TalentMinded

Outside of building one-to-one relationships with candidates through recruiters, employers can foster a sense of familiarity and likeability among candidates by sharing stories online. Job seekers who get a sense of value from your company’s employment-related content get to better know your brand and, in turn, develop a sense of affinity and trust for your organization. Trust = applications.

But it takes more than producing great content to attract passive or active job seekers. You must also be a strategic thinker. What’s the difference?  A tactical recruiter often thinks in short-term goals: “I need to fill this position today,” while a strategic recruiter thinks: “I want an employee for life.”

Of course, winning the talent game involves balancing both immediate priorities and strategic organizational goals that support your employment brand and talent pipeline. Here are three ways to blend tactics and strategy in recruitment marketing efforts:

1. Build friendships. 

If people do business with those they like and trust, chances are they’re doing business with friends. Create a sense of friendship and community around your content to attract the talent you really need. First, identify the key attributes and characteristics of employees who are the best fit for your company culture. It could be anything – from health consciousness to entrepreneurial drive. Next, build a tie between audiences who fit the profile and your jobs before, during and after the recruiting process. Emphasize aspects of your culture when sharing news that will interest health buffs or risk-takers. Whatever it is you seek in a candidate, offer content that matches their typical interests. Once you’re likeable, become trustworthy. In addition to answering questions, a friend listens and offers empathy. Be sure to spend time asking questions and then just listen. You’ll learn a lot about the needs of your talent from their stories and experiences – valuable insight that only comes from a trusting relationship.

2. Deliver something of value.

When you’re thinking strategically, it’s much easier to create content that offers value. Value is relative – some days it’s a funny video, other days it’s a career tip. Avoid limiting content to only current job openings. Instead, give passive and active prospects information that makes them smarter, more successful professionals. While getting hired is the foremost goal of job seekers, highly-skilled and qualified talent want to work for employers where they feel valued. Posting open positions on your social media page is easy. The hard part is giving before you ask for anything. Educating your audience fosters a sense of loyalty to your organization and gives them a preview of the experience they can expect if hired. Of course, along the way you must also motivate people to apply to your jobs. For this, use content that empathizes and offers solutions to problems your job seekers face. For example, write a blog post that provides specific ways to find a fulfilling career despite a grim economy and high unemployment rates.

3. Personal follow up.

Research proves that the more you follow up, the more likely you are to close a sale – and that means a quality hire in the recruiting world. Your odds of a hire increase to nearly 80% by your fifth contact with a qualified job seeker, yet most recruiters stop after just one. This is the equivalent of writing one social media update and expecting to gain a loyal following of job seekers. Or inconsistently sharing content with your audience – only doing so when you need a quick hire. Or worse, relying on a single distribution method for your content (e.g. your website) and ignoring other ways to reach your ideal employees (e.g. Twitter or niche blogs). Balance automated content distribution on Facebook, Twitter and your blog. Go through your contacts and reach out directly to individuals who might find your latest article or blog post interesting. The popular adage, “Your fortune is in your follow up,” is true. Your content marketing strategy must include different and consistent tactics to stay in touch with talent worth fighting for.