Launching a successful recruitment campaign: 7 steps to get it done

Are you finding it difficult to attract the right candidates to your business? You may need to work on your recruitment campaign. Sometimes even the best targeted recruitment campaign ideas need adjusting.

An effective campaign may take time to develop, but there are plenty of methods to ensure your efforts are rewarded. So, what are the seven steps for creating the best recruitment campaign strategies? How can you attract candidates with the perfect skills?

What is a recruitment campaign in employment?

Recruitment campaigns are strategies that organizations use to attract candidates. A creative employment campaign may involve using recruitment marketing strategies with the help of recruitment tools and other methods. 

What is the objective of a recruitment campaign?

The primary objective of a recruitment campaign is to attract exceptional candidates and encourage them to apply for your open positions.

To achieve this objective, you must show potential applicants what makes your company an attractive proposition compared with your competitors. Amplifying your brand is also key: 84% of US job applicants check online reviews of an organization before applying to a vacancy there.

By sharing the value and advantages of working for your business with potential talent, you can achieve your main objective: attracting skilled candidates who want to work for your brand. Attracting the right candidates can be difficult, but your campaign can change this.

What are some top recruitment campaign examples?

It’s not easy to create an effective recruitment campaign, but basing your ideas on successful campaign examples can help you decide on the best approach. Here are two examples of good recruitment campaigns you may want to consider:

Google’s mathematical equation challenge

Google’s mathematical equation challenge was not only clever but practical. To test problem-solving skills and attract candidates, Google presented a mathematical equation on a billboard for applicants to solve. 

Candidates who successfully figured out Google’s equation accessed a website with more equations that tested their mathematical skills. 

Applicants found the process interesting, and the company was able to discover which candidates had the required math skills. This unique, brand-appropriate, and exciting campaign helped Google find top applicants.

Cisco’s employee-inclusive recruitment campaign

Through its recruitment campaign, Cisco acknowledged that workplace culture is a crucial factor that can attract candidates to vacancies. It created a video for applicants showing its employees and values. 

With several slogans to choose from, the company decided on “Be you, with us” to emphasize that it values unity and individuality. This slogan tells candidates that both teamwork and having the freedom to express oneself as an individual are important to Cisco.

7 steps to build a recruitment campaign

Launching a successful recruitment campaign strategy involves several factors. Consider implementing the following steps to improve your recruitment campaign:

1. Consider your recruitment goals

You should first consider the goals you want to achieve with a recruitment drive, such as: 

• Matching your applicants to suitable long-term positions

• Ensuring that new hires are content in their roles

• Refining your onboarding process

Of course, you may have different objectives from those listed here, but aim for SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable, time-based) goals to ensure your campaign is realistic.

2. Understand your organization 

Next, you must ensure you understand your organization’s short- and long-term recruitment objectives, the culture of the business, and what makes your employees happy and motivated at work. By understanding these things, you can align the recruitment campaign with your objectives.

To understand your recruitment campaign goals better, ask yourself these questions:

• What makes your employees happy?

• How does the culture of the business appear to potential applicants?

• How does the campaign align with your long-term hiring goals?

• How should the job advertising process line up with your recruitment marketing goals?

3. Prioritize candidate profiles

Now that you understand your organization’s objectives, you can focus on candidate profiling. This process may include checking your current employees’ data to determine which characteristics and skills make them successful in their roles. 

Determining whether your current employees’ profiles align with your candidates’ profiles is one way to avoid spending time looking through resumes. This approach can speed up your recruitment process and help you initiate a successful recruitment campaign.

Creating customized skills assessments with pre-employment tests that fit the role you’re hiring for is another great idea to ensure that candidates have the right skills. 

4. Build relationships with candidates

Part of launching a successful recruitment campaign involves nurturing ongoing relationships with candidates. The wider your network of applicants, the easier it is to attract suitable ones.

Here are some ways to build and nurture candidate relationships:

• Stay in contact with skilled candidates in your network

• Find ways to add new candidates to your network

• Enhance your relationships with candidates by helping them improve their skills and giving feedback (even if you didn’t hire them for the job)

5. Treat job advertising like marketing

When it’s time to advertise a position, treating it like a marketing process can help. Ensure you know your target audience and the methods that best appeal to them. A few advertising techniques and marketing strategies can help you refine your job advertising process:

• Find out which channels your potential candidates use, and advertise jobs there

• Tailor your job ad to your audience

• Use your company’s brand and values to appeal to potential candidates

• Create a clear, well-written job description

• Make it obvious why your company is an attractive place to work

• Mention unique benefits, such as remote working, insurance, and flexible hours

6. Use SEO to attract candidates

You can use search engine optimization (SEO) in job postings and social media posts to attract applicants to your open roles. By using keywords and backlinks, you can optimize your job posting for search engines. 

SEO can help you promote the following:

• Job ads

• Your organization’s website

• Your company’s brand

If you lack technical SEO skills, a content agency that deals with SEO optimization can assist you with a long-term recruitment campaign.

7. Reassess your plan

Finally, ensure you reassess your plan and check whether there’s room for improvement. As your business grows and evolves, you may need to adjust your strategy to remain on track with your objectives. It’s best to reassess your plan when:

• There are changes in the job market

• You’ve hired a few candidates and need to ensure the strategy works

• You notice there’s room to improve

What are 3 important recruitment methods?

Don’t forget to consider using different recruitment methods when formulating your recruitment campaign. Three effective recruitment methods you may use include:

1. Recruitment events: This strategy is ideal if your organization is growing. Attend job fair events, campus recruitment drives, or open days to attract new talent. 

2. Direct advertising: This involves posting job ads on your company website, a job board, or a social media site to promote your brand and attract applicants.

3. Employee referrals: Use this cost-effective recruitment campaign method to find promising candidates via existing staff in exchange for an incentive.

Launch a successful recruitment campaign with TestGorilla

Once your recruitment campaign gets underway, evaluating your applicants’ skills is a must. This process can help you ensure your candidates have the specific skills needed for the job. Pre-employment testing with TestGorilla is the best method to round off your recruitment campaign and ensure your efforts don’t go to waste. 

TestGorilla is here to help you find the talent you need. Simply sign up for a free trial plan, create an assessment, and begin skills testing with our reliable platform. Visit our skills test library to find out how we complement a successful recruitment campaign.