Candidate attraction is not a simple task, and it has become more complex than ever before. The job market remains increasingly competitive for employers with candidates in the driver’s seat for the foreseeable future. We recently launched the campaign below for a client in the talent acquisition space and it performed very well, but it wasn’t just the catchy design that brought results.
Candidate attraction is a long-term strategy that needs to be continually refined. A great start is having the proper foundation for your job postings, something that many companies overlook. Here are some best practices:
- Provide job details
- Compensation, benefits, job location (is it in-person, hybrid, or remote?), qualifications, day-to-day details, application instructions
- Post on relevant job boards
- Ensure your application process is as simple as possible
- hint: try applying to a job to understand the experience and where opportunities exist to streamline the process
Employer branding is an essential part of attracting quality applicants. Building your reputation as an employer of choice will help you stand out from the competition. Prospective employees may research your company before deciding to apply to your job posting so being able to clearly articulate what makes people proud to work for you is part of how you will “sell” your company to candidates.
Once you have a solid foundation for job listings and have a defined employee value proposition, the next step is to create an omnichannel, or integrated marketing approach. You’ll want to use a mix of tactics, both for paid and organic, to reach your desired target audience. Based on your candidate persona, where and when you reach potential candidates will vary widely, along with what tactics you will use. What works and doesn’t varies by job seniority, industry, experience, and more.
Examples of digital advertising for candidate attraction:
- Paid search
- Remarketing
- Display
- Paid social
Along with defining an employee value proposition, messaging and imagery are also a critical component of advertising for candidates. Your imagery gives your company the chance to showcase a diverse workforce. Your company can stand out among the crowd with creative ad visuals that align with your branding, like the ones above. Your ad messaging will ideally answer the question of “why” a prospective candidate would want to work for your company.
Paid advertising for candidate attraction has been increasingly competitive in the past few years and it will remain competitive. Your company is not the only one trying to gain the attention of your ideal quality candidate. But if your company does the work of identifying an EVP, creating a job listing that covers all of the details a candidate is looking for at a glance, you’re already likely ahead of the competition and have a great foundation for advertising.
Written by Britany Bell & Nicole VanNienwenhove, ClearEdge Marketing Digital Media Managers