Recruitment advertisement: A real-life practical guide for hiring managers

December 19, 2024

 

Alex Oliver

8 min read

Recruitment advertisements are surprisingly intricate. Why is that? First, they must grab attention, resonate with the right talent, and stand out amidst the noise — all while aligning with your company’s broader hiring goals.

Achieving this balance is challenging, and many talent acquisition leaders face difficulties. You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt your recruitment ads are missing the mark or failing to attract the candidates you need.

The good news? With practical strategies, real-life examples, and actionable insights, you can elevate your approach and create ads that consistently deliver results. First, let’s learn about the different recruitment ad types and why they matter.

Types of recruitment ads

Recruitment ads come in many forms, and understanding their strengths and applications is key to building a versatile strategy. Here are the main categories:

Online job portals

These are the bread and butter of recruitment advertising, offering visibility where job seekers are actively searching. 

Platforms like Indeed and Glassdoor allow you to post detailed job descriptions, showcase company culture and include tailored application processes. 

The key is optimization — use compelling headlines and highlight what makes your role or company stand out.

Paid ads on digital platforms

Paid advertising offers unmatched targeting capabilities. You can focus on specific skills, locations, or industries on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, or niche job boards. 

Dynamic ads, video content, and testimonials often perform well on these platforms because they create a more engaging experience.

Out-of-home (OOH) media

While less common today, especially given how effective digital campaigns have become, OOH ads, like billboards or transit posters, can be highly effective for local-based hiring or brand awareness campaigns. These ads work best when combined with digital efforts to reinforce your messaging.

By leveraging a mix of these channels, you can create a multi-faceted approach that maximizes visibility and effectiveness. For more tips, check out our job advertising best practices guide.

The connection between recruitment ads and brand

Recruitment ads should not only advertise open positions — they should reflect your company’s values and culture. Every ad contributes to your employer brand, shaping potential candidates’ perceptions of your organization.

How can ads help build brand trust? Candidates are increasingly seeking roles at companies aligning with their values and future goals. Recruitment ads should showcase your commitment to diversity, innovation, and employee development.

Avoid generic platitudes like “Join our team!” and instead highlight specific aspects of your workplace culture that make your company unique. Additionally, prioritize branded career sites.

An often-overlooked aspect of recruitment advertising is your career site. This is where candidates go to learn more about your company, so ensure it’s engaging, informative, and aligned with your ads.

A well-branded career site can significantly improve conversion rates, helping you turn passive viewers into active applicants. Learn more in this recruitment marketing guide.

Examples of excellent recruitment advertising

Successful recruitment ads capture attention and leave a lasting impression. Let’s examine a few standout examples:

• Google’s problem-solving billboard, also known as Google’s “mystery billboard,” is an old yet memorable example. This ad challenged viewers to solve a complex equation, appealing directly to the analytical minds they wanted to hire. This creative approach attracted qualified candidates and strengthened Google’s brand as a company that values innovation and problem-solving.
• Sprout Social excelled in a recruiting campaign by presenting an engaging video highlighting authentic employee testimonials. The video emphasizes the company’s flexibility and work-life balance. Unlike typical, dull corporate messaging, this video features actual employees sharing their experiences and showcasing Sprout’s unique culture.

Another essential example is how many businesses have leveraged technology to execute large-scale recruitment ad campaigns. They have achieved this through tools like AI, automation software, and cloud infrastructure, allowing them to gather valuable data insights for developing multichannel strategies. For instance:

• Regis Corporation, the largest operator of hair salons, needed to recruit many candidates fast for its 8,000+ locations and multiple brands. By partnering with iCIMS, Regis utilized AI and targeted candidate marketing to reduce time-to-hire and enhance the candidate experience. Discover their success story.
  
• Facing a competitive job market, Specsavers turned to iCIMS Marketing Automation to engage candidates through a content-driven approach. This strategy enabled them to hire high-quality optometrists and audiologists while cutting advertising spend by 70%. Read the complete case study.
  
