Following research from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported a record number of construction job openings in their June update. As more jobs become available with fewer candidates entering the job market and the “silver tsunami” creating a skills gap, the war for talent intensifies.
So how does a company develop its talent pipeline to compete with other job opportunities? What are the incentives for your current team to stay loyal to your company and brand? Just as a home buyer holds distinct home purchasing motivations (location, safety, status, value, etc.), an employee’s motives can also be individualized. Using the principles of RevOps to frame the functional, economic, and psychological benefits of employees, your employee branding can be identified and strategic recruitment marketing can begin.
Employee branding isn’t a deviation from your company’s overall branding, rather it is internal marketing. As mentioned in The RevOps Revolution: A manifesto for creating a cycle of value, “employees are your company’s first customers. Your leadership, management, and staff at all levels are at the heart of your organization.” Transferring the “employee = customer” approach to your recruitment marketing should be a seamless reaction as you look to grow your team. As candidates examine your brand and company based on values, it is imperative their experience with your employee branding and recruiting tools is accurate and engaging.
Showcasing your employee brand on your career page, recruitment sites, and social media is the first step in tactically positioning yourself in the recruitment process. Helping a potential candidate see a “day in the life” of your organization begins with auditing your content and enhancing your recruitment marketing. Your recruitment marketing content is your candidate's chance to “interview” you through the information they receive from your website, social media, and other brand interactions. So, let’s make that first impression a good one:
Careers Page
When it comes to recruitment marketing, a simple listing of open positions on a career subpage will do little in the way of converting a site visitor into a job candidate. While job listings and descriptions are important, look for other ways to connect with job seekers through images, videos, or employee testimonials on your website’s career page. We want to attract highly qualified candidates with high expectations and standards. Including company values, vision, culture, and personal content on your career page will appeal to strong candidates or even convert a site visitor to look further into opportunities with your brand over their current position. This page serves as your cover letter and resume.
To give these elements meaning, consider the careers page at HubSpot. Their “Let’s grow together” language immediately establishes a connection with site visitors, showing their intention as an employer. As you navigate through the career landing page, HubSpot addresses additional employee motivations in a direct and transparent fashion. With opportunities to begin a career search or explore the company culture further, HubSpot’s career page keeps the virtual recruitment process as personal as possible with testimonials, videos from current employees, and identification of any objections.
Blog Posts
Blogs are a great opportunity to attract new visitors to your website and generate leads, as well as build your talent pipeline. Extremely flexible in theme and purpose, your blog content can vary between industry knowledge, the company “News & Press,” and employee branding. Showcasing your employees and the work they do will not only create strides in retaining and validating employees but also exemplify your company culture. Linking specific blog posts on your career page is a great way to get more mileage out of your content and have a candidate dive deeper into understanding your company’s values and dynamics.
Social Media
Similar to what was mentioned in the blog, highlighting employees—their achievements, promotions, and events—on social media, can convey the value you place on your current team. Posts of this nature also give a potential candidate a “preview” of a day in the life of your organization. Utilizing social media is a simple and effective way to promote your employee brand and reach a larger audience. Your talent pool may be hiding in plain sight.
Events
The best and brightest are attracted to companies that have a mission, social values, and culture that’s aligned with their personal beliefs and values. Getting involved with sponsorship opportunities through an event at the local or industry level can be a great place to be a brand ambassador and start the recruitment process in person; plus, you will get third-party brand exposure.
Whether you’re a midsize company looking to grow, or a large organization ready to expand internationally, utilizing the principles of RevOps and aligning your recruitment marketing with your internal brand will go a long way to engage your organization in the mind of prospective employees, leading to efficient hiring. Finding resources, time, and talent to focus on your employee branding can be a challenge as marketing expertise and a new perspective is required to integrate a strong recruitment marketing solution. We can help—we’d love to learn more about your challenges and goals. Our team can help improve and define your employee brand and create a path for your recruitment marketing to excel. Reach out to us today to get started.
