Do you really think about your company brand or corporate strategy when you post an open job to an online board? Sure, you focus on what the job posting says and which boards to post it on, but what is the main reason for posting that job?
Is it to quickly get the job posting onto the Internet and get the most qualified candidate hired? If you take that basic philosophy, then you are missing the value that corporate branding brings to e-cruiting.
Companies worldwide spend billions of dollars on creating brand recognition for their company and products in order to attract customers and potential business partners. Yet how many make recruiting part of their overall corporate strategy, let alone part of their branding campaigns?
Those companies that do include recruiting in their corporate strategy and branding campaigns are the ones that ultimately win the best talent in the marketplace.
Here are a few items to consider when combining Internet recruiting and branding.
Integrate your corporate brand in all job postings. Look at your current job postings on the Internet. Do they carry a consistent message about your company, or do they just describe a job?
All of your job postings on the Internet should have the same look and feel that incorporates the company tag line, logo and colors.
Utilize simple banner ads. If you are a very conservative company, trying to use flashy banners may attract someone who will not be happy once he or she accepts a job.
Look at your process from the job-seeker perspective. If a job-seeker does not hear from your company within a week of submitting a resume, there is a good chance he or she may assume you don’t value employees.
Make sure you have a process in place to contact that person quickly and often through the decision process. Many job boards and other companies offer services to help you do so.
Allow the prospect to learn more. All job postings should direct the potential employee back to the corporate Web site after he or she has submitted a resume.
If you can get a prospective employee to spend time on your Web site, the company brand becomes even more ingrained.
Sell your company, not the job. Job-seekers won’t apply to a posting that sounds like an annual report. Make it sound like going to work for any other company would be a mistake — that the only true happiness for work lies within your company.
Don’t do any false advertising. Be honest about the corporate strategy and vision. That way, when you do hire someone, that person will be the best person because he or she knows upfront what to expect.
The best employees are those who buy into and support the overall corporate strategy and brand image. Creating a marketing campaign that incorporates the company vision around your Internet recruiting strategy can help in attracting the best and brightest from the employee prospect pool.
Just as you are trying to select the person with the best fit for the job, that person is trying to select the company with the right fit for his or her future. When there is a true match, both sides will benefit. Jeff Dahltorp ([email protected]) is the director of marketing and business development for TruStar Solutions, the leader in creating exceptional hiring strategies. He is a regular contributor to notable human resource industry publications such as HR.com and Electronic Recruiting Exchange and Online Recruiting Magazine. He has spoken at industry specific trade shows such as IMRA; CUPA; NRA; NACE and IHRIM on the topic of Internet recruiting practices. Reach him at (317) 813-0346.
