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Alexandria Waltz

Alexandria Waltz


Recent posts by Alexandria Waltz

7 min read

3 Ways an Employer Brand Can ‘Romance’ Job Candidates

By Alexandria Waltz on Sep 19, 2023 8:30:00 AM

Dating isn’t necessarily the easiest thing in the world. Sure, meeting new people and visiting new places has a certain appeal. But, at some point, most people want to stop the revolving door of potential matches and find “the one.” Whether that represents a long-term match or something less substantial, the fact remains that constantly trying to find a person compatible with your quirks, beliefs, and interests is difficult.  

Welcome to employee recruitment in the twenty-first century. Regardless of job type and experience level, it is becoming harder than ever to find qualified candidates and get them to sign on the dotted line. 

Just like on any dating app, successful recruitment efforts typically mean that your employer brand needs to stand out in a positive way to interested candidates. Here are 3 ways to make your organization stand out. 

Find ‘Dates’ in the Right Places 

Like potential dates, candidates are drawn to different social media platforms. Just as no job is quite the same, the digital spaces on which employees in particular industries congregate differ based on typical education levels, skill sets, and backgrounds.  

In 2021, a survey found that 41% of workers in-market for new positions used online social networks to job hunt. Choosing the right social networks for your need, then, is critical for identifying qualified candidates in the most efficient way. 

Some common platforms used for recruiting (and the types of candidates attracted to each) include: 

  • Facebook. Best for finding technically skilled employees in what are traditionally considered blue-collar industries. Examples include truck drivers, retail managers, manufacturing workers, and automotive service technicians. 
  • Instagram. Visual artists, graphic designers, and social media influencers are drawn to Instagram’s ability to showcase their creative work to a large audience of followers. 
  • LinkedIn. The best recruitment social media site for white-collar professionals working in finance, management, marketing, and sales. Networking for these candidates is key, and they are often already primed for recruiters to reach out via direct message. 
  • Reddit. This platform is extremely popular with developers and software engineers. Identifying sub-threads centered on certain industries or jobs can be a great intro into qualified candidates. 

Regardless of platform, it’s always a good idea to create a business social media account and NOT recruit candidates from a personal one. Not only do business accounts give interested applicants more information about your company, but they also appear more legitimate on sites that tend to attract spammers. 

Both general and niche job boards like Glassdoor, Indeed, Discord, and GitHub are also great options for getting your job postings in front of more eyeballs. 

Lead with Your Good (Employer Brand) Side 

The same generations that have turned to popular dating sites to find romantic relationships also rely on social media to find new job opportunities. Nearly half of all Millennials and Gen Z job searchers applied to positions they found on social media. This staggering number is precisely why businesses must actively curate an employer brand image that speaks to their vision of an ideal candidate. 

Infusing your social media business profiles with a little personality is a wonderful way to subtly show your company’s working culture and how their day-to-day on the job might look. Sharing pictures of team outings, fun activities, or conferences don’t typically interest prospective customers, but does carry weight for job seekers. Visual representations — which can include static photos and, even better, videos — allow applicants to picture themselves working for your brand. The more you understand your ideal candidate, the better you can highlight the parts of your company that best speak to them. 

Another way to lead with your ‘good side’ is to respond quickly to applicant queries on social media. Just like individuals on the dating scene don’t enjoy being ‘ghosted,’ candidates who reach out via social media and never hear back are likely to move on to the next opportunity. 

Be Honest from the Get-Go 

Finally, dating sites are notorious for users who, whether intentionally or not, fail to portray themselves in an accurate way. Using fake profile pictures or offering false information in a dating app can be a major turn-off for anybody unlucky enough to discover the ruse. 

The job market is no different, and businesses should never lie about what the position entails, the qualifications candidates need to have, and the pay range/benefits.  

Also, backing up lofty job descriptions that celebrate company culture can appear more genuine if other employees at your business post about their work lives on social media. Of course, directly, or indirectly implying that employees are required to use their personal accounts for work is flirting with a form of highly problematic coercion. However, encouraging employees to post pics and videos if/when they feel comfortable doing so can go a long way towards attracting highly qualified candidates to your brand. 

Learn How to Position Your Employer Brand Today 

ProIQ is dedicated to finding targeted, cost-effective, and successful marketing solutions for companies looking to recruit. We understand the importance of targeting the right audiences and creating messaging that appeals to the candidate persona. 

To find out more about ProIQ (and how we could support your recruitment efforts), contact us here today. 

 
 

Topics: Recruitment Marketing Employer Branding
4 min read

3 Questions To Ask When Comparing Recruitment Advertising Agencies

By Alexandria Waltz on Sep 13, 2023 12:20:56 PM

Finding the right talent for critical roles can be extremely difficult. Conducting a job search (and identifying candidates that fit the needed qualifications) typically requires in-depth knowledge of the job market, awareness of current hiring trends, and experience developing effective strategies that actually result in applications.

