The hiring strategies of yesterday aren’t going to cut it; it’s time to get a little creative. Amid economic uncertainty, the influx of gen Z into the workforce and myriad of other reasons, job-seeker expectations around the hiring process are shifting.
As the founder and CEO of recruitment marketing agency HireClix, Neil Costa is well-versed in this changing climate. His solution? Change along with it. Embracing a pivot, like developing a competitive employer brand, or vamping up your careers website, can make all the difference.
Costa spoke with StrategicCHRO360 to share how HR leaders can help their C-Suite build the employer brand to attract key talent, and other creative strategies for hiring.
How do you foresee the role of employer branding evolving due to changing expectations from job-seekers?
As job-seekers’ expectations continue to expand, it will be essential for companies to adapt to this highly competitive landscape with equally competitive offerings and a new level of authenticity. Though benefits and priorities may change over time, to attract top talent, one thing remains blatantly clear: A strong employer brand is a deciding factor for prospective employees.
Not to be confused with company culture or employee engagement, employer branding is more so about creating awareness of what the employer offers to employees and helps entice job-seekers to want to work for the company. With employer branding ads, organizations can ensure their employee value proposition is communicated to potential candidates.
Building and defining an employer brand is a meaningful way to exemplify company values, which can help your company stand out and explicitly showcase why they are different from others in similar geographies or industries.
How do periods of economic uncertainty impact hiring?
Driven by the desire for heightened job security and stability amid looming economic uncertainty, individuals may become more cautious about their employment prospects. This results in a phenomenon similar to “nesting,” where people prioritize securing their financial well-being in anticipation of potential turbulence ahead.
For businesses, this will exacerbate the need to offer competitive compensation packages and emphasize long-term stability in their recruitment efforts. Jobseekers may be extra diligent about aligning themselves with organizations that match their values. In this instance, a strong EVP and campaign around employer branding demonstrates the effort of a highly attractive employer to successfully navigate the dynamic landscape of talent acquisition.
How can companies get creative with hiring if they’re struggling to fill positions?
Amid talent shortages, changing job-seeker expectations and a dynamic economy, there are various reasons employers may be struggling to fill positions. Adopting creative recruitment advertising strategies could be the change needed to reel in top candidates.
A simple, but effective method is moving beyond traditional job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed and ZipRecruiter to meet people where they already spend most of their time—consumer media platforms. Showcasing a strong employer brand on platforms like YouTube, Reddit and TikTok is the key to unlocking new avenues to attract active and passive job-seekers, while being able to target key geographies and improve consumer engagement versus waiting until they take the time to visit a job board.
Another aspect for employers to consider is what skills they’re missing from a talent perspective. Instead of upholding more traditional methods of sourcing talent, get creative by tapping into new segments of the labor market based on skills available in the workforce.
Many organizations who already realize they need to get creative in talent acquisition are thinking about skills and potential when they look at new candidates versus waiting for the perfect resume. Forward-thinking businesses are also proactively exploring talent in historically undervalued margins of the workforce.
For example, we’re witnessing more programs creating safe environments to support workers based on their age, disability and/or background. Some organizations are also embracing second-chance hiring for candidates with criminal records in a way that makes sense for their organization and their customers. Ultimately, these actions can give businesses an advantage because they are integrating unique, and often untapped talent and perspectives.
What role do career sites play in the candidate experience process?
Oftentimes, the first place prospective candidates engage with potential employers is their career site, so this would be the best place to start to fortify an employer branding strategy. If career sites are outdated or cumbersome, this could negatively impact the candidate’s experience, turning away any prospects before they decide to take the next step in the process. In fact, around 50 percent of millennials and gen Z job-seekers reported little patience for a long application process, according to a HireClix survey.
Proactive organizations are taking a fresh look at their career site and revamping the user experience to be much more like a modern e-commerce experience. Today’s consumers aren’t going to tolerate it when an organization has a career site and a candidate experience that is effectively broken when compared to the rest of their digital experiences.
Create mobile friendly sites with unique and authentic content along with intuitive job search functionality to start getting your candidate experience on track. Consider embracing retail consumer site models, opting for light, easy interfaces and seamless interactions. Not only does this result in a successful, smooth first impression with prospective employees, but it may also increase long-term retention.
While there is more to the candidate experience than simply updating your career site, creative agility goes a long way. Most companies don’t realize that the secret sauce to recruitment advertising isn’t much different from traditional consumer advertising. Employers should create employer brand awareness to educate individuals about the attributes and benefits of their “product”—their company as an employer.
With the ultimate goal of hiring the best talent, a CHRO can’t continue on the existing path of having a dated career site. They need to start considering changes today so they can build a compelling experience with engaging creativity to get the right candidates in the front door.
