If you’ve tried to hire in the past year, you know that the market is extremely competitive right now. I’ve spoken to many business owners who are frustrated by how hard it is to fi nd good people to hire. There has been a big shift in recruiting and hiring trends, so businesses are figuring out how to set themselves apart in order to attract the best talent.
When you’re interviewing someone, you have to realize that you’re being interviewed too. Today’s professionals are harder to please. Whether we like it or not, they are entering the workforce with a lot higher expectations for their employers. They are hungry for a supportive and thriving culture, tasks that allow them to grow professionally and personally, competitive pay so they can live comfortably and take care of their families, a flexible work schedule for when emergencies arise, a mission they can really get behind, leadership that encourages community involvement and volunteerism, and much more.
You can offer all of these benefits, but how will people know if you don’t tell them? You have to advertise. You have to tell your story. You have to invest in recruitment marketing.
Recruitment marketing means promoting your organization and your culture in addition to specific job openings. I love the way Entrepreneur Media put it in a previous article they published on employer branding: “Organizations that want to win the war for talent should not only aspire to become a great place to work; they should aim to be perceived as one too.”
The difference between recruiting and recruitment marketing is that, through marketing, you are bringing the talent to you rather than you shuffling through a list of potential employees on sites like Indeed or LinkedIn. I’m not saying don’t use these sites to promote your job opportunities—these recruitment efforts are absolutely still necessary. I’m saying that recruitment marketing will take you further and help you stand out.
This is what Strictly Business helps you accomplish through advertising. Advertising with Strictly Business is so much more than just running an ad. You’re working with a real team that is committed to local business. We value putting a face to the name. You can see this in the magazine through all the amazing free, valued-added editorial we offer. Whether it’s a press release, feature story, or River City Six, our goal is to help your audience make a personal connection with your organization. When you host a company appreciation event or you’re recognizing a new hire or a promotion, you’re painting a picture of what it’s like to work at your business. You’re showing the audience that you celebrate your people!
In addition, our quarterly employment feature gives local businesses and organizations a space to share why someone
would want to work for them. Just by participating, it shows the audience that these companies value not only being a great place to work, but also being perceived as a great place to work. In this issue, you’ll fi nd our Employing Lincoln feature. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with these awesome businesses and organizations! Maybe you or someone you know is looking for a new career. Put these businesses and organizations at the top of your lists. If your company is hiring, I invite you to be in our next employment feature in the May 2022 issue or talk to me about
advertising in general.
People are the biggest asset to your company. You have to have the right people working for you if you want your business to thrive. So don’t slack on efforts when it comes to reaching and winning over those people. With that, I’ll leave you with a hiring quote I enjoy from David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather:
“If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”