Finding top talent is a top priority for most businesses, but recruiting has changed. In today’s world of online hiring, employers need to utilize everything at their disposal to attract the best of the best. Most companies spend a lot of time seeking candidates, but it’s also essential to have a strong employer brand to attract top talent.
This method, called inbound recruitment, is an excellent addition to any recruitment strategy because it saves time and drives workplace culture. Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of inbound recruitment and how to build the most effective inbound recruitment strategies.
What is inbound recruiting?
Inbound recruiting is all about building a self-sufficient employer brand. To develop great inbound recruitment, you must think like a candidate. Details like search engine optimization and branded career pages could be the difference between a future leader applying to your company and then applying to a more enticing employer.
Inbound vs. outbound
Inbound recruitment excites people to apply independently, while outbound recruiting uses traditional methods, like a recruiter, headhunter, or hiring team, to find candidates actively.
Most people are more familiar with outbound recruiting, but in today’s rapidly changing world of Google and online job boards, staying competitive requires both inbound and outbound channels.
Benefits of inbound recruiting
Self-sufficient employer brands have many benefits for employers that increase recruitment efficiency – ultimately saving time and money while improving hiring accuracy. Top benefits include better candidates, branding, and more.
High-quality candidates
Recruiting higher-quality candidates is the best benefit of inbound recruiting. Clear, intentional branding attracts people who are a better fit for your company. Just think about it: people saw your career page, resonated with it, and voluntarily decided to apply.
The more people you hire this way, the more likely it is to have a cohesive company culture with shared values and high employee engagement.
Boost your brand
Inbound recruitment strategies elevate brand visibility and exposure by creating a unique online reputation. Marketing and people teams must work together to communicate the company culture and tell an impactful story.
When individuals apply independently, it shows that your employer brand speaks for itself and stands out in a sea of competitive careers pages. This is a great benefit and opportunity for other marketing initiatives since employer and company branding depend heavily on each other.
Learn more: Company Recruitment Management Strategies
Diverse rand of candidates
Although effective inbound recruitment strategies gather like-minded individuals with shared beliefs, the large pool of candidates usually includes diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Instead of a dated and repetitive head-hunting strategy, inbound recruitment casts a broader net. With the right tools, candidates from all over will see your online brand, creating a workforce full of diverse people and ideas.
Learn more: Workplace Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Vacancies filled quickly
Quick turnaround times are also one of the best benefits of inbound recruitment – for hiring teams and applicants. It becomes much easier to fill vacancies when the volume and quality of your candidates goes up.
This means applicants hear back quicker, and companies can fill more openings. Plus, it feels good to tell senior leaders that the company’s recruitment strategy is operating efficiently.
Drawbacks of inbound recruiting
It’s important to note, however, that inbound recruiting has a few drawbacks. The drawbacks, revolving around increased workload and time management, include the following.
Success takes time
Inbound recruiting is like fishing. You cast your hook, and sometimes, it takes a while to get a bite. Building an effective inbound recruitment strategy takes time, as well. Companies must plan, implement, and evaluate progress regularly to build a strong employer brand. Like other online marketing campaigns, it takes patience, trial, and error before your inbound recruiting process can operate on its own.
Large candidate pool
Once you set a strategy and start getting bites, high volumes of applications can come out of nowhere. It’s crucial to be prepared for this number of applicants and stay focused once they arrive. Remember that inbound recruitment is all about getting the best talent. Don’t be afraid to say no a few times until you find the right fit – it comes with the territory.
Unsuitable for some roles
And finally, inbound recruitment can be less effective for some roles, including short-term and non-core business roles. An example of a non-core business role is an accounting role at a restaurant. Positions like this might need more outbound recruitment techniques or whatever continues to work for that unique business.
How to improve your inbound recruitment
Inbound recruitment methods are highly effective. To get the most of your results, follow these steps:
- Define a clear strategy and KPIs
- Exercise patience
- Focus on a robust SEO strategy to drive organic traffic
- Utilize social media channels
- Experiment with different types of media
- Make it easy for candidates to apply
- Be flexible and focus on what is working
Boost recruitment with Top Workplaces employer recognition
It’s a well-known fact that a credible employer brand can significantly enhance inbound recruitment. Top Workplaces awards show potential applicants how your current employees perceive your company and its culture. As a job seeker, what more could you ask for? Take the first step today by nominating your organization and gaining the essential employer branding tools for effective inbound recruitment.
