Candidate-led marketing and your company’s recruitment process need to be closely aligned.
Wondering if ‘candidate-led marketing’ can make things easier in a challenging recruitment market?
Let’s understand together what it means and how candidate-led marketing can help you and your business.
The good news is that candidate-led marketing is straightforward!
Instead of focusing on putting job adverts in front of as many people as possible, candidate-led marketing helps potential candidates discover your company’s brand, services and products. Usually, your marketing will land with them at the time when they’re most likely to research new career opportunities.
The most suitable new employees can be hard to come by, so as business owners, we should always look for unique and innovative ways to get their attention.
This approach helps build your company’s reputation as an employer of choice. This means that potential candidates know what to expect from you in advance of showing interest in your vacancies in your sector or local area.
Candidate-Led Marketing in more detail
Candidate-led marketing (CLM) is a proven recruitment strategy that gives candidates control over the recruitment process.
Candidates are the ones who decide when, where and how they are contacted; they are allowed to determine what information they share with you. They also decide which vacancies and companies they want to hear from.
Candidate-led marketing isn’t just a new concept. When I opened a new recruitment office for eTalentworks in Chicago way back in 2001, we invested plenty of time, cash and effort into our CLM strategy. We may not have called CLM that then! However, every effort we made online and offline to attract interest for vacancies on behalf of companies such as SAP, Eli Lilly, and Cisco was all CLM-based.
Candidate-led marketing works similarly to how you would market your products and/or services to your ideal customer avatar. However much you invest in your customer marketing, do the same when you’re growing your company to add new team members.
Candidate-led marketing is a way of making the recruitment process more candidate-centric rather than employer-centric.
Candidate-led marketing is all about them, the potential human being who would love with you and add significant value to your customers. It is at the other end of the spectrum for recruitment marketing. Move away from an employer-centric approach. After all, it’s not about you!
Helen Sanders – Founder, Your People Partners
It’s about them, not you!
All of your recruitment marketing needs to be about them, not you.
This is often tricky to do if you rely on recruitment agencies for your hiring. We take a different approach when we hire on behalf of our partner companies. We ensure we name you and sing your praises in our recruitment marketing.
This means that you must ensure your potential candidate gets everything they need from all your marketing relating to:
- Current job vacancies
- Future career opportunities
- Employee benefits
- Company culture
- Professional development opportunities
- Your mission
- Your vision
- Your story
- Your why
It’s also important to remember that people are looking for employers who offer them excellent opportunities at every stage of their careers.
In most cases, the candidate does not have the power to change or control the recruitment process; you and your company do.
In some ways, this makes sense because you are ultimately responsible for filling vacancies and ensuring that your team has the right skills and experience to fulfil your business needs.
What Are The Benefits Of Candidate Led Marketing?
It’s more cost-effective
Candidate-led marketing means you’re investing in your candidates’ needs and wants. You want them to be happy and satisfied with the experience of applying for a job with your company.
A candidate who is engaged throughout their entire journey will be more likely to join your team, which means no wasted time or money on hiring them (or training them).
It’s more efficient
Who doesn’t love efficiency?!
With candidate-led marketing, it can become easy for everyone involved to keep track of progress and milestones throughout the recruitment process.
This makes it easier to manage timeframes and deadlines so that no one gets left behind or forgotten about during this crucial stage of business growth!
Candidate-led marketing is a more efficient and effective way to reach candidates than traditional recruitment methods. This is because:
- It allows you to reach more candidates, including passive ones.
- It’s cost-effective.
- You can use it at all stages of the hiring process.
Let’s Talk Candidate Experience
The candidate experience is the key to attracting and retaining great candidates. It’s also one of the most critical factors in repeat business—if you don’t have happy customers, you don’t have a business.
If you want to know a little more about how to nail your candidate experience, we have a post all about it right here.
Proactive Recruitment Strategy
Candidate-led marketing is a proactive strategy.
Rather than waiting for candidates to come to you, you’re going out and finding them!
It’s better to be proactive than reactive—that way you can make your best impression the first time around and avoid any bad eggs slipping through the net.
Candidate-led marketing is more than just a job ad; it’s about attracting candidates, not just filling a job. You’ll want to combine this with other tactics like networking or referral programs so that your brand stays top-of-mind when people are thinking about new opportunities or leaving their current position.
