RPO & StaffingTalent Acquisition

Keeping Job Seekers Engaged

Companies can advance their recruiting strategies by communicating their culture and brand through online tools.

By Marta Chmielowicz

An employer’s reputation and brand are key factors that draw in top talent -and in today’s digital world, it is more important than ever that companies leverage online tools to communicate what makes them unique and attractive.

In fact, ManpowerGroup’s The Rise of the Well-Informed Candidate study shows that 58 percent of global job seekers feel that employer brand is more important now than it was five years ago, but only 28 percent report having the brand information they need before submitting an application. When 75 percent of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job, according to LinkedIn’s Employer Brand Statistics, neglecting to communicate culture can significantly impact talent attraction. And the gap poses another major risk: When organizations do not weave their own narrative, the online talent marketplace is likely to do it for them.

Luckily, social media provides a meaningful opportunity for companies to highlight everything that makes them special. LinkedIn reports that 52 percent of candidates seek out employer brand information via the company’s website and its social media profiles to understand what it is like to work there.

So how can HR leaders make sure that their online presence reflects the culture of the organization? Two best practices are key:

  1. Monitor social media presence. Sixty-eight percent of HR professionals agree that social professional networks are one of the most effective tools to spread awareness about employer brand. In addition, half of all professionals follow companies on social media with the intent to stay aware of open positions. This means that companies now have to actively manage their social media presence, posting informative content, engaging with followers, and sharing insider knowledge about life at the organization. Rather than being promotional, shared content should strive to deliver value to readers -and all comments should be responded to quickly to highlight the company’s voice.
  1. Get current employees involved. According to LinkedIn, the number one obstacle candidates encounter when applying for jobs is not knowing what it is like to work at an organization. HR leaders can combat this by highlighting the voices and stories of current employees, leveraging brand ambassadors to deliver an unfiltered window into daily life at the organization while communicating information about the business, brand, and team in an authentic and relatable way. Since job seekers trust employees three times more than companies to provide credible and honest feedback about company culture, this approach is more likely to result in better recruitment outcomes.

Organizations that are able to successfully implement an online branding strategy will see a number of bottom line results:

  • Twenty-eight percent reduction in turnover rates.
  • Fifty percent reduction in cost-per-hire.
  • Fifty percent more qualified candidates.
  • One to two percent faster time to hire.

For many, these numbers can equate to millions of dollars in savings and reduced time-to-hire, delivering a competitive advantage that is hard to beat.

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Tags: RPO & Staffing, Talent Acquisition

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