Finding top talent with inbound attraction

In this second blog from our series Attracting Top Talent we’re talking about inbound…

The Holy Grail of talent attraction is getting the talent to come to you – what’s known as inbound attraction. This occurs when you’ve built strong brand awareness, placing you in the minds of your target market so when the time comes they’ll seek you out. Inbound is cheaper, easier and quicker than outbound recruitment – all things hiring managers love.

However, and there is always a however, the changes in approach to job-hunting means that relying on just one or two channels is no longer anywhere near sufficient. Candidates are searching round the clock – on the bus, in the supermarket, while watching TV, etc – with no apparent loyalty for any one source, so how can you get your brand out there?

Changing channels

In our previous whitepaper, The Changing Face of Recruitment, we looked at the ‘fragmentation of candidate sources’, how recruiters are required to make use of several different channels and tools. At that time, our research named referrals as the best source of quality candidates and there was a strong belief that it would supply the most talent in the next five years.

But it’s a fast-moving industry and a lot can happen in a short space of time. Our latest research reveals referrals are no longer king, and that with LinkedIn as the top channel (63 per cent), the perceived effectiveness of other, more traditional sources, has dropped considerably.

With LinkedIn deemed the most successful channel, it’s no wonder that the majority of companies are redirecting finances to it (42 per cent). Indeed and other aggregators are also assuming a share of job board spend (25 per cent), while our survey revealed that many people intend to make website improvements, too.

LinkedIn’s achievement aligns with this ‘always on’ approach to job hunting, but they’ve also done a tremendous job of building a brand that everyone knows, trusts and turns to, wherever and whenever. Not to be cynical, but LinkedIn has worked tirelessly to win the hearts and minds of recruitment consultants, tantalising them with new, convenient features. Its placement as top source, therefore, is partly owed to the fact that some recruiters use it exclusively – whether or not they have other, more effective tools at their disposal.

Build your brand and talent will come!

While we can’t all be LinkedIn, it is possible to create brand awareness and get the talent to come to you. There are any number of techniques you can use to promote inbound attraction, but bear in mind it’s a long-term game. To achieve front-of-mind awareness, you need to use an array of tools over a number of months. This represents a shift in thinking which may feel alien; a new paradigm which asserts that the old, traditional tactics either have limited, short-term effectiveness or simply don’t work.

You need to use sustained, long-term tools (such as remarketing, content, landing pages) to attract inbound talent over a length of time. Multiple exposures, across multiple channels, will help a brand to grow stronger.

Where to start?

With candidates picking and choosing among sources indiscriminately, it’s key that your job ads are represented across as many relevant channels as possible. If recruitment spend is moving towards LinkedIn job slots and aggregator sites, it’s vitally important that your technology can both support and facilitate this. Covering all relevant channels can be a time-consuming task, however important, so a solution that can multi-post is a must; something that can post your job adverts to Indeed and job boards at the touch of a button.

In our survey, 21 per cent said their website earned them over 16 per cent of conversions (visitors to applicants), which is a substantial figure, so another consideration is clearly better utilisation of your own job pages and wider website.

To get your website seen, it’s essential your site (including job adverts) is optimised using relevant search terms and regularly updated with fresh content. That’s what Google likes and prioritises, but how many can say this is the case? What’s more, Google for Jobs was launched earlier this year, aimed at improving the job seeker’s experience. While it’s too early to look at the impact, our survey found 46 per cent expected positive effects as a result – yet this relies on the production of quality job adverts.

Ultimately, for successful front-of-mind attraction, you need to build your brand, and be present and always on as many channels as your target market will be using. This allows you to bring your brand and jobs to people without intruding. Regular posts on social media, frequent blogs, appearing in the Google search results, specific job boards, aggregators…the list goes on. This – and any subsequent monitoring and reporting – can be easy if you use the right platforms and technology, but it’s more than that. It’s about engaging talent and getting that oh-so important relationship off the ground before the candidate even realises you’re involved.

If you’re interested in a deeper dive, feel free to download our new white paper – “Attracting top talent using human connection” – here.

In it we got into more detail about front of mind attraction and also engaging content and using tech to increase human connection.

idibu provides intelligent candidate acquisition to hundreds of recruitment businesses of all sizes as well as analysis of activity and hiring funnels to greatly improve ROI and performance.

Click here to arrange a FREE demo or get in touch now on 0800 311 2750.