Recruitment marketing – more than just an ad

One of the biggest problems the accountancy profession (or any profession for that matter) has, is recruiting staff. Whether it’s attracting new trainees, experienced technicians or future partners, most firms have struggled with recruitment marketing at some point.

However, many firms think that all they need to do is place an advert in the local paper, or with recruitment agencies or on sites such as www.Indeed.co.uk.

Wrong!

When someone is looking at making their next career move, it’s not just your firm’s advert they are looking at. They’re also considering: what your competitors are doing; if they should consider relocating for the right job; and in some cases, whether they should be considering doing something totally different. They also won’t just read your advert and send in a CV without ‘checking you out’ first.

It’s no longer ‘just about the job’

As well as offering a great remuneration package, you need to offer something better than the candidate’s current employer and also better than what other firm’s are offering.

You have to show that your employees are important to you, that you invest in their training and development and where appropriate there is a possibility for them to progress within your firm.  Candidates want to know that whilst they will be working hard for you, in return their efforts will be appreciated.

Increasingly employees want to see and engage with the non-work aspects of your firm. So do you organise staff and/or family events throughout the year? Do you have a CSR strategy that allows staff to get involved in local charities and community projects? If you do, you must communicate these to the outside world to show what it is like to work for your firm.

Also, consider do you come across as being a fun place to work? For some people, this is an important aspect of their career. Will working for your firm be an enjoyable experience or akin to going to the dentist?!

Taking on board some, if not all, of the above points can make your firm more attractive to work for.

How to go above and beyond the job advert

Here are some suggestions on how to communicate the benefits of working for your firm.

  • Use your social media platforms to highlight the type of work you do and career progression opportunities such as celebrating employee’s exam successes and promotions.
  • Social media is also a great way of showing the non-work side of the firm such as getting involved in community projects, social events and awards ceremonies you take part in.
  • The same also applies to your website – make sure you keep your news and blog pages updated with similar stories as outlined in the above points.
  • Encourage more than just the partners to attend networking or business events. Give others in the organisation the chance to shine when out of the office. This helps potential employees to see how they will be supported and encouraged.
  • Attend careers and recruitment fairs. However, consider the age range of the people who will be there and take similar aged staff with you, so they can identify with the audience.
  • Celebrate success! As well as using your website and social media, always use other forms of marketing and communication such as emails, newsletters, news releases and brochures to highlight how great your firm is to work for. Not only can such articles be great for attracting new staff, but they can also help to motivate and retain existing staff.

For further ideas on how to improve your recruitment marketing techniques, read our ‘Staff recruitment – is your firm attractive’ blog.

It works!

I recently had some feedback from one of my clients who had been recruiting for an admin-based post. Of the four applicants they interviewed, three of them said they were attracted to the firm because of the articles on the website which depicted the firm as being a supportive, progressive firm that clearly put their team first. Feedback like that, certainly makes the recruitment process a lot easier!

Of course, before writing anything on your website or social media posts, do make sure you have the permission of the individual(s) involved.

 

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