Most companies think they’re doing a good job recruiting. But some are falling short in many respects, including the information they share about what it’s like to work for them.
Before taking the plunge and accepting a job offer, most people want to get a good idea of what they’re in for once they become part of the team/family/Borg.
Although companies put a lot of time and resources into recruiting, creating content that educates potential employees about what the company stands for is an area that is woefully unexplored. It’s a shame because there are so many ways content can be leveraged to educate job seekers about a company’s culture.
Think about how people learn what it’s like to work at a company, assuming they don’t have existing connections within the company to give them insight. First they’ll read whatever self-aggrandizing content a company puts up on its website, usually a couple of paragraphs on the institution’s history and values. Then maybe they go fish through a site like Glassdoor, hoping they can sift through the malcontents and the plants to get an idea of what working at the company is like, all without creating an account. Perhaps you got chatted up by an obviously biased company recruiter at a job fair or campus recruiting event.
You add all that up and you get what they called “bupkis” in the Old Country. It’s time to make something out of nothing.
One obvious medium companies are under-utilizing is video. Sure companies produce videos and post them to their websites, but most of them feel stiff. A video that feels too corporate and lacks creativity isn’t going to get anybody too excited about a company.
Luckily, there are literally hundreds, if not gazillions, of ways companies can use video to show how awesome they are. For instance, you could challenge your employees to create short videos on their phones showing what it is they love about their jobs, and then edit the footage together to make a compelling case for signing on.
Make videos that show the social side of working for your company, and not just the fact that you have a ping-pong table and a “thinkstation.” Some unstaged footage at a company happy hour or lighter moments at the company retreat could get the job done. But these suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. There is no limit to how creative you can get with video.
Another thing that’s important is not just writing about the company itself. Employees will be spending a minimum of 40 hours a week at the office. That means what goes on in the area around the office is extremely important to their work experience. Consider creating detailed, professional-looking guides to things like restaurants in the area, pet-friendly businesses or anything you think might appeal to potential employees. Publish them as easily downloadable PDF’s or just throw them up on your website.
These will have a two-pronged impact. They will teach prospects what they can do for fun near work, and the fact you took the time to create them is a statement about how important work/life balance is to your company.
Use social media to engage job seekers. Instagram is a great way to showcase lighter moments that take place around the office. Regular posts on LinkedIn never hurt. At the very least, they insure eyeballs will fall on your content at a location chock full of job seekers.
And use the great cacophony of social blabber we call Twitter to connect with people. Don’t just Tweet updates about your company. Reach out to people. Introduce your company to people by making it a part of the conversation. Twitter can be like a dating app for your company. You don’t know when you might find Mr. or Ms. Right simply by Tweeting an opening line at someone who looks interesting to you.
The bottom line is that content is so affordable to create, and there is literally no limit to how creative you can get with it. Try and think of things nobody has done before. “About Us” pages have existed since the 1990s. They’re just not going to impress anyone anymore.
If you want people to think your company is ahead of the game, good recruiting content can make that happen.
If your company is as talented as you think it is, that means there should be a ton of people already on your roster who can help come up with and help create one of a kind recruiting content. So start harvesting ideas and getting that content out there. It’s past time for your content to help you reach your recruiting potential.
