Attracting candidates to the right job can be extremely difficult. Online advertising, in general, has become such a saturated place. While the number of jobs in the market right now is reduced, the number of jobseekers currently looking for jobs still makes it extremely important that these adverts stand out.
The problem is not anymore getting your advert found, but more being seen by the right people to earn quality applications. Here are four ways to attract the right candidates:
Invest in your job advert copy
The content quality of your job advert is just as valuable as advertising for the job position itself. You wouldn’t want someone to see your job and be disinterested by the content of the job description. The job needs to stand out and gain interest immediately.
The first couple of paragraphs of your job advert are the most important. The top section of the advert will most often be read first and frequently determines whether the jobseeker will continue to read it until the end, so you should make it compelling and exciting with information which appeals and captivates the candidate.
The length of your advert also plays a critical role, candidates prefer adverts with a range between 200 to 300 words, but this can vary depending on the industry.
It’s also essential to apply an SEO strategy in any job advert that you write. Keyword research is critical to optimise your job description and to make it searchable on job boards and search engines, with particular attention to Google for Jobs. Once you’ve pinpointed the necessary skills and qualifications and also added any relevant keywords, your job will be able to reach the right potential candidates.
Increase your employer brand
Employer brand can be a significant contributor to someone accepting the job with your company or not. According to Glassdoor, a weak employer brand can cost you job applicants and also according to Upwork, 40% of Millennials consider a company’s employer brand before applying to a job.
Promoting your brand online has never been easier. Whatever your brand model may be, highlighting your culture and work ethics will attract you better candidates.
Here are some of the things you could consider:
- Your Website – Searching for your website will be one of the first things a candidate will do once they find your job. It needs to reflect your brand and culture.
- Social Media – Social media can reach broad audiences allowing you to post content that reflects the business culture, objectives and services.
- Employee Advocacy – Your employee’s personal brands can act as an extension of your company brand and extend your reach further.
- Social Proof – Reviews and testimonials from past and present employees and candidates can help to provide insight into what the company is.
Own your employer brand and promote it in everything you do. Doing this could be the differentiator to attract the right talent.
Invest time in your recruitment advertising
Investing time, effort and money into your recruitment advertising will help you target the quality candidates. If you are hiring for a specific job role which requires particular skills and qualifications, you should focus on advertising the job in places that are of interest to that type of person. A multi poster like WaveTrackR can pinpoint the best job board for you. If the location is essential for the job role, then focusing your advertising in that geographical location would be best to attract the right candidates.
When it comes to advertising your job on job boards, increasing your budget may improve your hires. Sponsored job adverts and featured employers are some of the ways to get your post seen. The placement of these ads makes your job easily noticed in search results.
Try different methods to advertise your jobs
Investing in alternative ways to recruit people will create an innovative hiring process. Displaying your job in a unique way rather than just placing an advert on a job board will go a long way toward attracting candidates that wouldn’t consider it initially.
As an example, you could use Facebook to create a campaign in which you can target people by their interests, demographics and location. Adverts like these can be more creative by using images and video to engage your audience creatively.
Your website allows you the most control to the way you advertise your jobs. Why not turn your job vacancy into an engaging video where you can describe the job role.
Think about using Instagram and Facebook stories, or the upcoming LinkedIn stories to add a different touch to your jobs and reach a wider audience.
Allow employees to recruit for you
Your workforce is usually an untapped resource when it comes to improving your brand reach. Your employees typically have their networks on sites such as LinkedIn or Twitter. Maximise these networks to boost your own and reach candidates you wouldn’t find any other way.
If your employee is happy with their working environment and the benefits provided by your company, they are more likely to share this with their friends and family. Happy employees are also typically more likely to spread good word-of-mouth about the company and encourage people they may know to apply for open jobs.
If your company participates in trade shows or exhibitions, online or in person, these can be an excellent opportunity to meet not only potential clients but also to meet potential candidates. Encourage current employees to develop relationships with potential employees and invite your team to tap into their social networks and academic connections to search for candidates.
One of the best ways to encourage employees to help recruit for a position within the company is to set up an incentive program. In most companies, employee referrals can be rewarded with cash bonuses or vouchers.
Finding the right candidates for your jobs can be very challenging, time-consuming and expensive. Investing in your job advert exposure, the context of the job advert, referrals or highlighting your employer brand can all help towards targeting a more relevant audience and better quality candidates.
