The UK now has the highest number of total advertised vacancies (900,000+) since the recession. That’s 200,000 more than this time last year (Source Adzuna).
This rise in the number of vacancies will inevitably mean that some companies will find it even more difficult to recruit in areas of skill shortages.
So what can companies do to make sure they stand out more than their competitors when competing for talent?
The Visual Internet
We know that the Internet changes all the time as new websites, tools and techniques are introduced. As a result the users expectations naturally change as well, including both active and passive job seekers.
As the internet gets more visual every day gone are the days where text only job adverts were acceptable.
Just like Mobile Recruitment (where companies are now expected to have a fully mobile enabled web presence) there is an expectation today for more than just a boring text based job posting, whether on a job board or a company website.
The Most Shared Media
If you spend time on Social Media you will have no doubt seen an increase in the number of graphics, photos and videos being shared? This shouldn’t really be a surprise as they are the most shared items on Social Media.
Graphics Example
Here is an example of a graphic I saw last week via Twitter for a Recruitment Agency: UnitingAmbition
(For readers outside the UK this graphic is for Phones 4U, a High Street retailer that went into administration causing 2,400 job losses and the closure of 362 stores).
What I liked about it was that it was simple and straight to the point, plus you knew straight away who it was targeted at. It was also a topical story in the media so awareness was already very high.
Examples like the one above are quite straight forward to create but making them part of a regular visual recruitment marketing strategy makes their impact even better!
Online Video Example
Here is an example of a video we produced which was designed to help promote a company and raise awareness of what they do.
Again, it simple and straight to the point, so by the end of the video you knew who they were, what they did and how to contact them.
Plus, we got them in the top 2 on YouTube for their chosen search terms!
The Time is Now
At the moment there are still not that many companies making the most of graphics, photos or online video in recruitment so there is still the opportunity to be different.
However, that opportunity won’t last forever so the time to act is now if you want your vacancies to stand out from the crowd.
Ready To Find Out More?
If you’d like to find out more about how to use visual marketing as part of your recruitment strategy for 2015 and beyond then feel free to contact me for a free initial chat.
Simply email me at: mike@web-based-recruitment.com or call me on: +44 (0) 1962 883754.
Recruitment Live – Excel – 25th/26th November 2014
If you’d like to find out more about one of the largest forms of Visual Marketing – Online Video – then I am running a free training session on both days at Recruitment Live, the brand new event for recruiters.
The session is called: “How To Use Online Video To Promote Your Jobs & Company” and you can find further information about the sessions by clicking here and scrolling down to Web Based Recruitment..
I hope to see you there!
Mike Taylor
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