How to Develop an Online Recruitment Strategy that Works

By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

How do you find new hires? Is it through employee referrals? Advertising in trade publications? Recruiters?

If you are not already using online recruitment strategies there is a good chance that you will be in the future. The reasons why are both compelling and simple.

• People are spending more time online to do a variety of tasks, including finding a new job
• Like it or not, job candidates will check out your firm online and draw conclusions
• It is arguably the least expensive form of recruiting

 
These reasons and others are driving more professional services firms to use online recruiting. The chart below, taken from our recent study of online marketing for professional services firms, shows that about 55% of firms recruit at least some employees online.

 
Further, about one in four firms gets 40% or more of its hires online. Clearly, something is working here.

Let’s take a closer look at the seven steps involved in developing an online recruitment strategy:

1. Research the characteristics of your best employees.

What makes them so successful? How can you describe these attributes in a way that helps you target more just like them? If you don’t understand who you are looking for it will be hard to find them.

2. Understand the real benefits you offer.

By benefits, I’m not talking about paid vacation or health insurance. I’m talking about what your firm has to offer to new recruits. Is it a chance to do meaningful work? A chance to work independently on high profile projects? The better you understand these benefits, the easier it is to sell prospective employees on your firm. Here is where interviews with current staff can be most helpful.

3. Create messages to communicate these key benefits.

A great work environment is of limited use if no one knows about it. Here’s a rule of thumb: If potential employees don’t know about the real benefits, they are wasted. Make them a part of your “Talent Brand” that is communicated to all potential hires.

4. Get your message in front of potential new hires.

Find out where potential hires congregate, then tell them your story. Part of this message should also be about who is not well suited to the work at hand.

5. Make it easy to respond.

As with any other form of online marketing, you must be clear about what action you want folks to take and set up your website accordingly: make it easier to apply and you will get more responses.

6. Track your progress.

Make sure you carefully monitor your progress. Which candidates were more successful? What did they do differently? These observation will help you adjust your message and refine the offer.

7. Stay true to your brand.

You have (or should have) a clear understanding of your brand and its implications on employee behavior. Don’t keep these expectations a hidden secret. If potential employees understand what is expected of them, they are more likely to deliver on those expectations.

Interested in building an online recruitment strategy for your firm? First you need to understand the fundamentals of the entire branding process. That way, you can think through the issues around your internal and external brands. If you need a primer or a referesher, the free branding kit below is a great way to get started.