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Australia is currently enjoying the lowest unemployment rate it has in years - 4% as per official figures. On many levels this is encouraging, but the flipside is that there is a high demand for talent and a very competitive recruitment market. Our recruiter colleagues are telling us that candidates are getting multiple offers, and that it really is a candidates’ market across all sectors. So how do businesses win the war for talent, and attract the best candidates? One of the best secret weapons is the effective use of social media and content.
In the largest employer branding study done in Australia, global recruitment firm Randstad lays out the key things that candidates are looking for in a company as we come out of the pandemic:
- Work/life balance
- Attractive salary and benefits
- Job security
- Flexibility
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Company culture
Demonstrate the company culture
The more information and insight you can give about your company culture the more likely you are to attract people who will fit into the culture. For example, a person who needs a quiet work environment may not be attracted to a company who has a bustling, noisy open-plan setup. If corporate social responsibility is important to a candidate, they would be more attracted to companies who run corporate volunteering days and social initiatives. Some people are motivated and thrive on public recognition, and would gravitate towards companies who acknowledge staff publicly.
Australian founded software company Safety Culture does this extremely well - their Instagram account gives a real insight into their workplaces, people and social initiatives, and they are renowned for their ability to have candidates come to them.
Which leads us to…
Show and acknowledge your people
The human factor lets candidates see if they would fit in, if they are “people like me” . Someone looking for a creative role may be turned off by a company where everyone wears suits and ties. Someone looking for a company that values diversity and inclusion will want to see that they hire accordingly.
Dutch company Mollie (a payments platform) is a great example of how to do this on LinkedIn, announcing new employees, telling employee stories and showing diversity.
Have your people engage and share
Whilst your corporate channels will certainly aid the cause, having staff engage and share about the company carries even more weight. On average posts and content shared by employees get 8 times the levels of engagement than those shared by CEO’s, according to Nicole Avino of SocialChorus.
Highlight the perks of working at the company
If there is something unique or a drawcard for staff, put it out there!
In a previous article we profiled Ben & Jerry’s and their wonderful office environment, featured in their social media. Having a dog-friendly office with doggie treats and play areas would be considered a big drawcard to dog lovers.
Some companies have summer hours, where staff can clock out at 3pm on Friday’s to enjoy the sun and outdoors.
Annual conferences, celebrations and even incentives are good things to highlight, showing potential candidates that the company values its staff.
In our own practice we have seen the power of social media in action on one of our clients, Reid Stockfeeds.
“If there is something unique or a drawcard for staff, put it out there!”
— Jackie Gordon
Highlighting the brand promise, nutritional advice is posted in bi-monthly blogs, and “did you know” content. To show potential candidates (and clients) that RSF is an industry leader we ensure that the company assumes this role with articles on topics drawn from leading industry sources highlighting developments, changes in the market and industry issues.
It was important for us to show that the company is all about community, and so we share updates on their AFL tipping competition, sponsorships, charity work and testimonials.
We celebrate the team by announcing new employees, update on promotions, and profile The Grunter Awards, where employees are rewarded for their contribution and performance.
The team is encouraged to share their own experiences from the field, with success stories and updates.
Without doubt these initiatives have had a marked impact in recruiting for these critical roles - candidates themselves mentioned that they were attracted by the variety and regular flow of posts, and how the website portrayed a very happy workplace environment. All of which were key deciding factors in them switching employers.
With the need for talent only likely to grow, savvy companies will be looking at their content and social media as attraction marketing for new recruits. Ultimately this is also a savvy financial move. With recruitment fees ranging from 10-25% of an annual salary, having culturally matched candidates come to you is the ultimate goal.
