Get into a Marketing Mindset and Position Your Company to Better Hire Top Talent

In a complex hiring market, it’s difficult to know where to begin in the fight for talent. At NAS, we believe positioning is a great place to start. Positioning is defined as “the space a company owns in the mind of a customer (or job candidate!) and how it differentiates itself from competitors.” Some companies position themselves through:

• A unique story about the company
• A compelling brand message
• An exceptional company culture
• A rock star mission statement
• Well articulated employee benefits

All these elements compel candidates to apply because they want to be a part of something bigger. Positioning encompasses your company culture, management-employee relationships, employee recognition, and opportunities for professional development. When positioning is in play, candidates recognize that your company has a purpose behind profits.

Unfortunately, too many companies find themselves struggling to keep up with Joneses. They lack differentiators, which most often translates to top talent looking elsewhere for employment. So how can you position your company to better hire top talent? Let’s start by asking six questions to help you consider your recruitment positioning.

1. WHY is positioning important?

Get into a marketing mindset.

Candidates are scarcer than ever, and candidate expectations have changed. In addition, you want to attract talent that fits your organization rather than regrettable hires who don’t. It’s easier than ever for candidates to research jobs and companies. Candidates are expecting you to be able to articulate your brand promise, your culture, your benefits and ultimately, this will impact the talent you attract, as well as the quality and the retention of the people that join your organization.

2. WHO do you compete with?

Know your market and your competition.

That is key to thinking like a marketer and figuring out how to get the talent you need. When looking at competitors, try to think more broadly about who you actually compete with – not just direct competitors but adjacent industries or other types of organization who hire a similar candidate profile.

Once you know your competitors, you need to know who you’re targeting. In the marketing world, these are referred to as personas, and in the recruitment marketing world, they can be referred to as job families or career areas.

It’s important to think broadly about who it is you’re targeting across all of the different roles you have to offer, and knowing your personas helps you craft your message and target those individuals and emphasize the elements that are going to be most appealing to them. This is a great way to attract, bring them over to your site and ultimately convert them into applicants.

3. WHAT is your USP (unique selling proposition)?

Know your positioning.

As you assess your competition, you’ll notice that successful organizations set themselves apart by choosing a “lane” and sticking to it. For example, some organizations might set themselves apart by focusing on their stature and recognition, while others might choose to focus on their welcoming, family-oriented culture. This is your opportunity to discover your USP and craft thoughtful, engaging messaging to draw candidates in. We suggest looking to your employees and asking them about their experiences to get a better understanding of your USP.

4. WHERE is your audience?

Find out where your likely candidates are.

One of the most important aspects of reaching candidates is meeting them where they are. Depending on your hiring needs, where you find your candidates may vary, which means your messaging and channels may also need to be adjusted. Here are a few ideas on where you can start your search for the right talent:

• Current employees
• Passive Candidate Networks
• Email and text drip campaigns
• Social platforms

NAS is a full service agency that partners with you to help our clients understand where they should be out in market. We can help you with reaching candidates through programmatic, digital marketing, streaming audio, social media, events, analytics and more!

5. WHEN should you enter the market?

Find the right time.

Now is always a good time. You always want to be out there with some sort of campaign that can flex up or down depending on your budget and needs. Using strategies like drip campaigns, awareness campaigns and retargeting campaigns allows you to keep a steady flow of people coming into your pipeline. Having that pipeline ready reduces your costs when more urgent needs arise.

Understanding your recruiting needs enables you to figure out how to deploy your assets, when to pull the trigger and how to be most effective for your organization. You might have seasonal positions, a new opening or a sudden shortfall in a critical role. Be ready with a strategy and tactics for all situations and needs for all possible scenarios so that you can implement quickly and effectively.

6. HOW can I ensure success?

In order to succeed, it’s important to

• Measure everything that you’re doing and continue to iterate.
• Analyze and optimize your strategies.
• Understand that the candidate landscape is ever-evolving.
• Remain adaptable and agile in your recruitment strategies.

The Takeaways

1. Top talent requires a marketer’s mindset.
2. Understanding your market and competition helps you align your marketing strategy.

3. Your Employee Value Propositions (EVPs) should be authentic and differentiate you in the market.

4. Be intentional about where, when and how you engage with talent.
5. Build flexibility and scalability into your tactics.

Ready to get your positioning on track? Contact NAS Today!

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