Whether your recruitment plans are aiming at partners or trainee accountants, your firm needs to appeal to future employees just as much as you’re trying to appeal to new clients. This article sets out how to attract the right candidates with your marketing activities.
People are more selective about where they work, especially those in middle to senior level jobs. If they are going to leave their existing employer, they want assurances they are moving to a better firm. Applicants will look for firms that will offer them one or more of the following:
- more opportunities, be that salary or benefits;
- career progression;
- diversity of work;
- a better work/life balance;
- a working environment and culture that fits with their own principles;
- perhaps even somewhere which has more of a fun attitude towards work.
You can’t rely solely on your advert or a recruitment agent to bring the right people to your door.
So what can you do?
Website
Vacancies – make sure you have copies of any vacancies on your website, ideally on a standalone page that is easy for people to see. Even if you’re using a recruitment agency, you can still post the job details, but advise readers that all applicants should be sent to your agency.
Personalise – add personalised content about the firm to your website, i.e. Director/partner and staff profiles and background/history to the firm. You’re aiming to communicate the culture of the practice and the people that work there, so others can decide whether they think they would ‘fit in’.
Service range – explaining the range of products and services you have, and how your clients benefit from them is more much more informative for potential employees (and prospective clients!).
Client case studies – these can be very useful in explaining the benefits your firm delivers to your clients. It also helps potential employees see how they can make a difference too.
Staff case studies – also highlight how the firm has helped staff with their training and career progression. It demonstrates your approach to staff and partner development.
News – add personal content about the firm and the staff who work there. E.g. awards the firm has won or has been short-listed for, staff promotions, charity and local community groups supported, staff who have passed exams etc.
Social Media
As with your website – post your job details on your personal and/or business social media pages, where possible linking to the full job details on your website. Encourage people to share your job posts with their contacts, so you get to a wider audience. This can be done quickly and easily and free of charge, but you can also pay for job adverts to appear on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Newsletters
Whether you use email or printed newsletters, this is another great way to promote your vacancies, alongside other news about the firm. Email newsletters are also very easy for people to forward to possible candidates they may know.
Adverts
If you’re placing adverts in local or trade press, always include your logo, to assist with brand awareness. You should include your web address to encourage applicants to find out more about you.
Media Coverage
News articles, advice columns, business-related adverts in local, regional, national and trade press can all help to build awareness of your firm. Media coverage can be a great way of building a positive reputation, not just with future employees, but clients, prospective clients and business associates as well.
There are many ways to enhance your staff recruitment by tapping into your existing marketing activities. In some cases you may need to improve your current marketing channels so they become more appealing to potential candidates (and clients), thereby creating a win-win situation.
