When it comes to recruiting, businesses need to be as strategic about marketing employment opportunities as they are about the very goods or services that they sell.

In an ever-evolving world of technology and exponential growth in the use of social media, many businesses are rapidly moving towards posting job openings solely via online resources while others continue to rely on more traditional methods (ie. newspapers). In developing a recruitment marketing strategy, the primary question should not be “which method should we use?”, but rather “Where are the job seekers – our potential market- looking?”

According to a survey of college students conducted by AfterCollege* in 2009, the top source for career information was Online Job Boards (72%) followed by School Career Fairs (60%), Employer Career Websites (56%), Newspapers (29%), Blogs (12%) and Social Networking Sites, ie. Facebook or LinkedIn (11%). In addition, the study also found that 63% of students sought career information by speaking to someone at the employer of interest and 60% spoke to friends/family members.

Although the survey indicates that online job boards are the most popular resource, using a variety of advertising methods will ensure that you reach a wider audience. When developing a recruitment marketing strategy, here are a few key points to consider:

1.      Focus on the job.   Advertise positions using the medium where potential candidates qualified for that specific type of job are likely to be searching. For example, while it may prove effective to advertise for an experienced trades person on Craigs list or in the newspaper those resources many not be the most appropriate for posting a senior executive position.

2.      Free is not always better. Free online job boards (www.jobbank.gc.ca, www.craigslist.com, www.usedvictoria.com, www.bestjobsca.com while easily accessible, may not always the most effective; it greatly depends on the specific job and target market. You may want to consider using www.working.com, www.bcjobnetwork.com, www.monster.ca, www.hcareers.ca or www.workopolis.ca amongst others that charge a fee to post positions.

3.      Communicate a strong employer brand. An employer brand tells potential candidates what it is like to work for your company. Invest as much time in designing advertising messages for recruitment as you would for your product or service, then ensure that it is consistently portrayed in all of your recruitment marketing initiatives.

Hiring the wrong employee can cost the employer up to 2.5 times that person’s salary. Recruiting is a process that, if not approached strategically, can waste valuable time and resources. Knowing where your potential job seekers are looking, employing a variety of advertising methods and incorporating a strong employer brand are all important factors to consider when developing an effective recruitment marketing strategy.