Interactive Recruitment Marketing: Going Further to Attract Top Candidates
By Vangie Sison, Manager of Media Solutions
Say what you want about ads that surround us when we're online, but one thing is for certain, it has never been more convenient to view only the ads that apply to us. The websites that I visit know to show me products about fitness, ways to save on business travel, and tips on what to do about my territorial 18-year old male diabetic cat.
For the first time in the history of advertising, a medium exists that enables an advertiser to communicate to a market that he has narrowly identified--not just by gender, age group, and geography, but also by behavior, profession, buying habits, and online activity. And, for the first time in the history of advertising, a medium exists that enables the advertiser's prospect to be just one click away from making a purchase. What does this mean for your staffing goals?
Whether you are a corporate recruiter managing your hiring process, the corporate Marketing Director driving brand recognition, or you are the Director of Sales faced with the challenge of always keeping a pipeline of sales candidates, take my hand and let me show you where your next superstar is hanging out.
Almost seventy percent of our country's population is online, half of which are connecting at high speed. Through the day, your prospective candidates are sending and receiving email, getting news and information, and Googling (yes, the popular search engine is now a part of the English vocabulary and may be used as a verb).
Of course, we know about advertising our open positions on websites like Monster.com to effectively reach aggressive job seekers. But what if that sought-after top producer from your competitor across the street never goes to a job board nor read the daily newspaper's employment section?
I'm willing to bet that he uses Orbitz to book his flight, Mapquest to get directions for his next sales call, or even uses Weather.com to see if a storm will delay his business travel.
So what if when he visits these websites, waiting for him in the middle of the page he is viewing, is an announcement from you inviting him to discover why your company is an ideal place to work?
Are you starting to see why recruitment advertising on the Internet does not have to stop at job board postings? If you compliment those job postings with a creative advertising strategy to reach prospective candidates on websites where they can be found through the day, you are adding a whole new dimension when it comes to attracting the most qualified candidates. Here are a few tips on this innovative strategy:
Email newsletter sponsorships: That sales superstar that you want to hire has subscribed to numerous newsletters that enable him to prospect and get better at his job. Make sure that your company's career opportunity is promoted in those industry newsletters.
Search marketing: 85% of us online use search engines to research and find information. Take advantage of pay-per-click advertising on search marketing platforms like Google to advertise your open position when your prospective candidates are typing keywords relevant to career opportunities.
Viral marketing: The Internet is faster than word-of-mouth ...take advantage of it. Place a "Send To A Friend " button in your ad and enable someone to refer their friends to your offer. After all, even though they may not be right for that sales position, chances are they probably know someone who would be interested.
Finally, look for recruitment advertising experts who specialize in Internet strategies to help you build a campaign that can promote your brand and market your jobs to active and passive candidates. Your sales superstar is online ...you just need to be waiting for them when they log on!
