Attraction: The First Step to a Successful Candidate Experience

How can recruiters get creative with attracting top talent? Let’s face it, boring ads attract the wrong people and fail to spark the interest of the best candidates. So how do we come up with clever ways to promote employer brand that haven’t been done before?

We have all seen the typical ads. They are simple and to the point. They state that in order to apply for this job, you need to have this amount of experience, this education level, this industry knowledge… the list goes on. But how do we get people excited about a job or a workplace? How do we get them excited about a job offer and motivate them to follow through?

Past Practices

Looking at other companies’ creative ads, you can find the great lengths recruiters will go to find top performers. One of the most famous was a newspaper ad posted by Ernest Shackleton which stated,

“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”

That sounds terrifying, but doesn’t it spark interest? It causes us to ask the questions; what is this job exactly; what does this journey entail; and how can I get more information?

Shackleton knew exactly what he was doing. He evoked strong emotions out of people. He knew writing something so distinct and unique would cause a stir, attract the right candidates based on the upfront expectations, and in turn convert the right talent.

Forward-thinking Ideas

So what about now? What creative tactics are companies doing to draw in new hires?

Red 5 Studios also launched a lasting message to their candidates.

They realized they were up against a lot of larger software companies and had to create something impactful to bring people in. They chose 100 ‘dream’ candidates, and used social media to research them extensively, they sent each a personalized iPod with a message recorded from CEO, Mark Kern, discussing, the candidate’s work and inviting them to apply. What a way to invite someone to apply! free iPod with a personalized message would make anyone eager to submit an application. It makes the candidate think, what else is in store if you work for a company when you haven’t even applied but receive such an expensive gift?!

Attracting candidates isn't rocket science and doesn’t even have to be as bank-breaking as sending iPods to your candidate pool. But, do promote a healthy, enjoyable, and engaging employee experience that will have your talent flocking to your job openings like flies to a summer picnic!

If you’re looking for new ways to improve your candidate experience and out-of-the-box ideas, watch our webinar Tactics for Creating a Not Normal Candidate & Employee Experience and get to attracting the right talent!