Among the many responsibilities and hats they wear, perhaps the most important role of executive recruiters is that of a salesperson or marketer. In addition to having to find qualified talent to fill necessary functions, they are also expected to sell open roles as appealing opportunities to potential high-quality recruits. In a nutshell, recruiters are expected to position job openings attractively to the right candidate at the right time. With this in mind, how can they adopt a marketing approach to candidate sourcing and recruiting that drives success?  

Make Existing Employees Your Most Important Resource

When it comes to credibility, there is something uniquely compelling about having your employees act as the ambassadors of your company. According to LinkedIn’s 2017 Global Recruiting Trends Report, 48 percent of companies surveyed claim that employee referrals are a top pipeline for recruiting. Keep in mind that there are a few things to be cautious about when using an employee referral program, but when deployed mindfully, employees can be an excellent resource for attracting and retaining top talent.

eBook: How to Attract Top Talent Using Inbound RecruitingFind out how to harness the power of an inbound recruiting strategy in order to attract, hire, and retain top talent.

Build Your Employer Brand

2018 is the year for companies to start prioritizing their internal brand as much as their consumer-facing one. This is critical for attracting top talent and filling the right roles swiftly. Just as much as you spend time vetting candidates, understand that potential employees also spend a lot of time researching a prospective employer. Make sure that your brand stacks up against the competition and that your team is prepared to answer their hard-hitting questions during the interview process and beyond.

Center on the Employee Experience

An essential part of marketing is to personalize the experience. This goes not just for customers but also your candidates. Focus on getting away from a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing and toward making your prospects feel like people rather than numbers in a queue. If something about them stands out — such as a paper they published or another achievement of theirs — be sure to mention it.  This approach should extend to the interview process as well. Instead of bombarding them with questions, make sure that they also have a chance to speak and ask questions as well.

Just as marketing is at its best when it’s consumer-centric, so too is executive recruitment when it’s candidate-centric. Take a look at your recruiting practices from the outside looking in and ask yourself if you are really providing the kind of personalized recruiting experience you would want as a top candidate in your field. If the answer is “no,” then it may be time to up your game and take immediate steps to improve your executive recruiting strategy.

Looking for ways to better align your marketing and executive recruitment efforts? Thrive TRM has the tools you need to automate the process and build a better employer brand. Contact us for more information about Thrive TRM recruiting software and its capabilities for talent management.

Inbound Recruiting