The role of an HR is a versatile one – recruitment training, talent engagement, culture maintenance, employee liaise – but also, a lesser-known one: marketing. Namely, the responsibility of an HR no longer comes down to job postings and candidate selection; no, the tables have turned, and candidates are the ones in charge. It’s no longer about choosing the ideal person to fill the position, it’s about marketing that position so that the right person chooses to come to you.
Now more than ever, recruitment professionals rely on technology and digitalization to market the open position and make an offer a top talent will not be able to refuse. Modern HR professionals are, evidently, expected to possess certain marketing qualities and need to familiarize themselves with marketers’ tricks of the trade if they wish to win the recruitment game.
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Online reputation management
More than 80% of recruiters felt like last year, the labor market was 100% candidate-driven, and it seems this trend will continue through 2017 as well. The majority of HR professionals claim there is a lack of skilled candidates in the market, and as a result, candidates who are aware of their qualities decided to use this situation to their advantage.
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It’s no longer about people tweaking their resumes to appeal to potential employers – employers are the ones who should be continually working on their online reputation to ensure the top talent chooses them instead of your competitors. It is essential that you research what public is saying about your company in the online world and see how it might affect a potential candidate’s choice to come and work for you.
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Social Media Interaction
While on the subject of online reputation, it is important to mention the role of social media. With almost 70% of people who claim they’ve found their current jobs via Facebook, it is obvious that a company has to focus its attention on building a positive image on different social media platforms.
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Now, as there are 2.46 billion social network users worldwide, chances are – your next employee is among them. Social media allows employers and recruiters to reach and find talent on a wider scale, and market open positions strategically. Posting a job on Facebook enables you to place your offer in front of best candidates for the position. Furthermore, social channels are a great place to communicate with people in real time, answer their questions about the work and your company instantly, as well as receive valuable feedback.
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LinkedIn Opportunities
Note that you should pay special attention to LinkedIn, a platform which gathers all business professionals and job seekers in one place. Thanks to its absolute transparency, this social network is a goldmine for any recruitment team looking for prospective candidates. It provides a full view of their experiences, skills, and qualifications, making it easier to determine whether someone is fit or not for the open position or not. LinkedIn has also simplified the entire recruitment process since it enables you to clearly outline the job specifications and automatically places your ad in front of best possible candidates.
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Quality Website
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For 21st century marketers, a website is the cornerstone of their digital strategies. The same goes for modern recruiters – a website represents an information hub for new and existing talents. It has to showcase company news and is expected to reflect current employment trends. Many decide to employ a reputable SEO company to ensure ethical online marketing strategies are implemented, and job seekers are able to easily find the latest openings. It’s important to focus your SEO efforts primarily on keyword research and analysis in order to determine the most relevant phrases for your company website. Next, comes strategic keyword placement, alongside re-optimization of your metadata.
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HR and Marketing Alignment
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In most cases, HR department represents the first point of contact a candidate has with a business, and it is essential that your company’s marketing efforts reflect in certain elements of job listings (for instance, mission statement, description of your business and/or corporate overviews). This will prevent you from sending mixed and unclear messages which, more often than not, put off those who consider applying for the open position and send them off to your competitors.
At the end of the day, combining HR and marketing does not only benefit from the recruitment aspect but has a positive effect on a company’s marketing efforts in general. Proper alignment of these two niches will boost brand reputation, social media engagement, overall company image, and much more.
Slowly but surely, the thin line between marketing and HR is blurring, and we expect to see the growing need for marketing in the recruitment process in the future.
