What is a company without the team behind it? Talent is what drives ideas, innovations and brands forward. Thus, it’s crucial for every organisation to attract and cultivate great talent to stay at the forefront. Marketing has the power to support recruitment and employee retention if executed properly. Corporate communications and public relations campaigns solidify your company culture and purpose, differentiate your brand from competitors and help you build a strong team to propel you to new levels.
Consider the following marketing best practices to attract job seekers and build additional goodwill among your current workforce:
People want to work for best-in-class organisations. Perhaps your company is on a Best Places to Work list, has achieved an important environmental award for its commitment to sustainability or has won a competition for product innovation. Promote these prestigious accomplishments through press releases, blogs, icons on your website and in your hiring announcements. Highlighting that your firm is continually pushing boundaries and being recognised showcases that your organisation strives for success and celebrates the milestones its team members help secure.
Job seekers want to be able to envision themselves working at your company. One way to help them do so is by giving them visibility of your team. This tactic also has other benefits, as showcasing your employees via platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram makes them feel seen and valued.
Consider posting about team building and fundraising events that bring your employees together, highlight individuals’ anniversaries and promotions, and recognise major achievements like surpassing sales goals, passing certification tests and even retirement. Be mindful of the positive impact that celebrating diversity has on recruitment. Nearly half (47%) of Millennials say that a diverse and inclusion workplace is important in their job search.
Your corporate communications program should regularly promote your brand’s vision and values. From environmental sustainability to mental health to charitable giving to fairtrade, there are many initiatives that companies can promote to highlight they are good corporate citizens. Taking a stand on topics of importance can help organisations attract individuals who are passionate about the same issues and want to make a difference. Remember to be consistent with your messaging so it resonates with people. Communicate initiatives and values via your website, on social media channels, through channels like webinars, tradeshows and podcasts and even in the language used in job posts.
In addition to highlighting how your team members enrich your company, it’s important to elevate the profile of your leadership team. For smaller organisations, this may just require executive profiling for the CEO. For larger corporations, you may want to consider promoting the CEO, CTO or even the director of corporate sustainability. LinkedIn is a great channel for doing so, but also consider securing bylined articles and interviews for company leaders as well as speaking opportunities at summits, tradeshows and conferences.
A 2018 poll of 33,000 people in 25+ countries found that 84% wanted CEOs to comment on important societal issues. Imagine the positive impact that CEO visibility can have on attracting new talent if leaders take a stand against wrongdoings in the world and showcase what they believe in.
Videos are one of digital marketing’s greatest gifts. They can quickly and easily communicate a concept, holding the attention of the viewer while educating them. For instance, some companies use videos to highlight their corporate culture. Others develop video content around the company’s annual results and achievements. Those with larger budgets create television and radio advertisements geared towards customers that also shape the way job seekers feel about brands. Videos can also bring customer success stories to life. While video is often a big-ticket investment compared to other marketing tactics, it’s one that can deliver benefits over the long term.
Your organisation’s marketing choices have a big impact on the way your brand is perceived by current employees, job seekers, customers and prospects. It’s important to understand that anyone can become an employee of your company in the future – even one of your customers or an employee’s LinkedIn connection! By following the above best practices, you can ensure that you are communicating effectively, frequently and consistently to position your brand as a leading place to work.
Are you hoping to better engage prospective employees as well as your current workforce through marketing? Contact Mulberry to discuss how we can support your external and internal communication goals.
Jess Messenger is an Account Director at Mulberry Marketing Communications, an award-winning full-service B2B communications agency based in Chicago, London and Australia. She enjoys developing PR campaign strategies and writing for B2B audiences across numerous verticals such as retail, foodservice and healthcare.