Candidate-led marketing is also about building relationships with people who share similar values as your company—it isn’t just another form of advertising!
In an era where most candidates are passive rather than active, your company can stand out if you follow CLM.
Sounds like a great position to be in right?
Candidate-led marketing is a proactive recruitment strategy that helps you to attract candidates who are actively looking for a new role.
It’s also a good way to reach out to passive candidates who aren’t looking for a new role but may be interested in hearing more about your company when they do.
It can be hard to find the right people when you’re relying solely on traditional channels like job boards, so CLM empowers recruiters and hiring managers with the tools they need to find their ideal candidates and connect with them directly.
Candidate-led marketing is all about working together with candidates to find solutions; it’s not just about posting a vacancy and waiting for resumes!
Simply put, candidate-led marketing is a very effective way to attract high-quality candidates.
It increases the chances of attracting those who are actively looking for a job and not just passively searching.
It also makes your company look more attractive because you’re providing helpful content to help these candidates in their search for employment.
Looking for more reading?
- Unlocking Growth: Cultural Add and Diversity for UK Small BusinessesThe old idea of hiring for “cultural fit” is losing its appeal. Building a truly diverse and successful team goes beyond simply finding people who… Read more: Unlocking Growth: Cultural Add and Diversity for UK Small Businesses
- Using AI in Hiring to Find Better TalentThe job market is tough, and finding great employees can make or break your small business. This is where AI in hiring steps in, causing… Read more: Using AI in Hiring to Find Better Talent
- How to Master the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic for Startup Success
Understanding the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic Definition of Visionary and Integrator Roles A visionary is the driving force behind a startup, possessing a forward-thinking mindset and the… Read more: How to Master the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic for Startup Success - A Founder’s Guide to Master The Visionary-Integrator DynamicIgnite Your Startup’s Rocket Fuel: The Visionary-Integrator Power Combo Hey there, visionary founder! 👋 If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got a head brimming… Read more: A Founder’s Guide to Master The Visionary-Integrator Dynamic
- Onboarding: How To Develop a Happy and Engaged Small Business TeamAs a small business owner, you wear many hats – and one of the most important is bringing new talent onboard. An effective onboarding program… Read more: Onboarding: How To Develop a Happy and Engaged Small Business Team
- Crafting an Effective Finance and Accounting Job Advert: Tips and TricksAttracting the right talent for finance and accounting positions in your company is critical for maintaining accurate and robust financial management. An effective job post… Read more: Crafting an Effective Finance and Accounting Job Advert: Tips and Tricks
So, are you ready to start your hiring process with a difference?
If you still need a hand or two, why not have a chat with the team here at Your People Partners? We love helping your business thrive.
Further reading
- Unlocking Growth: Cultural Add and Diversity for UK Small BusinessesThe old idea of hiring for “cultural fit” is losing its appeal. Building a truly diverse and successful team goes beyond simply… Read more: Unlocking Growth: Cultural Add and Diversity for UK Small Businesses
- Using AI in Hiring to Find Better TalentThe job market is tough, and finding great employees can make or break your small business. This is where AI in hiring… Read more: Using AI in Hiring to Find Better Talent
- How to Master the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic for Startup SuccessUnderstanding the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic Definition of Visionary and Integrator Roles A visionary is the driving force behind a startup, possessing a forward-thinking… Read more: How to Master the Visionary-Integrator Dynamic for Startup Success
- A Founder’s Guide to Master The Visionary-Integrator DynamicIgnite Your Startup’s Rocket Fuel: The Visionary-Integrator Power Combo Hey there, visionary founder! 👋 If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve got… Read more: A Founder’s Guide to Master The Visionary-Integrator Dynamic
- Onboarding: How To Develop a Happy and Engaged Small Business TeamAs a small business owner, you wear many hats – and one of the most important is bringing new talent onboard. An… Read more: Onboarding: How To Develop a Happy and Engaged Small Business Team
- Crafting an Effective Finance and Accounting Job Advert: Tips and TricksAttracting the right talent for finance and accounting positions in your company is critical for maintaining accurate and robust financial management. An… Read more: Crafting an Effective Finance and Accounting Job Advert: Tips and Tricks
