Change in creative advertising
The CEO of a listed IT company, Andrew Peterson, says that several factors affect advertising and attracting the right talent. Technology has been one of the greatest contributing factors to a change in creative advertising. The need for advertising job vacancies has grown as advertising methods are becoming more diverse.
Companies advertise through radio, billboards, television, internet, paper media, and more. It is important for companies to be up to date on all of the latest news and trends, says Peterson.
Recruitment advertising, also known as Recruitment communications includes all communications used by an organisation to attract talent to work within it.
Recruitment advertisements may be the first impression of a company for many people, and the first impression the firm makes, goes a long way to determining interest in the job opening being advertised. Recruitment advertisements typically have a uniform layout and contain the following elements:
- the job title heading and location
- an explanatory paragraph describing the company, including the Employer Brand
- a description of the position
- entry qualifications
- the remuneration package (not always provided by the employer)
- further details and from where application forms may be sought
The way companies hunt for talent is changing, says Minette Minaar, the HR manager for a corporate, and today, it's not only the message that matters, but how and where you reach your audience. It's about connecting, interacting and going to your audience rather than asking them to come to you.
It's about developing digital innovations, social strategies and mobile applications — putting your message, literally, in the palm of job seeker’s hands. Connecting with candidates on their terms — in ways in which they are comfortable with.
It's about understanding the candidate. Knowing what triggers the seasoned professional. Reaching a new generation that has grown up with the internet. Who blogs and twitters and facebooks all while texting.
It's about creating and managing your brand. Deploying it socially, digitally. Minette is of the opinion that this captures top talent.
Companies should develop new technologies, strategies and creative solutions that will revolutionise the way they attract and retain the best people.
Minette describes the recruitment landscape as a rolling one, and as this industry continually redefines itself in anticipation of hiring needs the most relevant topics at the moment include:
Employer branding
As a means for differentiation and building realistic and favorable perceptions in candidates' minds, employer branding is one of the most valuable tools in the recruitment space.
Mobile advertising
The use of text messaging, video, and audio on cell phones and PDAs is quickly changing how you can reach and influence prospective candidates. This can help you develop compelling creative concepts and choose the appropriate media method for putting your message in front of the audience you want to engage.
Video and audio streaming
People consume information way beyond traditional radio and TV broadcast now. They use the Internet, PCs as well as mobile-communication devices. Recruitment advertisers have a practical means for becoming associated with highly visible, mainstream programming.
Search engine marketing
When your target audience does an internet search, companies want their advertisement message placed in a highly visible position.
Behavioral targeting
Reach the bulk of Internet users who do not look at job boards. By studying the behaviors of your target audience, companies can deliver recruitment messages to passive/impulsive candidates while they use the Internet for news, entertainment, information, or personal communication – on sites other than job boards.
Contextual advertising
Companies should place their recruitment message on internet pages related to their desired audience, next to relevant content. This enhances image, impacts their brand, and improves targeted applicant flow.
Social networking
Companies can implement an effective combination of social-networking sites for their recruitment and employer-branding campaigns.
Media migration
Media use by prospective employees – for job information and general entertainment – is changing. It is moving to new venues with the introduction and evolution of appliances such as PDAs, cell phones, and interactive media like social networking sites and blogs.
Internships
The statistic is widely quoted: Less than half of companies offering internships to today’s college students actually convert the interns to full-time hires. Companies need to envision a process that’s a bit more intentional. After all, an investment in people is one of potential.
Mentoring programs
Done well, mentoring programs can create powerful connections between members of differing generations, enhance engagement, and bolster retention. If employees are being challenged, feel they’re truly valued, and are connecting with the community, then top dollar becomes less of a motivating factor.
Attracting Gen Y
As Gen Y'ers walk across the graduation stage and into the workforce, they bring their technical savvy, their desire for varied and challenging experiences, and their hunger for community. And they think that their workplace should celebrate it all. Millennials are willing to give their employers wiggle room in certain areas as long as other areas aren’t compromised. Fact is, it’s a generation that's changing the game. And companies unwilling or incapable of creating the community that the Millennials desire could end up close and personal with serious retention issues.
