The growing need for companies to secure their hires in the least expensive way possible is driving them to integrate Marketing into their hiring process.

The analogy between candidates and customers may have its limits, but there is no question that certain profiles need special attention.

Many digital marketing practices can be effectively used by recruiters. Here are eight:

1 - Delivering on the promise

In marketing, a promise (also known as Unique Selling Proposition) is a fundamental part of a brand's positioning. It must match customer expectations and be unique so as not to confuse the message.

This theory could be transferred to recruiting by focusing your employer brand communication on what really differentiates you from other employers.

To do this, you can rely on feedback from your current employees to take stock of what really makes you special.

As an example, the company Sodebo, based in the Vendée region, has successfully attracted talent eager to find good working conditions "in the countryside"!

2 - The quiet strength of employer branding

It wasn't long ago that the recruiter could be likened to a product manager in charge of promoting his or her job ads.

Now, candidates have direct access to online information about your company and have a real demand for transparency.

As for your reputation as an employer, know that even if you don't do anything, you'll get one (thanks Glassdoor !).

Add to that, most candidates will not be satisfied with the information in your job description but will want to know  the work environment or atmosphere they might encounter, the personalities of other employees, the company culture, etc.

This is comparable to the work done to enhance a commercial brand, with its share of reality and its share of dream (which is called storytelling).

A company that recruits has a story and offers to share values. These are the new axes of communication employer branding.

3 - Valuing the proposed position

This is the equivalent of price for a marketed product or more accurately "pricing." If Apple can sell its iPhones for 30% to 40% more than Samsung smartphones, it is because consumers value the former more than the latter.

What is the position worth to the candidate? Salary is certainly a primary factor, but there are many other selection criteria. 

Candidates are now sensitive to the autonomy that a position allows, in terms of responsibilities or prospects for evolution (including abroad).

In addition to earning a living, they want to increase the value of their profile and will want to know if you encourage ongoing training to maintain their employability, or if you are adopting modern managerial approaches.

Investing in enhancing the profiles of your candidates will give you a powerful negotiating lever outside of the simple salary issue.

4 - Effective use of content

The numbers speak for themselves : Content Marketing is the most effective way to attract customers in the 21st century.

Similar action to attract candidates goes by the name of Inbound Recruiting.

Depending on the types of profiles you are targeting (candidate persona) and their maturity in the recruiting cycle, you will offer content addressing different topics.

For a really good profile that had never considered coming to your company, it can help them realize that they might find it better with you than where they are.

For an active candidate, your content will offer valuable guidance to support them and help them get the most out of themselves.
By tailoring the content you produce to the actual needs of your candidates, you increase your chances of bringing in top talent.

5 - The event to generate interest

To attract candidates, it is not enough to bet everything on digital: physical interactions are necessary for a good candidate-experience. 

You can do this by organizing events like job dating sessions for candidates to meet professionals from your company. Some companies even organize "safaris" in their premises to go and meet their staff!

One silly thing: offer them delicious appetizers, they will certainly appreciate it and talk about it!

6 - From user experience (UX) to candidate experience

According to a survey conducted by CareerArc, nearly 3 out of 4 candidates share their bad candidate experience online (on Glassdoor for example) or with those closest to them. 

This means that if you don't address the lived experience of your candidates, you may lose a lot of opportunities to recruit good profiles!

Candidates are demanding and rightfully so.

For example, a derelict career site with no fresh content and full of bugs (you've got a few examples here) can scare away dozens of potential candidates. 

The candidate experience also involves a requirement for transparency that extends to the recruitment stage.

In fact, the candidate must be able to understand your recruitment process, know where they stand at all times, and most importantly, have clear and timely feedback on their performance.

For this, the tools of Marketing Automation can be very useful!

7 -Employer Brand Ambassadors

Your employees may be your best recruiters.

If you allow them to testify about their daily work lives, you have some really interesting content for your future candidates. And above all, don't format their speech with unnecessary communication authenticity is required for this type of approach.

Another way to use your employees is to have them sponsor students, who can join you once they graduate. 

8 - The effective use of social networks

Who would question the power of social networks?

These are essential communication channels for all types of audiences, starting with candidates (passive or not).

Well used thanks to Inbound Recruiting, they enable a talent pipeline from relational sourcing.

Networks will also be relevant for communicating your employer brand over the long term.

Conclusion: get the Inbound Marketing experts on board!

If you want to implement an ambitious and effective strategy to attract talent, don't hesitate to surround yourself with marketing experts, and in particular with Inbound Marketing.

They have tested their methods on a client target and will have no difficulty adapting their knowledge to a candidate target, working hand in hand with your recruiters!

NB : ce post est tiré de cet article publié dans Forbes par Grégory Herbé.