• Omnitracs transitioned their career site administration into talent acquisition to support global growth, gaining direct insights into traffic and job analytics. Utilizing iCIMS’ Career Sites and Applicant Tracking System, they achieved a 1,000% increase in applications. iCIMS also addressed the organization’s need for automation to match its hiring velocity. Learn how they accomplish this.

These examples highlight the importance of creativity, authenticity, audience targeting, and innovative solutions in recruitment advertising. For more inspiration, explore our job advertising principles guide.

Measuring the success of recruitment advertisement efforts

How can you tell if your recruitment ads are working? Tracking the proper metrics is essential. Here’s what to focus on:

• Impressions and clicks: Are people engaging with your ads? High impressions but low clicks may indicate that your messaging needs re-working.
  
• Application conversion rates: Measure how many clicks turn into completed applications. A low rate could mean your application process is too lengthy or unclear.
  
• Time to hire: Are your ads accelerating the hiring process by attracting qualified candidates quickly?
  
• Cost per hire: Compare the cost of your ads to the number of successful hires. This metric ensures your efforts are delivering ROI.

Helpful tip: The iCIMS Talent Cloud toolset, featuring the Enterprise applicant tracking system, lets you monitor these metrics in real-time along with additional capabilities, fostering data-informed tweaks to your strategy.

Trends and innovations in recruitment advertisement

The future of recruitment advertising is rapidly evolving. Key trends include:

• Enhanced ad targeting: Platforms now offer granular targeting based on career stages, industry trends, and even behavioral data, allowing you to reach candidates more effectively.
  
• Interactive and video ads: Interactive content, such as quizzes or short videos, creates a more engaging experience for candidates and drives higher conversion rates.
  
• Data-driven insights: Recruitment marketing platforms like iCIMS analyze performance data to help refine your strategies and optimize ad placement.
  
• AI adoption: There are many opportunities to explore the latest advancements in AI, like creating tailored content. With iCIMS Copilot, you can build captivating job descriptions, optimizing the content to attract the best-fit candidates.

To stay ahead, integrate these innovations into your campaigns. Check out these recruitment marketing strategies for more.

5 challenges (and solutions) in recruitment advertising

Even the most well-thought-out recruitment advertising strategies can face hurdles. Here are some common challenges and practical ways to overcome them:

Poor targeting

Misaligned targeting can lead to wasted budgets and irrelevant applications. For example, if your ads reach a general audience instead of specific skill sets, they may fail to attract the right talent.

Use advanced targeting features on platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook, specifying criteria such as job title, industry, skills, and location. Incorporate tools like iCIMS’ Talent Cloud to refine targeting further.

Generic messaging

Ads that lack personality or highlight what makes your company unique often go unnoticed. Candidates want to see what sets them apart from competitors.

Develop messaging that focuses on your unique value proposition as an employer. Highlight company culture, employee testimonials, or specific growth opportunities to make your ads more relatable.

Over-reliance on a single channel

Many organizations make the mistake of limiting recruitment advertising to one or two platforms, like job boards or LinkedIn. While compelling, this approach may miss out on reaching diverse talent pools.

Diversify your channels. To broaden your reach, combine online job portals with social media campaigns, email marketing, and offline channels like community events or career fairs.

Difficulty in tracking ROI

Recruitment advertising can often feel like a guessing game when there’s no clarity on what’s working. Knowing which campaigns deliver the best results is hard without proper tracking.

Implement tracking and analytics tools to measure performance. Platforms like iCIMS provide robust insights into metrics like click-through rates, cost per hire, and application conversion rates, enabling data-driven decisions.

Making recruitment advertising easy & successful

As we have learned, effective recruitment advertising requires a thoughtful approach that combines creativity, strategy, and measurement. 

By understanding the different ad types, aligning ads with your brand, and embracing emerging trends, you can attract top talent while maximizing your ROI.

Want to take your recruitment advertising to the next level? Learn how iCIMS’ Attract Talent Solutions can help you create ads that connect with the right candidates at the right time. You can see our platform in action. Get a free demo today!