By Chris South, Prominence
Job Boards Are Alive & Kicking
As a recruiter the first port of call when looking to find or attract talent is often job boards and I believe that in most situations this should still be the case. This is supported by a recent survey publicised by the International Association of Employment Web Sites and reported on by eremedia.com which suggests job boards are still the largest contributor to people finding new jobs.
I believe that this is because if a person is actively looking for a new job they are likely to still visit job boards and providing you have selected the right job board then they will still at least see your advert.
In this circumstance your success as a recruiter largely comes down to how well you can make your advert stand out. Good ways of doing this include adding video, paying to have your branding made more visible and ensuring your advert shows the applicant how your company can help them achieve their goals, rather than a just list of what you are seeking.
Behaviour of Top Talent
The same survey also highlighted that although job boards remain the most effective source of new employment opportunities, their impact has significantly declined.
As recruiters we are generally tasked with finding the top tier of talent, it is my belief that this demographic are primarily responsible for the decline in job board effectiveness.
This is because, whilst job boards are great if someone is actively seeking a new role, in today’s talent-short markets, good candidates are rarely openly active. Instead they hear about jobs through recruitment agencies or referrals (both of which are shown in the IAEWS survey to have had an increased impact on job moves), before they have even thought about starting to search for a new role.
Fewer in-demand candidates looking at job boards creates a problem for most recruiters; how to get jobs or an employment brand in front of the desired candidate audience?
Attracting Top Talent
As a recruiter (agency or in-house) sourcing is the other significant method for getting your jobs to your candidate audience. Online sourcing supplements more traditional channels such as offline networking and company databases.
Whilst all sourcing channels can be very effective, they all remain reliant on one-on-one contact. When compared to job board advertising, this is a very time intensive process, even for the best recruiters.
Consumer Marketing
We have all been exposed to consumer marketing in one form or another, this is because it reaches us on the channels that we are using on a day-to-day basis, such as Facebook, Google, Spotify, websites or YouTube.
Consumer Job Marketing
The good news is that these same consumer channels can also be effectively utilised to promote employment brands and job opportunities. These channels allow recruiters to:
- Reach people irrelevant of their job search status
- Target very specific audience demographics
- Pay based on campaign performance
Although they do require:
- More early stage candidate contact or automation
- Advanced setup
- Different skill-sets and knowledge
Publicly visible examples of consumer job marketing are often those associated with job boards, such as these from Trade Me Jobs and Monster:
As a recruiter there is no reason you can’t create and promote similar content. Lots of recruiters are using these channels and generating fantastic results, but you are unlikely to see their adverts. This is because the campaigns are targeted so that only their audience is aware that they exist, examples include:
Promoted Tweets around Event Hashtags
Thanks to Troy Hammond for this idea.
Promoted Facebook Posts to Pre-Identified Audiences
Core Elements of Consumer Job Marketing
Marketing Channels
Knowing which channels are best suited to your target market is one of the most important factors. Some of the many options include YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify, Pandora, Adwords, Website Banner Adverts, audience re-targeting and Industry Blogs.
Once you know your audience channels, you’ll then need to ensure you know how to get the most out of each. This is because whilst it is very easy to boost a post on Facebook or LinkedIn, it is far harder to get your posts to generate results.
Marketing Content
Equally as important is understanding how your chosen marketing platform operates, often the content that works on one will fail on another. You will likely need to use visual and video content, so having access to graphic design, video production and animation are all helpful.
Measuring Results
The best place to measure the campaign results is from a bespoke landing page. This could be the job advert but is better if it is a unique page, setup to provide tailored information and to convert visitors into applications.
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At SOSU Australia Chris will provide further examples of consumer job marketing and explore in detail the knowledge and skills required to successfully leverage several of these channels. To get your tickets please visit www.sosu.com.au