Razzle dazzle recruitment: Think PR not HR!

Public relations (PR) is the trendy cousin of HR that you need to spend more time with if you're gonna land the best applicants.

In case you've never met before, PR is how companies chat with the public and the media. PR pulls the strings when it comes to publicity, and can define whether candidates love you or loathe you.

Let’s take a look at some recruitment PR no-nos and ways to create unforgettable recruitment campaigns.

How to lose friends and influence over people

If you’re thinking about doing any of these – don’t, just don’t!

Being a jerk

The Tea House Theatre created the snottiest of all job ads (EVER) after failing to fill an admin role.

Taking aim at Millennials, the choicest line in this petty, poorly written rant was probably “Are you just not taught anything about existing in the real world?”

Of course, they had applications flooding in… NOT! They’ve been crucified on Facebook and dragged through the gutter by the press instead.

The answer to this one’s simple. Don’t be decades out of touch and – in the immortal words of Erasure – “Oh baby please, give a little respect to me”.

Being a social media creep (or, just a noob)

Social media can get you some serious brownie points in recruitment today. But, no one likes a creep.

These are some of the tactics candidates just don’t wanna see:

• Digging around in places they probably reckon are private
• Pestering them with messages or updates EVERY time they login
• Letting their current boss (or work buds) know they’re looking for a new job

Remember – you’re already in a public forum, so any faux pas can be shared globally with just a tap or two.

What to do? Well, definitely don’t drop social media from your recruitment strategy. Instead, try a li’l transparency and discretion – or, just treat candidates how you’d wanna be treated.

Being a stranger

One sure-fire way to give a candidate a bad experience is to leave them hanging when it comes to info.

Whether they’re trying to wrap their head around your recruitment process, or waiting on your call after an interview, getting left in the dark is never any fun.

What will a candidate do if they’re forgotten about? Using that time to moan about you on social media and employer review sites is a pretty safe bet.

We’re all pushed for time. But, you can prep in advance by creating guides and FAQs, and setting up automated comms to make sure candidates always get a quick answer.

Making your recruitment fun-tastic!

Here are some top tips for getting some killer recruitment PR:

• Turn your hiring process into a competition and share it all over social media to bag more applicants (think Lego’s ‘Brick Factor’.)
• Spark candidates’ interest with a cryptic ad campaign based on the skill set you need, a la Google’s maths puzzle on a billboard
• Go out and chat – hire a bus and ‘steal’ new staff like Atlassian, set up stalls at conventions, or in city centres
• Put ads where candidates use their skills – VW wanted mechanics, so they stuck their ads on the bottom of faulty cars

Make PR the shot in your recruitment cocktail, and you’ll never go too far wrong!