In 2023, recruitment isn’t just about posting a job ad in a newspaper or on a specialized website. Recruitment marketing has become an art, relying on sophisticated strategies to reach and engage top talent. One of the most crucial aspects of a successful recruitment ad campaign is understanding a candidate’s online journey.
Justine Clavet, project manager at the agency, is our recruitment campaign specialist and has helped numerous companies hire qualified candidates. In this article, she shares key considerations at each step of the candidate journey.
The Offer
Potential candidates are also content consumers. They appreciate concise messages that get straight to the point. In less than 3 seconds, you need to pique their interest and make them want to join your team. Your offer must be captivating and stand out from other employers. Think of creative texts that go beyond a simple job description and play a role in the candidate’s decision-making. What unique benefit do you offer that an employee won’t find elsewhere?
For example, our recruitment campaign for Hershey focuses on a unique benefit often sought after in production factories: air conditioning. Take a look at the ad concept here. Take a look at the ad concept here.
Targeting Potential Candidates
A recruitment campaign first reaches a cold audience. It’s about reaching individuals who are not yet familiar with your company or haven’t interacted with it before. At this stage, the ultimate goal isn’t to receive a maximum number of applications. The aim is to build an initial trust and spark their interest in the job offer.
An Optimized Landing Page
It can’t be stressed enough: a web page specially designed for an ad campaign converts better. This is especially true for recruitment campaigns.
Unlike your website’s general career page, the landing page is built with one goal: to encourage the candidate to apply. It should contain essential information about your company and quickly showcase the work environment and main differentiating factors.
You can include employee testimonials or photos of the team and workplace. These elements help potential recruits envision themselves in your ranks and increase their desire to join.
Targeting Potential Candidates
A recruitment campaign first reaches a cold audience. It’s about reaching individuals who are not yet familiar with your company or haven’t interacted with it before. At this stage, the ultimate goal isn’t to receive a maximum number of applications. The aim is to build an initial trust and spark their interest in the job offer.
An Optimized Landing Page
It can’t be stressed enough: a web page specially designed for an ad campaign converts better. This is especially true for recruitment campaigns.
Unlike your website’s general career page, the landing page is built with one goal: to encourage the candidate to apply. It should contain essential information about your company and quickly showcase the work environment and main differentiating factors.
You can include employee testimonials or photos of the team and workplace. These elements help potential recruits envision themselves in your ranks and increase their desire to join.
Application Submission
In 2023, asking for a complete CV is outdated for the first contact. Offer a simplified form that only asks for the essentials: name, email, phone number, and perhaps a short message or specific question. If the questions are too numerous or complex, users will undoubtedly give up. We’ve also found that placing a form at the top and bottom of the page reduces friction and increases your number of applications.
Here’s a good example of a simple yet effective contact form for one of our clients.
The Retargeting Campaign
Some potential candidates may visit your landing page without applying immediately. This is where retargeting comes into play with a campaign targeting visitors of your landing page and those who interacted with your first ad. At this stage, it’s important to remind them of your unique benefits and focus on the call to action.
To convert this already warm audience, remember that they’ve already shown interest in your offer, and sometimes a small nudge is all they need to take action.
Application Submission
In 2023, asking for a complete CV is outdated for the first contact. Offer a simplified form that only asks for the essentials: name, email, phone number, and perhaps a short message or specific question. If the questions are too numerous or complex, users will undoubtedly give up. We’ve also found that placing a form at the top and bottom of the page reduces friction and increases your number of applications.
Here’s a good example of a simple yet effective contact form for one of our clients.
The Retargeting Campaign
Some potential candidates may visit your landing page without applying immediately. This is where retargeting comes into play with a campaign targeting visitors of your landing page and those who interacted with your first ad. At this stage, it’s important to remind them of your unique benefits and focus on the call to action.
To convert this already warm audience, remember that they’ve already shown interest in your offer, and sometimes a small nudge is all they need to take action.
Application Follow-Up
Once a candidate has applied, the candidate journey doesn’t end there. They hope for a quick response from you. To allow your internal HR team to sort and analyze all applications received, send an automated email. Personalize the confirmation message and inform them of the next steps by mentioning a maximum time frame in which they will be contacted.
This step, often overlooked, significantly influences the candidate’s perception of and relationship with your brand. Improving the application experience also reduces the risk of losing a candidate along the way (demotivation, feeling neglected, being hired by another company, etc.)
Understanding a candidate’s online journey is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of your recruitment ad campaigns. By putting the candidate at the center of your strategy and optimizing each step of the process, you’ll be on the right track to attract and retain top talent.
Êtes-vous prêt à créer un parcours candidat attractif et performant? Mettez nos conseils en pratique ou contactez notre équipe pour que les meilleurs talents viennent vers vous!
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