The Power of Online Recruitment
It is important for every company to have a good recruitment strategy, especially if they want to hire new employees quickly.
Recruitment methods allow companies to find the right people for their organization in a short time. Due to online options,
a lot has changed in the field of recruitment in recent years. In this article we discuss different methods and explain how
your company can fill open vacancies faster.
Recruitment methods
There are a wide variety of recruitment methods available today. Where in the past a vacancy was mainly brought to
attention via job boards and printed media, nowadays more and more use is made of online marketing and social media.
The online data trails we leave behind on the internet have created a great opportunity for companies to reach potential
candidates in an increasingly targeted manner. Below we list a number of recruitment methods that you as a company can use to
find new employees.
Printed media
Print media, such as a regional or national newspaper, can still be an effective way to find new staff. Also consider trade
magazines where you can find interesting vacancies. However, the number of people using this type of media to look for work
is decreasing, but it is still useful to explore whether you can recruit employees through traditional methods.
Company website
The company website is the basis of online marketing for every company. It can certainly be worthwhile to create an attractive
landing page on which you present your vacancy. Recruiting through your website allows you to reach interested job seekers directly
through targeted advertising on social media or by using Google Ads. The website also offers many options for retargeting.
For example, based on website visits, you can bring an advertisement to the attention of potential employees at a later time.
Online job boards
Online job boards are an efficient way to find suitable candidates. Vacancies can be posted easily and quickly on these
websites and often have a wide reach. In addition, candidates can register on job boards, allowing you to more specifically
search and contact candidates. Recruitment agencies often collaborate with various online portal sites and manage their job
postings internally. This way they can ensure that vacancies are posted on a large number of websites.
Job fairs
Job fairs are a great way to meet potential candidates in person. You can meet a potential employee in a non-binding manner
and assess whether someone fits the culture of your company. Job fairs ensure that you put yourself on the map as an employer
and quickly find new candidates during the selection process.
Job search engines
It is possible to register your online vacancies with vacancy search engines. By focusing on the right keywords and demographic
data, you ensure that a suitable candidate quickly finds the vacancy.
Social media
Social media has brought about a big change when it comes to recruitment methods. Social media offer an opportunity to reach both
active job seekers and passive candidates in a very targeted manner. With the advent of social media, companies have also started
posting better content that meets the needs of the target group. After all, nowadays it is very important to position your company
in a unique way to attract good employees.
Online recruitment
Online recruitment has become increasingly important to attract applicants. Online recruitment means that you
use a data-driven approach to bring your vacancies to the attention of the right target group. This means that you have to
research demographic data, draw up an interest profile and know through which channels you reach the target group. The application
process is often a time-consuming activity for many companies. By using online recruitment, you choose a different approach that
allows you to greatly shorten the application process and increase the quality of applicants.
Combining different methods
When looking for new employees, it's a good idea to combine different methods. This way you can reach the widest possible audience
and attract the best candidates. It is of course important that you investigate in advance which channels your target group
is present on. Based on this, you can, for example, determine which social media channels you want to
use (e.g. LinkedIn and Instagram). You can also use the business network of your own staff. They can share vacancies on
their own social media accounts or play ball within their network.
Internal and external recruitment
A distinction is often made between internal and external recruitment. Internal recruitment means that you attract suitable
candidates within the company. External hiring means looking for candidates outside the company. Both methods can provide many
benefits for your business.
Internal recruitment
Recruiting your own staff can be a very efficient way to find new employees, because you know your current staff and know exactly
where their strengths lie. By recruiting internally you show that you pay attention to personal development and that you offer
sufficient career opportunities. These are important USPs that you can include in other vacancy texts.
External recruitment
It is not always easy to find suitable candidates within your own network and company. External recruitment can therefore be
a very efficient way to hire new employees. There can be several reasons why someone is looking for a new job. For example,
someone may want a better salary or a position with more responsibility. Moving can also be a reason why someone is looking
for a new job. The disadvantage of recruiting externally is that you do not yet know potential candidates. The preselection
is therefore very important to get a good idea of the candidates and their skill set. Many companies often outsource the
application process to selection agencies and recruiters to find the right person.
