If your business is expanding or a valued staff member has left you, you will be keen to recruit the best possible candidate to fill the role at hand. In the present economic environment, more than ever, it is crucial that you attract the most able and compatible job seekers. Your employees make your business; having the right people on board is crucial for your long-term success. With that in mind, there are a number of factors to take into account when considering your recruitment advertising strategy.
Efficient Keyword Targeting
It’s likely that you will be advertising the position online, whether on your own website or using third party platforms. It is crucial therefore to make sure that suitable candidates see your job posting when they search for open positions. If, for example, you are recruiting a web designer, you would be wise to include the relevant programming languages in your recruitment advertising – a simple list in the body of the advert would be fine. That way, when a programmer fluent in HTML searches for “web design HTML”, he is sure to see your ad.
The Salary Question
The question of whether or not to include a salary range is a difficult one to answer. Recruitment advertising which discloses a salary can help guarantee that you are taken seriously. This is especially applicable if you are recruiting into a high-income or graduate field, where candidates will be driven by the prestige on offer. On the other hand, posting a salary can sometimes put you at a disadvantage. It might mean that you attract candidates who are more interested in the pay than the content of the work. Furthermore, business owners who are keen to keep costs to a minimum can benefit from forcing the candidate to value themselves – you might be able to employ an A-grade worker for a B-grade price. Ultimately, the choice is yours!
Utilise Social Media
Most recruitment advertising is behind the curve when it comes to social media. Whilst businesses everywhere are starting to realise the value of attracting customers using Facebook or Twitter, relatively few think to push for candidates via these means. It seems that almost everyone has a social media account these days; make use of this by connecting with job seekers in a novel way.
Focus on Niche Job Boards
If you’re looking for entry-level or unskilled employees, you can probably skip past this hint. If, on the other hand, you’re after high-quality candidates who are specialists in their field, you would do well to cross-post your adverts to niche websites and job boards. You are more likely to find a committed professional on a board created to serve their particular market sector than on a catch-all service with millions of users.
Sell Your Company
Too often, recruitment advertising focuses entirely on the job and not on the business which is providing it. Are you growing or established? Market leader or up-and-comer? Traditionally minded or ground breaking? The successful candidate will be involved with your company as part of their day-to-day life, and it’s important that this appeals to them.
Robert Jones is a senior Human Resources professional from an international business services consulting firm. He has over 20 years’ experience in recruitment advertising, selecting and interviewing candidates.
