But...
What if you never heard about the job?
Or even worse...
What if our recruiters didn't treat people very well?
Or our company had a reputation for being a lousy place to work?
Or your friends thought our industry was for losers?
When it comes to the jobs you're trying to fill, these are the kinds of recruiting challenges you must address. As an industry, staffing and recruiting firms have a tarnished brand. It doesn't matter if you're the most reliable, ethical, hardest-working team in the business, you still suffer from the damage the weakest players have done to our industry's reputation.
The good news is that you're not facing an insurmountable obstacle; however, you have to be ready to tackle this challenge head-on. You also have to be prepared to address other issues, such as:
What is an employment b--rand? It's what you want to be known for--to job seekers. It's the value proposition you offer, the perception you create about your company as an employer, and also the core values you live by.
An employer brand is part marketing and an even bigger part candidate experience. When I ask staffing executives about the experience candidates have when working with their firms, most are fairly confident that their people deliver a great experience. But when you survey candidates, the data tells a different story.
It's really that simple. If you're known to be a great company, a great place to work, and a firm that really cares about its people, you're going to attract more candidates. And you're going to spend a lot less on recruiting!
Companies like Southwest Airlines and Zappos have legendary employment brands, and those brands were created by a fanatical commitment to culture, process and communication. You can do it. The staffing industry can do it. And if we all do it, we'll change the perception of how job seekers view the staffing industry, we'll reach those 80 percent of people who don't currently work with us, and we'll fill more jobs with better talent!