You have an open position in Alaska and you want to cast a wide net so that you attract as many job candidates as possible.
How can you use online and print advertising to your advantage?
Why post to a local job board
In an online job listing, you can provide a great deal more information than in a print ad.
An online job ad is the place to outline applicant requirements. Here is where you can also elaborate on position responsibilities, company culture, benefits offerings, and more.
In addition, in an online job ad, you have the option of linking to your company website, where candidates can learn even more about your business and what it’s like to work at your organization. A link to your site essentially expands your job listing to include your company’s entire website.
Posting a job opening online facilitates the application process as well. Whether you accept applications via the local job board or direct candidates to your website to apply, an online job listing allows for a smooth application process.
Because a job search is frequently conducted online, you will reach many potential candidates.
Why opt for print
This said, people still read print newspapers — and job seekers still respond to display and classified employment ads.
A display employment ad has a major advantage over an online job listing. A display ad doesn’t require job seeker initiative; the ad appears as she or he turns the page. For this reason, it is an ideal vehicle for reaching so-called passive job seekers, people who aren’t actively seeking employment.
Print ads have other advantages as well. In print, you are limited by space and therefore must be selective about what you include. Space limitations force you to get in an advertising mindset and think about how to best attract the candidates you seek. With a print ad, less has to be more.
Be that as it may, you are not totally restricted by the limitations of a print ad. By simply including your company’s website URL in a print ad, you can point job seekers in the direction of more information.
An effective strategy
Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between online job postings and print employment ads. You can use both.
This strategy can be especially effective if you need to fill a job quickly. It allows you to expand your reach to include different audiences, while targeting both active and passive job seekers.
Posting a job online and advertising in print is also a good approach when you have multiple openings for the same job; for example, when staffing a call center or opening a new supermarket. If the goal is to receive as many job applications as possible for the same or similar jobs, you’ll want to consider a combination of online and print employment advertising.
Additionally, an online and print strategy can give you a leg up if you face competition for a job for which you’re recruiting. Multiple channels help you get across the primary message: that you’re hiring. At the same time, multiple channels put your company’s name in front of more people — and give you multiple platforms from which you can tout the many advantages of your amazing company. In this way, your ads become tools for employer branding.
With a little attention to detail, you can leverage employment advertising to meet the candidates you seek.
Paula Santonocito, a business journalist specializing in employment issues, has covered online recruitment since the early days of Web-based employment advertising and candidate sourcing.
