How to Choose the Best Recruitment Strategy For Your Company

Two strategies have been around for a long time and are starting to gain recognition as traditional recruitment is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of Canadian companies. 

One way to stand out from other employers is to develop a talent attraction strategy. Also known as HR marketing, this approach considers candidates as customers and re-structures recruitment tools, presentations to candidates and means of communication throughout your recruitment.

It is no secret that the population aged 15 to 64 is declining. And this trend will continue until 2030! 

So while we’re on the topic of continuous recruitment, why not start an employer branding strategy? 

Let’s compare two increasingly popular strategies to confirm which option best suits your needs in the long term.

The most used recruitment tool is the job posting. This posting often contains an overall presentation of the company, a list of employee benefits and a text accompanying the posting (mainly for social networks). 

The accompanying text should be short while still intriguing the targeted candidates. Easier said than done! Indeed, this short message requires copywriting that will appeal to the people your posting is targeting. Of course, to know whom to target and how to approach them, you must create personas.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, add visuals to your message. I always recommend choosing a smiling photo of a worker so that readers want to be in that person’s shoes, meaning in your company. Better yet, involve your employees by using pictures of them at work.

Next is the posting itself. Unfortunately, the posting and the job description are often incorrectly perceived. A job description is an internal tool that allows the person hired or about to be hired to have a detailed list of their tasks and responsibilities. On the other hand, the posting must stand out by giving an overview of the daily life of the future employee. Of course, this includes an overview of the primary responsibilities. Often, this list looks like a “grocery list”: long, cold and devoid of passion.

Instead, write your posting as if talking directly to the perfect candidate. Describe the day-to-day life of the person joining your team, highlighting who and what projects they will be working with, the skills that will ensure their success on the team, and the knowledge that will allow them to build a career with your company. The posting must reflect the reality of filling the position without false promises.

A job posting is an opportunity to describe the position to the right candidates and present yourself as an employer who stands out from the crowd. 

There’s no better way to connect with someone than to have common interests. That’s why it’s important to share your company values and encourage people who share them to apply!

In addition to salary and benefits, employees are looking for a place where they can grow over time and be recognized for their work in a caring management environment. Is this true for you? Be sure to highlight that in your postings!

(And throughout the year in your internal newsletter and social networks!)

You’re wasting your time if you rely solely on traditional recruitment methods. 

A 20-foot “We’re Hiring” banner on your building or one of the hundreds of ads on a specialized site won’t be enough to get the right people. Let’s face it: you can’t afford to train people who won’t stay with the company. So you have to be seen and known by suitable candidates. To do that, you have to be where they are!

Find out who is using the different social media channels so you can adapt your presence and message to the age and profile of your target audience. Of course, you’ll need to demonstrate your company culture at all times, not just when you have posts to fill. It takes time, but it’s a worthwhile investment.

Attracting customers is good for business, but so is attracting candidates! Whether your target audience is Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, or LinkedIn users, these platforms offer targeted ad campaign options that allow you to attract dozens, if not hundreds, of people who match your criteria and business values.

We all know that employees’ priorities and aspirations have changed dramatically and that the current situation will last for years. Therefore, you need to adapt and change the way you recruit today!

Article written by Julie Weber, HR Marketing and Employer Brand Strategist

Julie has an atypical and varied professional background. Dynamic, creative and passionate about marketing in all its forms, she specializes in content strategy, HR marketing and employer branding. She advocates teamwork and expertise diversity.