Wondering what it takes to create a successful recruitment marketing program after COVID? This post walks you through becoming what candidates are looking for.
Over the past year, employees and employers have started to see many changes to the work world. The pandemic severely impacted the way we do business and how we interact with employees. As we think about the future of work, we can’t put certain job changes behind us that helped us thrive during the pandemic. Many organizations have gotten better at transparency, stability and flexibility. These organizational traits should be a part of your day-to-day life Post-COVID.
What Matters to Candidates in a Post-COVID World?
Many organizations have experienced a ton of growth in 2020. As we consider what life will look like post-COVID, here are some things candidates will care about that you should consider adding to your organizational culture.
Transparency
One of the major challenges employers had during the pandemic was a lack of transparency. Many employees didn’t realize that their organization needed layoffs until their job was on the cutting room floor. You must communicate with your team, so they know what you’re thinking at all times. After a rough year of uncertainty, employees value all the transparency you can give them.
Stability
According to IBM, 34 percent of employees expect organizational stability. Stability gives your employees peace of mind, and this was extremely important during the pandemic because we saw so many layoffs. These changes impacted both workers within organizations that implemented layoffs and the millions of employed Americans who didn’t see layoffs in their organizations.
The pandemic underscored how fragile the job market could be, so many employees want their organizations to be as stable as possible.
Flexibility
Growmotely conducted a survey of full-time employees in 2020. From this data, they concluded that 74 percent of employees expect remote work to be the standard from now on. Working professionals expect companies to continue supporting remote workers and allowing employees to work where they see fit.
How to Market Your Employer Brand to Meet These Needs
So, now that we know what employees are looking for, let’s discuss how to market your employer brand. Successful recruitment marketing is all about highlighting what makes your organization a great place to work.
It’s important to take a step back and ensure that your communication matches your reality. If candidates are sold a dream, they’ll quickly wake up during their first few months in your organization.
Create Transparency in Job Descriptions and Company Communication
Transparency is crucial in today’s workplace. Potential employees want to know what working with your company is all about. They want to feel like they have all the information to judge your organization fairly. If you can provide transparency throughout the recruiting process, you will find much more loyal applicants.
Job Descriptions
One of the first ways you can create transparency is through the job description. The best job descriptions paint a picture of what it will be like to work at your company. You want candidates to walk away from the description knowing exactly what they’ll get. Even if you can’t offer them what they need, they’ll be happy to know that up front.
Here are just a few things that your organization can add to job descriptions to make them more transparent:
- Salary information (A salary range is fine if you can’t pinpoint an exact number)
- Benefits
- Day in the life videos
- Diversity statistics (percentage of women, people of color, etc.)
Company Communication
After a candidate has applied to an opening, you have to keep them informed about their application. You lose out on talent when you aren’t keeping company communication top of mind. We hear a lot about candidates ghosting employers, but it happens the other way around, too. Many candidates experienced employers who drop off during the initial conversations or the interview stage.
Company communication must remain consistent and timely. It can be easy to write off candidates and not say a word, but that impacts your organization (especially if you are recruiting from a small area). Use automation to your benefit. Create automated touchpoints that interact with candidates and keep your organization top of mind while you go through job applications.
Looking for more examples of transparency at work? Read this article from Front to help you brainstorm workplace transparency ideas.
Get Tenured Employees to Share Their Experiences
Your employees are your best asset when it comes to successful recruitment marketing. They know what it’s really like to work in your organization, and they can be your best cheerleader.
Encourage Glassdoor Reviews
Glassdoor is probably one of the most important recruitment tools you have. If you have a great page with a ton of reviews from employees, you can begin to attract a lot of talent. Encourage your employees to leave reviews and be honest about their time at your organization. Make sure that you review Glassdoor often for ways you can improve and what your organization excels at.
Add Videos and Quotes from Employees to Your “Careers” Page
One tactical way to use employees is to encourage them to write about why they love your organization or film a quick video testimonial. You can easily add those videos and quotes to your website and showcase what it’s like to work at your organization.
Highlight the Flexibility-Focused Programs You Have in Place
Lastly, you want to highlight any programs at your organization that help you provide flexibility. Even as we enter a post-COVID world, employees still expect some amount of flexibility and remote work. You’ll want to let your potential employees know that you value this as much as the next employer.
If you have policies around the issues highlighted below, it’s time to showcase them in your employer brand marketing:
- Hybrid/remote workforce
- Maternity/Paternity leave
- Lines of communication with supervisors
Conclusion
The world of work has changed. As we consider recruitment marketing in a post-COVID world, we have to think about how transparency, stability and flexibility will impact our work. As an organization, you can lead the way for people in your community and industry. What we covered today should be the norm for companies. How will you make these ideas a priority in your company?