In such a noisy digital world it’s hard to stand out in the crowd when you are trying to attract the very best people to your company. It’s even harder when you are trying to capture the attention of exceptional leaders.
Digital disruption in recruitment and talent acquisition
In years gone by, common practice was to take out a very large print feature advertisement in the most reputable paper in town to demonstrate your commitment to finding the very best talent. But this approach executed alone, had flaws.
You were relying on candidates reading that page of that publication on that specific date. And you risked passive candidates not seeing the advertisement at all.
Fast forward to today and you have many more options to market senior appointments and attract top talent. This includes using a range of digital artefacts to really “sell” the role to exceptional candidates.
Whether you are a start up or a well established company, you have equal access to digital tools to develop professional and compelling candidate documentation for your recruitment campaign.
And given you need to find ways to stand out from the recruiting crowd, digital recruitment assets are sure to impress applicants enough to seriously consider making an application. A digital recruitment asset is any content developed to showcase a specific role within your company as part of your recruitment process.
Here are some examples of digital assets that might just help you stand apart from your competitors.
Create a video to showcase the role and your company
There are many ways to approach video content creation. Consider:
- Creating a video message from your company CEO outlining what your company stands for and why the role being advertised is pivotal to your company’s success
- Using well curated video footage of current employees exploring why they love working with your company
- Including a message from your current Head of Talent or Recruitment Manager, walking through your office space, showcasing key working areas and staff
If your company has a marketing team, spend some time with that team to brainstorm some creative, yet professional ways, to promote your senior appointment. Borrow some ideas from how the marketing team develop content for your company’s customers.
Pros of using video content to attract leaders to your company
- You offer a more human view of your company which is really powerful. This is particularly helpful if your company is not well known
- A video starts to make a connection with the candidate before they have spoken with anyone in your company
- The effort required to create professional video content signals your commitment to innovation in an effort to source the very best people
- You’re able to convey a significant amount of information in a short video (as opposed to trying to convey the same messages in a document)
Cons of using video content to attract leaders to your company
- Video content can be costly and time consuming to produce
- Produced poorly, a video will deter applicants and fail to convey a consistent employer brand message
Create an e-book to explore role and company benefits
Embrace digital technology and, instead of offering candidates paper based documentation about the role (such as a Position Description), provide candidates with an e-book instead.
An e-book, sometimes also called an e-brochure, can provide a myriad of information. You might like to include:
- A message from the MD/CEO/Founder or similar
- In-depth details about the role itself
- Details of your client base and the value your company provides to your clients
- Information about the application process including requesting video content (if applicable)
- An outline of the interview and selection process
- A detailed account of your Employee Value Proposition that clearly outlines how you look after employees
Pros of using an e-book to attract leaders to your company
- When executed well, this digital artefact contributes to an exceptional candidate experience
- It’s an excellent resource for candidates to get a deeper understanding of the role and your company
- Content can be curated to give the exact employer brand messages you are looking to convey
- An e-book can help you to stand apart from your competitors in the marketplace
Cons of an e-book to attract leaders to your company
- A significant amount of time and effort is required to pull professional content and quality imagery together
- When poorly executed, this will not enhance your employer brand and deter exceptional talent from applying for the role
- If the messages your company stakeholders deliver in the interview process are inconsistent with the messaging in your e-book, candidates may become confused about the “real” picture
By developing an e-book, you are signalling your company’s commitment to digital technology and innovation. You are also creating a highly professional and polished impression with candidates considering making an application. This helps you to stand out in the crowd when senior candidates are considering multiple opportunities.
Pro tip: Make sure that the rest of your recruitment marketing collateral is contemporary and matches the tone of any digital “assets” you build to support your recruitment campaign.
Your website content, Position Description, Employee Value Proposition, advertisement copy and any other documentation used as part of your recruitment campaign, must align with the professionalism of any digital collateral you create. A misalignment will lead candidates to question whether you are just “selling” the role.
Information provision timing is key
In the case of senior appointments, it makes sense to provide videos and e-books to candidates once they have made contact with you (or your partnering executive recruitment firm).
Whilst it is possible to add links to these digital assets as part of your online advertisements, it is advisable to qualify candidates further before sharing this information. Providing digital recruitment assets to highly qualified candidates will set you apart from other companies who don’t take time to develop sophisticated content for candidate consideration during the recruitment process.
Creativity and compelling content = a better candidate experience
Using traditional recruitment techniques to inform candidates about role opportunities, no longer impress talented leaders. You must find new and creative ways to convey your employer brand, role benefits and your company culture if you want top leadership talent to consider working with your company.
Take the time to consider what new digital mechanisms you can use to attract talented leaders. Match these with an equally impressive recruitment process filled with warm, genuine human connection and you may just be on the path to attracting and securing talented leaders.
Investing time, resources and money into finding creative ways to market the role and convey your brand story is critical if you want to create a favourable impression with leaders. After all, these leaders will inevitably play a pivotal role in your company’s future success.