Over the last couple of decades, the rise of our digital age has seen some important changes to business. From our ability to connect with clients and candidates from across the planet, to the widespread adoption of remote teams. Technology continues to offer opportunities to make operating improvements, and gain the competitive edge.
For PR and Marketing businesses, the digital revolution has offered opportunities to develop interesting user experiences and explore more creative brand building. However, digital tools such as social media are not simply another tool to reach audiences. When used correctly, they can help to build reputation and connectivity that is useful during recruitment searches.
As we take the first steps into a new decade, it’s an interesting time to see how marketing and PR recruitment is changing through a digital lens. Have we gone beyond traditional job boards, in favor of connecting to candidates on a more personal level? How can industry-specific expertise be utilized in attracting new recruits?
Social Media Recruitment
Social media can boast one of the most significant presences in our digital landscape. Most of us engage with at least one platform, with options available to serve different purposes. Some — such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor — have been developed specifically for recruitment. However, savvy marketing HR departments are finding ways to utilize social media more intelligently.
In order to effectively take advantage of social media as a recruitment tool, it’s important to understand the ways in which candidates will be using their platform. LinkedIn is relatively straightforward for recruiters, as users are on the platform to post their credentials and become more visible to potential candidates. Facebook is more likely to be used for community-based purposes, and as the linked resource shows, recruiters can best target their search on relevant groups and events pages. Twitter is by design geared toward limited text, and recruitment posts can reach relevant parties by using hashtags or even short key phrases.
However, the practical aspects of searching aside, marketing and PR agencies know that the true value of social media can come from the opportunity for storytelling. Marketing approaches, such as using visual elements (infographics, videos, etc.), can help attract candidates by presenting aspects of the company culture and personality. Utilize snippets — short updates that trigger reactions — to encourage candidates to learn more about the business, and filter toward an application. It is worth bearing in mind that we also live in a world in which current employees are more likely to share good and bad experiences with the world; like it or not, agencies must be aware that this forms a part of brand storytelling, and how this could be used or addressed during recruitment drives.
HR Technology
There are very few aspects of our lives that aren’t enhanced by technology. This is particularly true of business, where everything from smart devices to e-commerce platforms is doing more than making processes more efficient — they’re helping female entrepreneurs to grow their company profiles and offering greater access to opportunities. Is it any surprise then, that the emergence of HR technology is proving to be a game-changer in recruitment?
For PR and Marketing agencies, HR tech platforms can offer more efficient methods of navigating an almost constantly changing digital talent pool. Augmented analytics is one of the current on-trend methods, combining artificial intelligence (AI) with huge HR data sets to help narrow down employers’ options. This deep-learning software produces algorithms based on the needs of the company — from required skill set to the diversity of the overall employee base — and even continues to analyze data after a candidate has been hired to predict and streamline the future needs of the business.
Sticking with the potential of AI, natural language processing is becoming a vital tool when it comes to initial candidate contact. Recruitment specialists have started to utilize this tech through HR chatbots. Bots can be used to ask predetermined questions, and through natural language processing develop metrics on the answers given, subsequently ranking candidates for suitability for progression. PR and marketing professionals can utilize their expertise in creating a recruitment chatbot that presents an on-brand face for the company in its interactions with candidates.
New Business Processes
The recruitment process is usually one that brings about change. Both to the lives of new employees, and the culture of the business itself. The introduction of the new role can indicate a change in the shape of teams, and the process that current staff has become used to. Change may well be necessary, but it can also be uncomfortable. Companies can also take a digitally-enhanced approach to implement these new business processes.
Digital project management platforms — such as Slack, Trello, and Asana — can be used to connect new recruits with teams and the business as a whole, even in the days leading up to their onboarding. This provides the opportunity for friendly and practical discussions and offers team members an understanding of how each employee fits into the new direction of the company or specific projects. Communication is one of the key aspects of any change management, and inviting discussion as early as possible can help all employees feel more connected and involved.
E-learning platforms can also be utilized to provide a smooth transition between the recruitment process and workplace duties. Particularly if they have worked in environments that have a different approach, this can help manage their change quickly and effectively. These platforms can allow companies to use multiple approaches — from plain text to videos, even games — engage new recruits with the culture of the business, and expectations.
Conclusion
While our digital landscape offers incredible potential for recruitment, we must take a cognizant approach to use these tools. On their own, they can be useful, but leaning into the skills that PR and Marketing agencies are already familiar with — storytelling, keyword utilization, multimedia production — can greatly enhance their effectiveness. Whether it’s taking advantage of social media or producing in-house change management materials, there is great potential to both improve the hunt for candidates and build the profile of the business.