Needless to say, most HR departments are simply not equipped to locate talent for high-demand roles. The average time to fill a vacancy without recruitment advertising agencies is 42 days. HR managers are often limited by the amount of resources they can allocate to candidate generation. They struggle with prioritizing recruitment with the slew of other duties assigned to their role. Luckily, that’s where recruitment advertising agencies come in.  

The Value of Recruitment Advertising Agencies

Recruitment advertising agencies improve candidate quality, are more cost-effective, and increase employee retention rates. Indeed, turnover remains one of the highest expenses for businesses with some reports placing revenue loss as high as $75,000 per month.

Knowing how to identify the right recruitment advertising agency for your needs, though, can feel a bit like finding a needle within a haystack of options. Here are 3 questions to ask when evaluating agencies and selecting the best match for your goals.

What industry(s) does the recruitment advertising agency specialize in? Not all recruitment advertising agencies have experience in your field. Look for organizations that have a proven track record within your specific industry and with the kind of jobs you need filled. For example, an agency’s website is an excellent place to learn what it specializes in. Landing pages, blog posts, case studies, and white papers are reliable “tells” of whether a particular agency might be an ideal overall fit.

Another option is to ask the agency for specific examples of the kind of marketing materials it typically creates. Many organizations will have sample designs and advertisement placements to show potential clients. This request can also ensure that the agency excels in the marketing channels you think are most effective for your target audience. It does you no good to promote open positions on LinkedIn when your candidate demographic prefers Facebook.

How is success measured? Before entering into any contracts, have an open discussion with the recruitment advertising agency to determine how it measures success. Key performance indicators (KPIs) differ by industry and position, so it’s critical to align them appropriately. Some key metrics to remember include:

  • Time to Fill. This metric measures the time it takes from posting a job opening to a candidate accepting an offer. Generally, you will be looking for recruitment advertising agencies that can contact, vet, and select candidates quicker than an in-house team could.
  • Cost per Hire. This value looks at the total cost involved in hiring a new employee. It includes everything that goes into the recruitment process, including advertising spend, administrative costs, and technology expense (for example, if specific recruitment software is used).
  • Candidate Satisfaction. Conducting a survey of successfully hired candidates can give you a good indication of whether the overall recruitment experience is a positive one. Similarly, requesting an agency to survey all generated candidates — whether they’re hired or not — can offer insight into procedural pain points and opportunities for improvement.
  • Employee Retention Rate. This number looks at the recruitment process from a more holistic standpoint. It specifically determines the percentage of new hires who remain with the company for a specified period of time (typically 12 months). A high retention rate indicates that the recruitment advertising agency is skilled at finding qualified candidates that are also a good fit for a company’s workplace culture.

Identifying metrics and benchmarks that adequately reflect your needs can help you pinpoint agencies that meet them. It also helps you keep third-party agencies accountable as the relationship develops over time.

What advertising strategies do you use to keep potential candidates engaged?

Knowing how a recruitment advertising agency approaches its marketing strategy is an easy way to tell if it is the right fit for your business. The ways in which an agency uses innovative tools and methods to attract high-quality talent can be a huge determining factor in whether your company stands out to candidates.

One factor in making this determination should be the agency’s technology use. Does the agency have experience posting on digital job boards, creating engaging social media posts, and editing videos? Also, identifying whether the recruitment advertising agency takes the same cookie-cutter approach to all its clients can be a major red flag. Tailoring marketing to the specific role in question allows agencies to meet individual candidates where they are and takes into account career stages, skill sets, and workplace preferences.

Finally, the overall candidate experience should reflect your company’s values and culture as well as offer a realistic view of job duties. Marketing strategies that blur these factors should be avoided. It’s not enough just to generate candidates; recruitment advertising agencies also need to attract quality talent that sticks around once an offer is extended.

Consider ProIQ For Your Recruitment Advertising Agency Needs

ProIQ has decades of experience in marketing, sales, data analytics, corporate strategy, and talent acquisition. As a recruitment advertising agency, we regularly develop unique digital solutions that speak directly to target audiences. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about our approach and how we can help your business grow.

 

Topics: Recruitment Marketing
7 min read

Why Social Media Recruitment for New Hires Is Important

By Alexandria Waltz on Mar 15, 2023 9:30:00 AM

Job recruitment isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days when hiring managers could rely on newspaper ads, cold calls, and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth to attract new job candidates. Instead, social media is now the dominant way that professionals network, find job opportunities, and highlight their skills and accomplishments.  

