Since this is a blog about marketing and jobs, it seems only natural that I would take an interest in how jobs are marketed. We ordered Domino's pizza last night, and glued to the box top was this job application. Two things are instructive:
- The process is simple. Domino's has developed the "Google interface" of job applications, and it doesn't let unnecessary details suppress response. When you think about it, this self-described "mini-application" is really just part one of a two-step lead generation campaign in which candidates: 1.) Fill out the form, and 2.) Bring the form to the store to discuss the position with a manager. Without step one, getting applicants into the store would be more difficult. But having completed step one at home, applicants feel compelled to finish what they started.
- The strategy is resourceful. Domino's has defined an ideal candidate as a pizza lover who lives within the delivery radius of the store, and it is using its drivers to distribute its job postings in a way that is both targeted and free. Slick.
How can you apply these concepts to the sourcing of your own job candidates? Have you done a good job of marketing your positions by defining ...
- Who is your ideal candidate? Be as specific as possible. Are they your customers too? Do they belong to certain clubs or industry associations?
- What do they read? In Domino's case, the top of a pizza box will do. But there's no reason you couldn't advertise a job with a magazine or newspaper blow-in.
- Where do they live? What makes a candidate geographically desirable -- and does your sourcing strategy address this attribute?
- When are they reachable? The circumstances under which your target applicant sees your message can impact their response to your message. For example, a job posting viewed in a bathroom stall will be considered more thoughtfully than the same job posting placed in the same bathroom above a baby changing table.
- How are they reachable? By phone? By email? By fax? By postcard? By Google Adword? By fortune cookie? By message in a bottle? By blimp at a football game? Be creative! There's more to good sourcing than simply running a job posting on Monster. You should develop an honest-to-gosh marketing process by which your target candidates can easily see, consider thoughtfully, and respond to your message.
- Why would they want to work for you? Remember the 3 F's: Fun, Future, Finance. Does your marketing incorporate all of these things? The front of the Domino's form addresses each.
Think about it -- and perhaps hold a company-wide contest to see who can devise the most creative and well integrated marketing process for each job category. When you hire good people, everyone wins.
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Q: Need the number of a recruiter who "gets it?"
A: Download Harry's contact info for future reference.
