For many years, organizations have conducted consumer research studies to gather opinions and insight from their current users and target audience, as it would be unheard of to launch a new product or service without consulting the market first. But for some reason, when it comes to recruitment, companies are much more comfortable making “gut” decisions, as opposed to relying on research.
But why is this? Conducting research and collecting data on your target buyers is no different than doing so for target candidates. And on top of gaining valuable insight, you can gain loyal community members, too.
Research > Instinct
As an organization that values having a positive image and a well-developed employment brand, it is critical to give a voice to your applicants and the talent you hope to attract in the future by conducting market research.
In addition to being able to better market job opportunities by understanding your desired talent’s wants and needs, recent studies show that simply being asked for one’s opinion increases the positive perception he or she has of an organization.
In fact, in consumer marketing, respondents said they were both more likely to buy from a company who asked for their opinion and also more likely to feel a loyalty to that brand. This should be no different for recruitment marketing.
In Summary…
Giving potential applicants a voice through market research surveys is a win-win situation for any organization looking to hire quality candidates. Not only do they provide relevant insight and data to back decisions, they also play a role in building relationships with target talent.
Do you use research to make recruitment marketing and branding decisions? If so, tell us how it has affected your ability to reach and connect with best-fit candidates?
Image: Casey Serin and Sean MacEntee/Flickr
Author: Sanja Licina
As Senior Director of Talent Intelligence & Consulting, Dr. Licina directs the talent management consulting efforts for CareerBuilder.com. Dr. Licina’s focus is developing, researching and overseeing the building of progressive thought leadership models that provide critical insight into trends around the current workplace, talent market, recruitment, diversity and employment branding. Sanja holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from DePaul University and a B.A. in Psychology and Communication Studies from the University of Michigan. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Kellogg School of Management.
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