How to leverage content marketing to recruit a great team
Could your recruiting team benefit from some great content?
Talent acquisition teams are in tight competition to attract and retain key employees. A list of top-tier benefits, wellness programs, and free snacks no longer serves as a differentiator. Today, talent acquisition teams need to help recruits see themselves as vibrant participants -- and future leaders -- in the company culture.
How can recruiting teams find content that tells the story of the culture? Look to marketing! But before you swing by the CMO's office, get a short list of the key messages you want to resonate with new recruits. How can you find these messages? Look to the key tenets, or core values of your company.
The Keys to Success: Content to Support the Key Tenets of Your Company
What are the key tenets of your organization? Chances are these words or phrases are stated on your recruiting or “careers” web page, but not used anywhere else. You might also see them identified as "Core Principles", "Shared Values" or "Client Commitments." Keep these messages handy. When it's time to mine the marketing content for your recruiting efforts, you'll want to make sure that what you borrow matches the message you want to send for recruiting.
Know Why Talented People Want to Work for You
Why would a talented person want to work for you? Create a list of the great things that you offer. This is not limited to benefits like 401(k). For example, the size of your company is a factor for talented recruits, whether your company is large or small. Own it and embrace it as a differentiator.
There are probably more great reasons why a talented person would want to work for you. Think back to the key tenets of your organization. Can you point to programs or initiatives that support those key tenets?
Your list may look a bit haphazard. There may be a few one-line items and a few one-page items. Can you find 3-5 strong differentiators? Focus your efforts on creating eye-popping graphics or other visually-appealing ways to capture those differentiators quickly and succinctly.
Star Employees Shine as Recruiting Ambassadors
Create content that shows off your company culture. Who are some of the best people to feature in this content? Your employees!
Do you have a star employee (or two)? Ask your employee to share her story. An on-camera interview can be a great way to let your star shine. If your best employee is camera-shy, consider asking someone to interview her and write an article about her experience with your company.
It's important to highlight the types of employees that you want to attract. The recruit should be able to see herself in the same shoes as your employee. She can see how happy and successful your employee is, and want the same things for herself.
The View from the Top
According to the Deloitte Millennial Survey, 56 percent of millennials have “ruled out ever working for a particular organization because of its values or standard of conduct.” Talented people want to work for a company that shares their values. Show recruits the values that your company holds dear. These may be reflected in your key tenets. Can you elaborate on each tenet to demonstrate your values? Better yet, can your CEO do it on-camera?
Repurpose Your Case Studies as Opportunities for Exciting Work
The compelling stories that help clients see how you can solve problems can pull double duty for recruiting. Reframe your best case studies to show talented recruits the exciting work they could do at your company.
Remember that your audience is different for recruiting. You’ll save lots of time in repurposing, but don’t forget to reframe the content so it speaks to your talent pool.
Is your recruiting team ready to leverage content marketing to win top talent? Send me a note and let’s get started!