Recruitment Marketing – How You Can Help Fill the Talent Pipeline

Recruitment marketing is a hot topic on everyone’s mind. At the recent Illinois Society for Healthcare Marketing and PR (ISHMPR) and the Wisconsin Healthcare PR and Marketing Society (WHPRMS) annual conferences, Chartwell was able to connect with friends in healthcare to hear firsthand some of the most pressing issues facing marketing departments. While representation was varied with professionals from specialty care clinics to critical access hospitals, and mid-sized community hospitals to large regional health systems, one thing was certain – everyone is looking for quality talent!

Healthcare organizations aren’t alone. The “Great Resignation” has impacted almost every industry and created a job-seekers market. HR departments are struggling to fill their talent pipelines, and turning to marketing to help generate interest, cultivate best-fit candidates, and drive qualified applicants to take action. The need for targeted recruitment marketing has added another to-do for marketers, so here are three tips to inspire others to join your team.

Tip #1: Recruit to “Passive Job Seeker”

According to an article published by HR Cloud, 73% of job seekers are passive, meaning they are not actively looking for a job, but could be inspired to make a change if the right opportunity presented itself. Marketing to the passive job seeker is about building a brand awareness of your organization, its impact, and corporate culture. Marketers should have a clear brand promise that speaks to the employee experience and culture-centric communication platforms to share that story. And as a bonus, while you may be focused on highlighting what it’s like to work in your organization, customers also find value in your corporate culture and values.

Tip #2: Inform Efforts with Data

Recruitment marketing is a funnel just like any other lead-generation activity. Moving a qualified prospect through the funnel requires an investment and tracking the ROI of that investment informs future strategies. Just imagine if you could turn to your C-Suite and say, “Based on our historical data, we’ll need 60,000 clicks to generate 4,000 applications and 250 hires, assuming our apply-to-hire ratio is consistent. Our average cost-per-click has hovered around $.80, so we’ll need a digital budget of $48,000 for the year to meet these hiring goals.” The power of data! Marketers need to collaborate with their colleagues in HR to track the necessary data and even merge resources (budget and staff) to be effective.

Tip #3: Involve Your Employees in a Referral Program

Most organizations have the best recruitment marketing tool: their current employees. Applicants originating from an employee referral typically take 29 days to become new hires, which is down from 39 days and 55 days when that applicant comes from job boards or career sites, respectively. Who better to recruit “right fit” candidates than those who understand your mission, culture, and expectations? Employees can better recruit talent that will not only be able to perform well but who also have a higher likelihood of staying with your organization. Who doesn’t want to work with their friends? When you involve your employees in a referral program, you put the recruitment marketing message in the hands of authentic, motivated ambassadors of your organization

Recruitment is a challenge for most organizations, and the trend isn’t slowing anytime soon. If you need assistance framing a marketing plan for your talent acquisition needs or just need some extra support while you find the right-fit candidate, give us a call!