Written by Janine Pollack
November 5, 2021
MNI Blog / 6 minute read
Attract top talent with these recruitment marketing trends and 7 steps to utilize when building your next recruitment marketing campaign. Learn more.
Recruitment marketing is making a big splash right now as it becomes more essential than ever to advertise your brand and business to potential employees. The competition is fierce in all industries now, and studies show that the future isn't looking any brighter, so it’s more crucial than ever to employ a successful recruitment marketing strategy.
According to Manpower Group, we're experiencing a global talent shortage that is at a 15-year-high. The report found that "more than 1 in 3 of U.S. employers report difficulty filling jobs. The reasons for this shortage are complex, with childcare, health and well-being, and competition all playing a role."
As if that wasn't intimidating enough by itself, another study conducted by Korn Ferry revealed that “by 2030, there will be a global human talent shortage of more than 85 million people, or roughly equivalent to the population of Germany."
It's time to get creative. Companies need to pivot recruitment marketing tactics to attract and hire new employees. Finding new hires won't be easy, but a solid recruitment marketing strategy will ease the struggle. Here are the latest recruitment marketing trends and hiring resources every business will need to know to get over this hump and ahead of the competition.
What is Recruitment Marketing
Recruitment marketing refers to an organization's plan of action and process for finding and attracting top talent. A recruitment marketing strategy can include using social media, updating your website, using job boards, offering referral bonuses to employees, creating ads, etc.
Much like traditional marketing tactics typically aimed at consumers, recruitment marketing exists to:
- Make your brand look more appealing
- Get your message to the right people
- Highlight your most outstanding features (in this case, benefits, competitive pay, company culture, etc.)
- Get your brand out there and bring more awareness to the job openings and opportunities you need to be filled.
The Recruitment Marketing Funnel (Similar to a Marketing Funnel)
Whether you’re a large corporation or a small business, understanding the recruitment marketing funnel is a good first step when thinking about your recruitment marketing strategy. A recruitment marketing funnel is an excellent framework for guiding you through the entire hiring process until you find the ideal candidate for your open position. There are three significant steps in the recruitment marketing funnel: 
- Awareness: You want to bring more attention to your business at this stage, hoping to appeal to top talents on the lookout for a new job. This would be an excellent time to create job boards, send out job opening posts, and consult your existing employees for referrals.
- Consideration: Next, you want to appeal to those who are considering their options. There's a good chance you have competition out there who will likely be just as interested in this talent, so you want to highlight benefits, company culture, and job development opportunities.
- Interest: Your highlights and features have worked — you now have a good selection of interested candidates. The recruitment process will follow.
Recruiting (different from recruitment marketing) begins after the interest, where two more stages — applications and selection — guide you to your ideal hire.
Why You Need a Recruitment Marketing Strategy
Simply put, you need recruitment marketing if you want to get the top talent you need and deserve. Nothing worth having is easy to get, and your employees are no exception. The truth is, recruiters need to up their hiring game with a thought-out recruitment marketing strategy if they want even a small chance of filling those job openings.
Competition is Tough
More often than not, people just don't know you exist or the benefits of working for your company, so they commit to a competitor. This has become more common now that most industries are saturated with competition that is just as determined to acquire candidates.
Consider setting yourself apart by:
- Sharing your company's purpose and values to attract the right people
- Letting it be known on your social, website, etc.
- Appealing to passive candidates as well (73% of candidates are passive job seekers .)
The Pandemic Has Contributed to Labor Deficiencies
Businesses are suffering the consequences of the labor deficit that has plagued the nation since the pandemic took over. With the continued surges making their rounds, millions of workers have chosen to halt their intentions to get back to work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The number of job openings increased to a series high of 10.9 million on the last business day of July." What's more, the report also found that as many as four million workers quit their jobs, and there was a total of 65.6 million separations over the 12 months ending in July.
The Labor Deficit Trend May Continue for Years
Much like Korn Ferry's study that found that we will experience a labor deficit of more than 80 million by 2030, Conference Board has a similar outlook for workers and employers in the next decade. According to their study, "From a demographic perspective, the situation is only going to deteriorate in the coming decade as working-age population growth will be closer to zero and the decline in the number of non-college graduates will accelerate."
People Are More Selective
Even if you set aside the fact that there is a talent shortage right now—and it's predicted to get worse—people are discriminating about where they work. They want to know they will be appreciated for their talent and given what they're worth. According to Resourcing Edge, nearly 3 in 5 people (57%) say benefits and perks are a top priority when accepting a job. Their report also found that the top 5 most desirable benefits are: 
- Health care benefits (95%)
- Retirement benefits (71%)
- Leave benefits (50%)
- Flexible working benefits (29%)
- Professional development benefits (17%)
Recruitment marketing gets the word out that you're here, you're looking, and you have the benefits and offers they're looking for in a company.
