COVID-19 has had a profound impact on each and every industry, community, and individual. For some, business increased for any variety of reasons – maybe you’re an essential worker, you offer a service or product needed to combat the virus, or you pivoted to provide a new service that was needed during this time. In other instances, business may have come to a screeching halt, forcing layoffs or furloughs.  This second scenario resulted in a lot of people out of work and on unemployment.

As things slowly and cautiously resume again, you may find your business is in a position to hire and bring some staff back, or increase the size of your staff. The good news is there is currently a huge opportunity to recruit new talent among those who were recently out of work. And one of the most effective ways to do this is through paid media. Take a look at our top tips for using advertising to help you get in front of the best talent to grow your team.

FIRST – A lot of people will be turning to the internet to job search while they are home and with extra time on their hands. Make sure your job opportunities can be easily found online. There are of course the “big dogs” when it comes to job posting such as Monster and Indeed. This can help you hit the masses, but you’ll also want to consider strategic placement to ensure you’re hitting the most qualified candidates. Also keep in mind that in order to recruit the best talent you may need to spend a little money. Digital and social media advertising will help you rise above non-paid listings.

SECOND – Make sure you’re communicating the right message. People need to know why they should want to work for you. What are your most appealing benefits? What type of work environment or company culture do you provide? Paint a clear picture as to what it looks like to work for your company. Make this the first thing people see. Be equally clear as to what you expect from your new hire as far as skills, experience, and personality. This may help eliminate any unqualified candidates.

AND FINALLY – Advertising tools are getting smarter and smarter. This allows you to really narrow your focus and find the people who are going to be most qualified for your job. You can target by age, location, education level, interests, and much more when you place digital advertisements, particularly social media advertisements. The most critical piece here is to know who your target market is. What does your ideal candidate know? Where do they spend their time? How can they best come across your job posting? Answering these questions and adjusting your advertising to reach them will greatly increase your ability to attract qualified candidates.

For a 60 second recap of the points covered above, click on the newest Mid-Atlantic Media Hub’s Media Minute below!

If there’s more you want to know about using advertising to recruit new talent, we’d love to talk to you. Give us a shout today!