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Are you a dynamic multitasking hands-on candidate with good communications skills and a sense of humor? Then you are in luck, because almost every recruiter in the world is looking for you. Companies wanted you 10 years ago, open any jobsite today and see that they are still looking for the same profile. Now how do you know you're such a person? What do these terms mean?
Dynamic: In a constant state of change and moving energy. So if you are an asteroid, you're in.
Hands-on: If you are Captain Hook, you are sh*t out of luck.
Good comm skills: You know how to talk, good enough.
Sense of humor: Not looking for a comedian, but you better have a joke at the coffee machine.
I'm just guessing here, I probably better pass the HR department for some more solid intel on these recruitment terms. I would really like to spot one of these candidates to see what makes them so special that everybody wants to hire them. To me words like 'dynamic' or 'hands-on' are like 'strategy' and 'programmatic', everybody talks about them, but nobody really knows what they mean.
War for talent
I think it is weird that in a profession where you are in a constant state of war, a battle to attract the best talent, people tend to communicate so generic. Certainly when it could also just be that there is no war for talent at all, but just a huge matching crisis (Quote: Brett Minchington, CEO Employer Branding International). A valid point, because when are you attracting top talent? When someone is said to be the best sales manager in the universe? Could be if you put that person in your company, with your culture, all that talent just fades. In that case you won the battle, but lost the war. A beautiful flower can only truly blossom in the right soil. (That sentence is so lame, but it makes me feel like a wise Japanese karate master :) ) So more reason to start recruiting in the most authentic, entertaining and efficient way possible.
Everything is content
How do you communicate in such an attractive way? Well, by realizing that everything you put out there is content. Text, pictures, videos, the conversation you had with a potential candidate at a reception. It is all content. Once you realize that and force yourself to put all you got in everything you produce, then you will see results. I'm not even talking about big budget employer branding video productions starring George Clooney. Not every recruiter has this kind of money at their disposal. So start looking at what you do have and start optimizing it.
Every company posts vacancies on social media and numerous jobsites. Start by rewriting them in such a way that the vacancy is not just a sheet full of information about the job, but a strong attractive and entertaining piece of content that gives an immediate feel of the company, culture, team and function. Can't be done? I flipped some vacancies from 4 to 10 people on average applying for the job to more than 400 in only 3 days. I know you only need one candidate, but I rather have my pick out of 400 than just 4. Cool thing about it, most people weren't even looking for a job, they just had to apply after reading the text. Can you imagine, a text vacancy doing this in a video and employer branding controlled world? Is this pride, yes. Is this boasting, no. Just want to show you that there is no excuse for not attracting the right people and not making a match. You just need to think about your content and lose the 'but'. There is always an excuse to blame it on the market, the sector you are in or the lack of budget you have.
You are a marketer with emotions
"All this content, making things sexy, that is a job for marketers not recruiters." Sentence like this is probably the reason why more than 10% of companies are shifting the employer branding responsibility from HR to marketing. In my opinion recruiters are marketers, they have exactly the same job and that is selling the company/brand. The only difference is what they expect in return from their target audience. I believe HR and marketing should work together and learn from each other. A strong brand sells great product or services and attracts and retains the right talent. The story can only be truly powerful and authentic if HR and marketing are following the same storyline. Use the HR emotional intelligence of working with people and combine it with the branding and innovation knowledge of marketers.
Next time you are struggling to fill in a job opening, ask yourself what have I done to make my content attractive? Is this what my target audience cares about? And most importantly. Would you be attracted yourself if you weren't working for the company? The answer most of the time is no, so if you wouldn't respond to it yourself if you were in the candidate's shoes, then why do you expect him to?
You are a marketer with emotions, so start recruiting like one ;)
Marnick Vandebroek is the Chief Storyteller & a stand up guy at Stand Up Company.
Marnick is also the resident MC of World Employer Branding Day 27-28 April 2017 | Budapest and will keep the audience of 350+ from more than 35 countries around the world entertained, inspired and ensure speakers are on track (and share some great stories along the way....he promises!!)