Recruiting - Are You Doing Enough With Digital Marketing?
Recruiting of qualified team members seems to be a major obstacle to success for many businesses. The employers that seem to be affected the most are in service and construction-related businesses (ie. auto repair, HVAC contractors) and firms that are located in areas that may be desirable, but have an extremely high cost of living (ie. The San Francisco Bay Area). Google has reworked the way that search results for jobs are posted, and are having job postings migrated into Google Job Search. This can be done through third-party sites like zip recruiter, or for larger firms with their own job feed, directly through Google. This has made for many fewer clicks for users to find and sort jobs and has dramatically improved job search for those on mobile devices. I am going to divide this up into 3 parts: 1. The Usual Suspects, 2. Strategies that we have done and had some success with for clients, and 3. Cool stuff that is coming up more and more and should be considered in your recruiting plans.
The Usual Suspects.
The usual job sites are still viable, especially since virtually all of them participate in Google Jobs. These sites include ziprecruiter.com (I am not on their payroll, I swear) monster.com, indeed.com, linkedin.com, jobs.com, glassdoor.com, and careerbuilder.com. Even the old reliable craigslist.com still has job postings but appears to reach its own, somewhat quirky audience. All of these have their own nuances, like reviews and profiles to be added and watched on glassdoor.com, and different audiences and ads that can be posted on LinkedIn. Most firms use these sources or job sites like them to recruit, especially if they are in growth mode or work in a high turnover industry. These platforms target those who are aggressively looking for new positions and are admittedly at the core of any successful recruiting campaign. If you do not currently use these services, you should work with one or more of these platforms before moving along to more aggressive campaigns.
Strategies That We Have Done and Had Some Success With For Clients.
Spoiler Alert-we run a branding agency, and even though I am the digital guy, I still think that strong branding is a factor in recruiting. As unemployment rates continue to drop, workers have their choice of companies to work for. A strong and recognizable brand is a definite advantage in today’s recruiting wars. To raise brand awareness, we have used the Google Display platform and made sure that display ads are showing around searches for jobs and industries that are part of our clients’ business models. Most of the click-throughs from these ads have been from mobile devices, which flies in the face of current marketing theory. Why would the user of a mobile device click on a display ad for a job? Probably because they are looking for one, or looking to upgrade their current position. This segment of the job market is the toughest to reach, but probably the most valuable. If a person has experience and has been able to hold on to their current job, they are an ideal candidate for your firm. We have targeted this market through 2 platforms: Facebook Ads and Programmatic ad campaigns. Facebook ads have become valuable because they blanket a geographic area and demographic profile that fits your needs. It creates what advertisers used to call “buzz”. Benefits can be in finding candidates who are not satisfied with their current career path or gain referrals from those who can help guide those who are just starting to think about a new job. Programmatic ads can target those who are at physical locations. Targeting the physical locations of employers who have layoffs, seasonal workforces, and just plain do not pay or treat their teams well can be a great way to raise awareness of why these target audiences should consider your firm. A campaign like this must be backed up by solid landing pages explaining the advantages of working for your firm. Another target audience may be those who are forced to commute to their current jobs. Employers are turning to billboards (no, not digital ads, but the kind that are sitting by the side of the road) to let potential employees ponder the advantages of being closer to home while they are stuck in traffic. These strategies are designed to leverage a strong brand into prompting a potential job candidate to seek a job they might even not know that they want…..yet.
Cool Stuff That Is Coming Up.
I like glassdoor.com, even though I have had a few ex-employees write less than flattering reviews. I know, not a new solution, but the reviews give it less of a job listing platform and more of information by attraction of getting the real story on a company. Unfortunately, most companies have reviews from employees who have quit or been fired. This is kind of like getting movie reviews from the people who left the theater early. Encourage current employees to write honest reviews regarding the company. This is all anonymous, so making sure that you target a wide range of employees so that they do not feel like they are under a microscope is key. Glassdoor.com also seems to have premium placement on google search and shows up on Jobs by Google. It makes sense to stop ignoring the bad reviews and let potential employees see a more balanced assessment of your firm. Hire by Google, while not a marketing platform, does allow for integration with Google platforms like Gmail and calendar to make management of applicants, scheduling and communication an integrated solution. It seems that in this competitive job market, replying to applicants quickly and streamlining the hiring process is key to being more competitive. This solution can help to accomplish that goal.
Conclusion.
We would all rather spend dollars on branding building and promotion to attract new customers. Without proper support, new customers can become an actual burden to your business, and threaten your ability not only to serve their needs but the needs of the loyal customers that are the foundation of your business. Job Applicants are better informed and more aware of the market for their services every year. Think about branding not only your advantages to those you serve, but to the workforce that is the key to success.
Eric Van Cleave is the Co-CEO and Digital Marketing Director for TIV Branding
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TIV Branding is a boutique branding firm in Sonoma County, California. We specialize in building brands by using traditional, social and digital channels in unison. If you would like to discuss a project or find out more about how we do what we do, please email us at info@TIVbranding.com.