Zappos recently made a big move by scrapping the traditional job posting in order to improve the candidate experience and dial up their approach to talent attraction. Much debate has ensued over this measure – is it too radical? or a stroke of brilliance? It is undeniable that Zappos has an incredibly robust employer brand as a foundation for their new approach, but we think there is a great deal of merit to their strategy – even if your brand isn’t quite as well-known as that of Zappos.
When it comes to talent attraction, your employer brand matters. Job seekers are doing their homework on prospective employers, connecting via social media, career websites and gaining insight through industry or profession-specific forums. More and more often we are hearing that candidates would accept less money in favour of working for a brand they believe in. In order to capture the attention of this new breed of job seeker, we need to find better ways of interacting.
The fact is, we can already see the traditional job posting taking a back seat as social media takes on the leading role in connecting with both internal and external talent. It is only a matter of time before job postings becomes completely irrelevant as more effective channels replace the outdated “post and pray” model.
Maybe you aren’t quite ready to completely abandon recruitment advertising, but there are tactics you can start to employ right now to start preparing for the new world order.
- Bench Strength – Is your current recruitment team ready to take a 90o turn? Do they have the skills and internal support they will need to be successful in a brand-based approach to attraction? Start developing competence and infrastructure where any gaps exist.
- Forget the Resume – Instead of collecting conventional resumes, engage candidates in your brand experience at the first opportunity. Ask for a brief written response to a key business issue or a quick competitive analysis as part of their statement of interest. If the ask is a great example of real life within your four walls, it can ensure applicants are already engaged in your brand and provide a pipeline of candidates more closely aligned to your needs.
- Build Your Community – If you aren’t currently using social media to share your brand message and engage with talent, you need to get there. Fast. Social media is the primary vehicle being used to communicate employer brand around the world so you can be sure your competitors are already engaging with talent online (or getting there quickly).
- Get Out There – Start building relationships with external talent using LinkedIn Groups, Google Hangouts and other online hubs. These are great places to look for prospects and observe high potentials. You need to get out there if you want to have a pipeline of qualified candidates that you want to hire when the time is right!
Think about the investment you could make in your employer brand if you redirected all the resources you are currently pouring to traditional methods of recruitment. Transitioning to a model that enables your brand to drive the candidate experience and attract talent through multiple touch points is a long term commitment, but ultimately one that will pay off in better hiring results, more engaged employees and improved business results for your organization.