Factors of the Labor Shortage and Other Issues
There are some major factors to consider when discussing labor shortage and the difficulty of attracting talent to your organization. The most common ones are Baby Boomers retiring, Millennials and Gen-Z habits of disinterest or inadequate qualifications, and the rise in gig workers.
- Baby Boomers are Retiring
Baby Boomers range between 57 and 75 years of age and many are either retired or considering what’s next which leaves any businesses fighting for a replacement at the same time.
- Millennials and Gen-Z — either lack the interest or the experience to replace jobs held by Boomers
With Boomers transition out more and more Millennials and Gen Z are stepping up. Not only has the traditional 9 to 5 become less appealing, but more workers are seeking flexibility over structure. The Harvard Business Review reports that although only about 47% of businesses offer work flexibility, as many as 96% of them admit they need it.
Another change making its way around is a shortage in talent and skills for certain industries. According to LinkedIn, these industries include financial and business services, media and telecommunication, and manufacturing.
- Gig workers are on the rise
Due to its flexibility and complete independence from being told what to do, many Americans are calling it quits in their full-time jobs and replacing them with gig work. According to The State of Independence in America, 63% of workers (4% more than 2020) say that working independently was ultimately their choice, and 77% are highly satisfied with it.
7 Steps for Navigating the New Hiring Landscape
Like with every challenge that disrupts the landscape, there are some solid steps to take to get through these hardships and get back to business. According to our research, here are seven of the best tips for how to do recruitment marketing and navigating the new hiring landscape.
- Seek aptitude rather than a specific skillset
No candidate is likely to be a perfect match. This will become increasingly more evident as competitors continuously seek out prospects. Not only is there a shortage, but the competition needs the same talent. For this reason, it will be more beneficial to find an adaptable candidate that is willing to learn.
- Offer competitive wages
It's no longer acceptable to low-ball and hope for the best. Candidates have way too many options and will toss your offer to the side for a new one faster than you can backtrack with a new one. To stand out in a competitive job market, you have to offer a reasonable rate. Indeed informs businesses that staying within 10% — above or below — the market average for the job position will keep your pay competitive.
- Consider a broader range of potential employees
Now is a great time to tap into new markets of people you haven't considered before by doing market research for recruitment. Diversity in marketing was already crucial for the advancement and success of any business but has become even more essential.
This is especially true now that studies show that at least 81% of U.S. workers prefer a diverse workplace, saying they like working with people from different cultures. Moreover, with market research for recruitment, you may just find prospects that will be a great fit that you may not have considered before.
- Tap into the gig worker market
Whether you choose to tap into the gig worker market regularly or in the meantime, gig workers are a great place to turn to when you need work from a position filled. More often than not, gig workers are skilled and fast when given a chance to utilize their skills. Even better, this may offer an excellent opportunity for you to take them on as a full-time employee if they are the right fit.
- Keep the interview process light
Many recruits are subjected to countless interviews during the hiring process, and the entire experience can be exhausting. You also risk that they'll turn to another company that is quicker. What we mean is: if you're sure about what you want, you should know if a new hire is a right fit within a couple of interactions. Don't put them through more hoops if it isn't completely necessary.
- Become active in the community
There's no better place to find and attract new talent than your own community when marketing for recruitment. There are tons of opportunities to explore close to home when you take advantage of the following:
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- Speak at college events
- Join organizations like your local chamber of commerce
- Network
- Use every resource at your disposal
There is no sure-fire way to find and attract employees in today's job market. It takes a good mix of resources and recruitment marketing ideas to tap into a larger pool of talent that may be interested in your brand. Consider using every resource at your disposal when marketing for recruitment, including:
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- AI-driven recruiting tools
- Online job boards
- Word-of-mouth referrals
- College apprenticeships
- Job fairs
Build Your Recruitment Marketing Strategy
With the goal of opening doors, businesses that embrace recruitment marketing will likely have the competitive edge.
About the Author
@Janine Pollack is the Integrated Marketing Director at MNI Targeted Media and self-appointed Storyteller in Chief. As content lead for MNI’s Insight Lab, she leads numerous webinars to bring to life the brand's commitment to knowing more so we can do more. Prior to MNI she worked with Fortune 500 companies and world-renowned institutions on thought-leadership events and content.
