Today’s jobseekers do their research. 64% use careers site content as a resource, and 78% use social media — but 57% of candidates feel companies aren’t sharing the right information on these channels. What does this mean for talent teams? Bad content is costing you applicants. To truly win over great talent, you need the right content, delivered at the right time. Think ‘day in the life’ testimonials, hiring manager videos, authentic photos, employee stories and more.
So what’s stopping talent teams from creating authentic content? In 2022, “Do more with less” has become the recruitment mantra. Talent acquisition teams today have to wear many hats. Many HR professionals probably didn’t start their careers expecting to be marketers or content creators. But with a tight talent market, teams need to think like marketers to source and secure the best new hires.
“[Marketing and copywriting aren’t] traditionally a key part of recruitment/HR education but have become a critical capability – from job ad writing to marketing collateral and creating engaging blog posts for company websites”.
Andrea Kirby, Shortlist, 2022 TAs struggling to “do it all” amid mounting expectations
To bridge this skill gap, some companies have turned to outsourcing. Other companies have invested in upskilling their staff. But creating relevant, high-value content that drives applications? That can’t just be taught in an afternoon.
“You can’t just train for a few hours and be a passable content writer… if that’s not my capability, interest or passion, I am going to be… mediocre”.
Andrea Kirby, Shortlist, 2022 TAs struggling to “do it all” amid mounting expectations
It’s now crucial for TA teams to create relevant, engaging content —at scale. So how are leading talent teams navigating this challenge? Let’s find out.
Building an employer brand strategy? Keep it authentic
To see the impact of employee generated content on employer branding, we can look to PageUp customer, Sportsbet. As part of a careers site overhaul, Sportsbet used employee generated content to create an authentic employer branding campaign at scale.
Sportsbet Head of Talent Simone Strachan found that using authentic content on the careers site —rather than highly-produced videos —had greater impact, and showed a clearer picture of life at the company.
“I recorded a video for the careers site and I had my daughter with me – I was almost going to re-record it and then I thought no, this is me showing up at work, working remotely. It’s authentic.” – Sportsbet Head of Talent, Simone Strachan
Don’t spend too much time on making things look “polished”. A carefully curated employer brand won’t cut through in 2022, with 51% of jobseekers sceptical of corporate communications. Employer branding should be real: capture real moments with real employees from your company.
Use employee stories in your employer branding and marketing
When Sportsbet revamped their careers site they needed a huge amount of targeted content. How did they create this content at scale? Through an employee ambassador program. Instead of having the talent acquisition team endlessly write articles that may not resonate, they can tap into a network of 140+ employees who contribute authentic content specific to their experiences and roles.
“There’s multiple roles ambassadors can play, based on their personalities and comfort levels: it’s about finding a way for everyone to contribute in an authentic and meaningful way,” Sportsbets Head of Talent Simone Strachan says.
These ambassador stories provide a direct window into daily life and the company culture. Research shows that jobseekers in 2022 are sceptical of corporate branded material. But, they trust the opinions and insights of employees. So, not only does leveraging your employees’ experiences and stories make it easier to produce content at scale, it’s also more likely to resonate with potential candidates, answer applicant questions, and convince jobseekers to apply.
Engage hard-to-reach candidates with targeted employer brand content
Every hiring team has their hard-to-fill roles. For Sportsbet, sharing targeted employee-generated content helped build a pipeline of interested candidates.
The key is to think like a candidate. What questions might they have? What information are they seeking? It could be as simple as creating a dedicated landing page for each target talent segment or having your employee ambassadors answer questions specific to their field. Get creative and ensure you’ve filled those information gaps on your career site.
“We created dedicated sub landing pages on our career site for those talent segments… we spoke really candidly about the experience from the candidate perspective.”
Reap the benefits of employer branding, today
Above all else, authenticity is key. Jobseekers in 2022 are more discerning than ever, so to cut through the corporate noise, the best companies are harnessing the power, enthusiasm and advocacy of their current employees. Using employee generated content, you’ll be able to curate relevant, useful and captivating content— at scale, with ease.
Want to learn more about how you can use employee generated content to build your employer brand?
Download our guide to authentic employee stories today.
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