Most companies open the door only to those who want to apply for a job. If the potential candidate cannot find the right job there is no real alternate to keep the conversation going, so they leave the website to find friendlier environs. However, in today’s world of more productive communication methods, any company should be able to start building a relationship with these valuable candidates who have already shown a level of interest in the company.
Recruiters will pretty much agree that about 20% of the workforce is actively looking for a job. This “low hanging fruit” is the primary target (maybe the only target) of most recruiter’s efforts with a job posting, search engine marketing, print advertising and more.
Successful recruiters extend their reach beyond that active job-seeking audience that everyone is pursuing. Those recruiters know that 60% of the workforce would take a job if the right offer came along. Now you have expanded your target audience by three times. Sure, they might need a little more time to get to know your company as an employer before they actually apply, but a strong Candidate Relationship Building program will move them from passive to applicant.
So what are the steps to a strong program?
1) Offer opportunities for individuals to keep in touch on EVERYTHING…your website…your postings…your e-cards…your collateral materials.
2) Store the contact information in a database and parse it to form talent communities so that the information you are sharing is relevant to the readers.
3) Content is king. So set a schedule of communications like:
• E-cards
• E-Newsletters
• Videos
• Microsites
As the economy improves and candidates become increasingly scarce, a strong candidate relationship management program will be essential to your recruiting success. So whatever you do as a recruiter, make sure you keep the door open.
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