Open applications
Open applications are a great way to attract the best candidates. By making it known that your company also recruits
through open applications, you show that you are genuinely interested in potential talent. Moreover, you leave a good impression
on potential applicants, because they know that you want to offer an opportunity to motivated employees. Make it clear on the
vacancy page of your website that open applications are welcome.
Use of employment agencies
Employment agencies can play an important role when it comes to recruitment. If you are looking for temporary staff, an
employment agency is a very interesting option. The advantage of temporary staff is that you can fill a position temporarily
until you have found the right candidate. A disadvantage of a temporary employment agency is that it can be difficult to keep
staff working for a longer period of time. In order to find permanent employees who want to commit to your company for a long
time, it is very important to use online recruitment techniques.
How do you reach the right target group?
The times when you posted your vacancies in a regional newspaper are long gone. Traditional recruitment methods can still be
effective, but it has become increasingly important to use the right online techniques. Below you will find the steps taken to
set up a successful recruitment campaign:
Use of online data trails
By using online data trails you can determine the online behavior of your target group. You look at the websites that your
target group visits, the social media channels they use and the keywords they search for in Google. By using this information
intelligently, you can fully focus on candidates who meet the job profile of the vacancy.
Distinctive vacancy
A good way to make your vacancy visible online is by designing an eye-catching vacancy page. By creating an attractive vacancy
page, you can provide an insight into your company in addition to the vacancy text. Recruiting top talent means showing candidates
what makes working at your company unique.
Content strategy
The content strategy is also an important part of the recruitment process. Recruiters should not only focus on attracting
applicants, but also on whether they are qualified for a job. By using the right language and style, you can ensure that only
qualified candidates with substantive knowledge apply for your vacancy. It is also important to respond to the information needs
of the target group with unique content. For example, you can let existing staff talk about the distinctive capabilities of your
organization. This is an effective way to compete with other employers.
Measuring = knowing
You can measure the success of your recruitment campaign very well using Google Analytics. Data allows you to gain valuable
insights into the efficiency of your recruitment campaign and make adjustments where necessary. This way you can assess which
channels have the highest click through rate and which advertisements are most popular.
What constitutes a good job profile?
The job description is very important to give candidates a good idea of the vacancy. Matters such as salary and desired education
must be clearly described. Try to put yourself in the applicant's shoes and determine what his or her criteria might be for applying.
For most positions you will often find the same general vacancy text that is not very distinctive. Therefore, try to address
candidates directly and tempt them with the possibilities within your company.
Useful tips for the application procedure
Do you want to improve the application procedure within your company? Below we provide a number of useful tips with which you can
actually attract better employees.
Make use of online options
In addition to job boards, try to focus on social media and advertisements. By mapping online search behavior, you ensure
that your vacancy always appears at the top when a potential candidate carries out a search.
Make use of your network
You can use your current network and relationships to draw attention to the vacancy. When you make smart use of existing
contacts, you not only receive extra support, but you increase the chance that someone may already know a suitable candidate.
You can also use your existing employees to increase the reach of the vacancy.
Keep communicating well
It is important that you keep candidates well informed at every stage of the application process. You can do this via email, but
you can also choose to contact applicants by telephone. During a job interview, always make it clear when you will contact the
applicant again.
Don't lose sight of applicants
After the selection, you may have to reject potential employees that you would rather hire. A useful tip is to ask permission
whether you can approach these people in the future when new vacancies become available. You can also send a written card thanking
the applicant for their interest in your company and indicating that you may want to contact them again in the future. This is a very
personal way to keep in touch that often works well.
Costs
The selection process takes a lot of time and is often a major expense for companies. Advertisements via LinkedIn or external
recruiters are often very expensive and do not immediately result in a new employee. That is why you have to look carefully at
how you can use your budget wisely, so that you attract many applicants in a relatively short time. Outsourcing can be an interesting
option in this case. A good recruitment agency is aware of the latest online techniques and can in many cases halve the average cost
per hire. Moreover, you no longer have to rely on external recruiters and your HR employees can continue to focus on their primary
activities.