As small businesses continue their battle to bring on new employees, tactics to attract top talent have evolved. There hasn’t been much other choice. They’ve had to. With more than 35% of small businesses reportedly still needing to bolster their workforces, the hunt for new hires feels increasingly urgent.
More companies are now offering incentives, special perks, and employee referral programs in hopes of alleviating their hiring headaches. In-person recruiting opportunities – career fairs, for example – have also reemerged as popular hiring options now that the pandemic is slowing down. But those approaches typically require a lot of leg work and may burden a small business’s bottom line.
Recruitment-focused marketing techniques can add some ease to those processes. In the same way businesses market their products and services to customers, those same tools can be used to promote the organization itself and bring attention to open positions. When performed well, recruitment marketing attracts talent to your organization rather than having to keep seeking it out.
Here are a few ways to use marketing to enhance your pursuit for new employees.
1) Tell employees what you’re really all about.
Workers are searching for greener pastures at an unprecedented rate. So, it’s important for your business to position itself as a desirable landing spot. That means spotlighting what makes you unique – the qualities that separate you from every other employer.
So, how do you do that? Start sharing your story.
Use your marketing and public relations channels to tell prospective employees how your business began and what drives its operation today. Filter that message through the values or standards that define your organization. If your business prioritizes trust, it’s important to promote it in a way that resonates with customers and job candidates.
2) Employees want to know their work has meaning. Tell them how your organization adds significance to their efforts.
Stay on top of your reviews.
Opinions are important to job seekers. Candidates lean on experiences shared by current or previous employees to help determine if your job opening is one they should pursue. So, it’s critical for your business to read and respond to reviews of your organization.
Employee-facing review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed are particularly important places to monitor feedback passed on by members of your workforce. But that’s not all, though. Consumer-facing review sites often also host those types of comments, so it’s important to keep tabs on conversations happening in those areas as well.
How easily your business can manage its employee reviews may vary across platforms. BBB for example, offers its Accredited Businesses exclusive opportunities to respond and vet reviews of their business, as well as promote positive customer experiences.
3) Use social to show off your culture.
Your social media pages shouldn’t solely be seen by customers. Yes, those are excellent areas for showcasing what your business offers in the marketplace. They’re also an opportunity to feature the overall culture of your company.
Rather than keeping the focus on products and services your business provides, offer a behind-the- scenes look at how those offerings happen. Post captivating images of your workforce and celebrate big organizational wins. Offer candidates a glimpse of what working for your business looks like to see if it feels like a fit.
Weaving those messages and visuals into a paid digital marketing plan may not be a bad idea either. Organic posts only go so far, so allocating some of your advertising budget to boosting recruitment- focused content may mean it gets seen by more jobseekers.
4) Stand out on job boards.
And speaking of paid advertising, don’t be afraid to use it to push your open positions. Nearly every job board allows businesses to post jobs, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee those openings get seen by the best candidates.
Advertising your open positions on job boards elevates your listings above others posted on their sites. It literally places you ahead of your competitors when candidates scroll through the list of open positions.
When you consider how pressed businesses are to attract new employees, those rankings can make a big difference.
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