It could be said that the problem with recruitment marketing is that it is a specialism that any Joe Bloggs thinks they can do. Generalists are all too willing, often fuelled by fears of expense, to believe anyone can do it. Whilst this may work on some level – you’ll get someone to fill your role – the chances are that you’re not getting the best, at the best price. Even more significantly, taking a generalist approach means that costs quickly ramp up to far more than if you had used an expert in the first place. Recruitment Marketing matters.
It might be possible to fight your own legal battle, but you aren’t going to do as good a job as a trained solicitor. It might be possible to cut your own hair, but it is likely to look worse than if you go to a trained hairdresser. It’s the same with recruitment: it may be possible to do it in-house but it’s not necessarily going to be best. In order to understand why, we need to debunk the myths of recruitment marketing and replace them with facts.
The Myths Debunked:
Myth #1: I know my company best, so in-house is best
You do know your company well, you’re the expert, but you’re an expert at what you do not on Recruitment which is a wild beast that needs to be tamed. You’re worried a recruiter will hound you or you will be sold people you don’t really want.
Fact: Recruitment Marketing is a specialist skill, and recruitment consultants want you to recruit a new employee that reflects well on them, so that you come back for repeat business. It would be counter-productive to a long-term relationship to simply encourage you to take any old candidate. Reputations matter. Additionally, a Recruitment Specialist can put in the time on recruitment so that you don’t have to, leaving you to get on with what you really do. Recruiters have one weapon up their sleeve that either an Employer or Candidate don’t: they know both sides of the fence, and spend their days jumping back and forth gaining the very best insights.
Myth #2: Recruitment Marketing simply involves posting on Job Boards
If you want a quick insight into what Recruitment specialists really get up to on a day to day basis then take a look at this description by Prospects. Or take our word for it – there is a whole heap more to Recruitment Marketing than simply utilising job boards.
Fact: If Job Boards were the be all and end all then Recruiters would have been out on the streets a long time ago. Job Board posting is simply not enough to repeatedly find, attract and motivate the best of the best candidates and match them to the right employers.
Myth #3: Recruitment Marketing is easy so anyone can do it
It’s not rocket science to understand. However, it is time-consuming. It also requires a level of experience, understanding and skill utilisation that goes far beyond that which the average generalist can provide.
Fact: Recruitment Marketing is a specialised area that involves a huge range of skills. For successful recruitment marketing you need to be adept at people management, administration, advertising, budgeting, social media management, and that’s all before the more refined skills of short-listing, interviewing and offer management.
Myth #4: Social Media is now the be all and end all of Recruitment Marketing
There’s no denying that Social Media is now an essential part to any worthwhile recruitment strategy, but it simply doesn’t work as a stand-alone element. Take the example of Hard Rock Café, who attempted a recruitment marketing campaign simply using Facebook – the result was a deluge of candidates, none of whom were screened, that made for a number too vast to actually process.
Fact: Social Media needs to be used as part of a Recruitment Sales Platform that includes elements of sourcing, screening and attracting. Social Media can be used for Recruitment Marketing but it needs to be done with an expert experienced hand, carefully managing Employer Branding holistically across the board.
Myth #5: Small or One Man Band Recruitment Marketers are just after a quick buck
These guys have a bad rap as cowboys, but in the majority of cases this is simply unfounded.
Fact: Often small recruitment marketers are in fact the best of the best. They are true consultants, experts at what they do, and with a proven track record and a reputation to keep. They may have a system or package that they know works, like our very own Campaign Builder – it’s an expert service affordably driven to ensure that you get the cream of the crop.
Myth #6: The best candidates will seek you out
Whilst it might be nice to think this, unfortunately it’s not true. The very best employees are often not even on the lookout, and have no problem in securing a job. Therefore, the converse is true: the best are unlikely to seek you out.
Fact: To entice and encourage the best, you need a recruitment marketing strategy that reaches deep to draw out the very best, make them believe they want to work for you. Sourcing can’t simply rely on an active pool of candidates, but needs to go beyond this.
Myth #7: Recruitment Marketing is too time-consuming
For fee-earners having to take on the task of the Recruiter, there is no doubt that Recruitment Marketing eats time. But it’s only a reality if you allow it to be so.
Fact: By using a Recruitment Marketing expert, as well as recruitment technology, you remove the time-consuming element and simply get to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labour.
Myth #8: Recruitment Software can do it all for you
We’ve come a long way in terms of technology that can be utilised in recruitment. Databases have grown arms and legs and it’s all too easy to believe that the whole process can become a simple case of coding.
Fact: The human element matters. Recruitment software can’t replace intuition and gut feel, it can’t compare interactions and balance different feelings. It has its place in streamlining the process, but human interaction is still essential.
Once the myths are debunked, Recruitment Marketing can do its job: getting you the best of the best, employees that will drive your business forward, whatever their role and whatever your specialism.
