing Plan With Ph.Creative

As an industry-leading employer brand consulting company, we're dedicated to helping our customers craft effective recruitment marketing strategies that fit their unique needs. If you're ready to get started, contact us today — we're looking forward to hearing from you.

Want more info about employer branding and recruitment marketing? Book your spot in an upcoming sprint course to learn from the experts.