Sarah Wood
By Sarah Wood, founder of Sarah Wood Communication and member of NAWBO Greater DC
You’re looking to bring on a new individual (or multiple new hires) to fill an essential role within your company. But unemployment is currently at 3.7%. The “Great Resignation” has ended, and the “Great Stay” has begun. You need multiple viable candidates to make the optimal hiring decision, but the labor market is tight.
Setting the stage for hiring success starts well before you post the job, salary, requirements and benefits. And it starts with what some would consider an unlikely place–your corporate communication strategy. Your efforts to consistently share the story of your organization’s good work can help bring the talent you need and want directly to your door (or inbox). How so?
- The larger your following (email subscribers, social media followers, website visitors, etc.), the more people who are aware that you are hiring
How do you get a large subscriber or follower base? By presenting high-quality and authentic content on a consistent basis that resonates with your audience. Not only can you tap into that audience when searching for potential employees, but the more your audience feels a connection with you, the more likely they are to share your needs with their networks, thus amplifying the reach of your job posting and serving as a volunteer-led recruitment team.
- Prospective candidates feel like they “know” the organization and are better aware of the corporate culture
Information is everywhere these days. Prospective employees will visit an organization’s website, social media accounts and the public accounts of key employees to better inform themselves about what the company does, its brand and its culture before deciding whether to apply for a position. A corporate communication plan that ensures the organization accurately reflects the positive elements of the company’s culture is more likely to attract candidates that are a good fit and support the organization’s mission and values.
- Current employees can serve as ambassadors who spread the word and promote your organization as a good place to work
Have a strong internal communication effort as part of your corporate communication strategy? Great! Then it will be easy for you to tap into your current employees to help spread the word about your job opening, provide clear direction for how internal candidates should proceed and equip them to answer frequently asked questions from potential external candidates. Every employee—let me repeat that—every employee should be able to give an elevator speech about what the company does and why it matters. Otherwise, it’s a missed opportunity, not only for employee recruitment efforts, but for overall organizational growth. The more you keep your employees informed and the easier you make it for them to share what they appreciate about their job and the organization, the more successful your recruitment efforts will be.
- Expand the applicant pool by reaching individuals who are open to a new position, but not actively looking for a new job
Active job seekers search out job sites and boards, looking for something that piques their interest and matches their skill set. But an effective corporate communication strategy that not only pushes your messaging out to targeted audiences but also engages and collaborates with them—that helps widen your talent pool to include those people who would be open to changing jobs but aren’t actively looking.
- Keep applicants connected with your organization and aware of future opportunities
If publicized well, you won’t be able to extend an offer to everyone who applies to work with your organization, but with a strong corporate communication effort, you can keep them connected to the good work of your organization. They’ve already expressed interest by applying; don’t lose contact. Make them feel valued and in the loop. Just because they weren’t a good fit for this position, doesn’t mean they won’t be a good fit for future opportunities.
Corporate communication should be consistent and ongoing. Whether you’re looking to hire tomorrow or several years from now, investing in your communication efforts, refining how you tell the story of your organization and expanding your audience are all key to ensuring you improve your talent pool.
About the Author…
Sarah Wood is the founder of Sarah Wood Communication, a boutique communication agency dedicated to helping illuminate the work of purpose-driven organizations and sharing those stories with targeted audiences by providing customized communication strategies and services.