Before the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the process of finding and securing job candidates was still relatively simple. Recruitment options included:  

  • Posting openings on a digital job board. 
  • Encouraging individual candidates to apply via the company website or job page. 
  • Calling or emailing potential candidates and scheduling them for in-person interviews  

Now with online career fairs, video interviews, and virtual networking events added into the mix, the recruitment game has become much more nuanced and multi-faceted. Social media plays a key role in the new hiring process. 

What is social media recruitment? 

Social media recruitment refers to the process of using social media platforms to advertise jobs and identify candidates. With platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter boasting over 3.5 billion combined users, social media holds exciting potential for companies interested in recruiting skilled and unskilled talent.  

Recent studies have found that over 90% of surveyed companies already report using social media as a resource when hiring. Want to know if your candidate has any embarrassing photos out in the digital netherworld? Search for their name on Facebook and see what comes up. 

Similarly, Facebook and LinkedIn are the two dominant platforms that job seekers use for networking and portfolio-building. Candidates consistently post on job boards and in social groups when they are in the market for a new position or recently completed a certification. Taking your open job listings directly to these prospective hires is critical in an era when constant ads and updates threaten to overwhelm the average user. 

Social networks are a hub for the largest online repository of talent in the world, which is why it’s important for you as a recruiter or talent acquisition manager to not let them go to waste. For companies looking to navigate the opportunities and pitfalls of social media recruitment, here are some tips to keep in mind.  

Cast a wider digital net 

Most people in the market for a new job today are active on social media. If you want to get as many eyes on a job posting as possible, listing it on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can increase visibility and candidate applications by up to 50%. 

In addition, social media recruitment can also help you connect with a pool of higher-quality candidates. This is because job seekers who engage with employers via social media are likely to not only be tech savvy, but also up to date with the latest digital trends. For roles involving a fair amount of computer work, this skill is critical. 

Putting some dollars behind “hot jobs” on Facebook can also be an effective way to generate applicants quickly. Boosted posts and strategically targeted ads can get your job in front of the audience most likely to respond. It also helps you gather valuable information on the demographics and behaviors of your ideal candidate. 

Forge a personal connection 

When candidates apply for a job, they are not just searching for a way to pay the bills. They are seeking to build a relationship with their prospective employers before even accepting a new role. They want to get to know you as a person and determine if your organization is the right fit for them.  

With this insight in mind, you can use social media to resonate with candidates in a way that helps you stand out from other employers. Show them who you are and what makes you unique. Even if those candidates do not turn into actual employees right away, you will still have access to a community of talented people that will help your organization fill future roles.  

Get a 360-degree view of your candidates  

Selecting a candidate after weeks of vetting and interviews only to find out later that they weren’t right for the job is every hiring organization’s nightmare. While these missteps are bound to happen every once in a while you can avoid them by looking at your candidates’ Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter profiles to get a better idea of who they are as an individual and employee.  

This strategy has proven successful for recruiters in the past, with 61% of hiring managers finding information they didn’t like on a candidate’s social media account and 55% reconsidering the hire based on what they found.  

Running paid ads on social media gives you direct access to candidate accounts. Applicants will often use their personal social media profiles to apply (think LinkedIn “Easy Apply” options) and may even engage with a hiring ad via comments and likes. Tracing potential new hires back to their accounts in these cases is simple and a no-brainer for companies interested in long-term candidate retention. 

Develop your company’s workplace “brand” 

Regardless of the job description, candidates are more likely to accept a job (and stick around for a while) if they align with your company’s mission. Over the past few years, job seekers increasingly prioritize personal fulfillment and value alignment in their employment. In fact, a driver of the Great Resignation was the lack of perceived purpose candidates felt while at work.  

As such, it’s important that you harness the power of social media to build up your brand and create awareness of your organization as a fulfilling workplace whenever possible. Just like when marketing to customers, potential employees want to know what they’re getting by committing to you. That could include: 

  • Employee benefits like strong healthcare plans and 401(K) matching 
  • In-office rewards (i.e., free lunches or “take your dog to work” days) 
  • Remote or hybrid working opportunities 
  • Office culture and the ability for workers to network 
  • Volunteer initiatives and monetary donations supported by your organization 
  • Political stances and election support 

By making your brand’s mission statement, benefits, and values visible and top-of-mind to candidates, you will attract quality talent that tends to retain for longer periods of time. 

As hiring demands increase and competition for high-value talent skyrockets, forward-thinking companies are wisely planning staffing and recruitment strategies. This is the moment to act by connecting with high-quality candidates via social media recruiting.  

For more information on how to develop a social media recruitment strategy, contact ProIQ today. 

Topics: Recruitment Marketing Social Media Marketing