Also known as recruitment agency or recruitment communications, recruitment advertising is a strategy that is typically employed as a way of attracting the right kind of applicants for open positions within a firm. A variation on this application is sometimes used by non-profit organizations, in which advertising campaigns are targeted to reach and hopefully attract certain types of volunteers for specific projects. With both applications, the goal is to connect with individuals with the gifts, talents, and experience that would allow both parties to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship. Several different types of recruitment communications may be used in an effort to accomplish this goal, depending on the nature of the organization and the type of recruits the organization is targeting.
Print advertisements are among the more common examples of recruitment advertising. Placing ads in carefully selected publications that identify the skill sets and aptitudes needed to fill a job or volunteer position is often a cost-effective way to reach people who may be interested in the opportunity. Typically, using print ads calls for evaluating the reader demographics of different publications, focusing attention on the newspapers, magazines, and trade publications that are routinely read by the appropriate audience.
Another approach to recruitment advertising is the use of online banner ads along with classified advertising placed at specific web sites. In many ways, these online advertising vehicles are virtual counterparts to print ads. This means that the advertiser must still identify web sites that are likely to reach people with the right skills and background for the work involved, and design an ad that is likely to catch their attention. One benefit of online recruitment ads is that the cost is often much lower than print publications, and there is the opportunity to reach a much wider audience.
Social advertising is also a tool that can be classified as a type of recruitment marketing. With this approach, organizations will make use of their existing contacts to reach qualified candidates. By spreading the word among business associates, friends, relatives and even casual acquaintances, the chances of finding at least a few viable candidates to recruit for a specific function are enhanced significantly.
Different types of recruitment advertising will provide superior results in specific situations, especially if the advertising is targeted to reach groups of individuals who are highly likely to have the skills and expertise necessary to fill the position. The approach may be as simple as a local grocer placing an ad in a high school newspaper to hire part-time grocery baggers to a national corporation using a combination of print ads in national magazines and television and radio spots to attract candidates for a manager training program. By defining the characteristics that recruits need to possess and identifying the best ways to reach those candidates, it is possible to create a workable recruitment advertising program that does attract attention and results in generating a great deal of interest.
