3 ways to be top of mind with candidates

Do you have friends who only reach out when they need something? That’s not how healthy relationships work. The same holds true in recruitment marketing. If you only reach out to job seekers when you have an open position and are silent at all other times, you’re not building a strong relationship with candidates – the kind that will benefit both of you in the long run.

Building a steady applicant flow and continually showcasing your employment proposition is something that more and more talent acquisition professionals are embracing. It takes a change of mentality and a commitment to shifting some resources from reactive, tactical approaches to a long-term strategy that is not focused on specific job requisitions.

Here are three concepts to help you grasp this effective approach to recruitment marketing.

1. Think long term.

Recruitment is constantly changing. What worked six months ago may not be your best option today, but what never changes is the need to fully understand and appeal to the audience you are recruiting for. It’s also important to remember that the recruitment cycle is not just a job posting; your EVP, brand and culture are equally important to candidates. So how can you ensure your presence – and continually attract talent – in an increasingly aggressive competition for attention and visibility?

• Build a brand that stands the test of time, and is intriguing enough that it can easily be articulated and shared with others and in any sort of medium.
• Focus on specific EVP attributes of your organization and be sure to include buy-in from your existing employee base in order to leverage things like ERP, social sharing, word of mouth, etc.
• Ensure that your employment brand has flexibility and maneuverability in respect to direct advertising and word-of-mouth application – something that is “truth well told.

2. Celebrate your brand.

Once you have defined and developed your employment brand messaging framework, it’s time to share it with both active and passive candidates. How?

• Showcase your employment brand with engaging creative (testimonials, video, etc.). In a sense, your people are your employment brand, so showcasing them is the perfect approach to attract like-minded individuals to your organization.
• Stay visible and engaged on social media with branded communications throughout the year. The more pertinent content you are putting out there, the greater the chance candidates will see your message.
• Get involved in community endeavors outside of the office and share stories. That will help build your employment brand, especially with today’s job seekers, who are very interested in community issues and the environment. If you have a story to tell, use your employment brand to make that connection.

3. Revise your approach.

Don’t be afraid to try something new – a new strategy, vendor or partnership – whatever it takes to accomplish your recruiting goals and move you into a more proactive mode of recruiting. What are a few key strategies that you might wish to consider?

Pay-per-click and search engine marketing campaigns should be used to drive potential job seekers to your career site and jobs on a regular basis, not just when you have a specific opening. Work it into your budget as an ongoing tactic to help you reach both active and passive candidates while building awareness and driving traffic to your site.

Social channels are an environment of unparalleled transparency that has turned traditional media on its head. How is your organization’s online reputation reflected? Does it even exist? The truth is that people need to feel an emotional connection to their world, and it is of vital importance that you cultivate visible, authentic relationships with both current employees and prospective candidates. Social marketing allows you to have an ongoing relationship with the right individuals, even if they are not actively searching for a job.

Talent Network marketing isn’t just for announcing job openings or sending job alerts. It is a communication channel that provides an opt-in, direct link to candidates. You can send news about your organization, hiring events or what your company is doing in the community – anything that keeps you top of mind and helps candidates better understand what it might be like to work for you. Remember, today’s prospect could very well be tomorrow’s employee.

You have a story to tell and an audience waiting to listen. Ready to take the next step on your path to your ultimate goal: attracting people who are the ideal fit for your organization?  Contact NAS today to get started.

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