How can you recruit without hunting, whatever your sector?

This article is a summary of the eponymous live show "Recruiting without hunting, whatever your sector: a mission impossible?"

To answer this question, we invited Erika Buhot (Skeelz), Charlène Hemery (Talent Catcher), Anne Hugonin(FEV) and Guillaume Serkissian (Skeelz).

Here's a roundup of tips not to be missed!

I. Recruiting without hunting: the inbound recruiting alternative

Inbound recruiting is about attracting talent in a proactive, non-intrusive way. This method, inspired by marketing, relies on the creation of relevant content and the engagement of the rare pearl throughout their journey.

What sets inbound recruiting apart from traditional methods is its ability to transform companies into attractive brands. Instead of chasing candidates, companies create environments where talent comes to them. This approach includes :

• Targeted content creation: Share blog posts, videos, employee testimonials, case studies, newsletters, podcasts, etc.
• Social media optimization: Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms to distribute this content and engage targeted candidates.
• Employer branding: Demonstrate what makes the company unique and why it's an attractive place to work.

Inbound Recruiting: what are the benefits?

1. Attract passive profiles and top talent, without headhunting
   • Unlike traditional methods, inbound recruiting allows you to capture the attention of candidates who aren't actively looking for a job - and therefore aren't in your candidate pool! These passive talents are often experienced professionals, already in place, but open to new opportunities if they match their aspirations and values.
2. Reduce recruitment costs and lead times
   • By attracting candidates naturally, companies can reduce their headhunting expenses and speed up the recruitment process. Fewer resources are devoted to active searches and direct approaches, optimizing HR budgets - and expertise.
3. Engagement, sourcing and loyalty
   • Candidates hired using this method often have a better knowledge of the company and are more inclined to stay. A candidate who actively chooses to join a company is generally more aligned with its values and culture, which translates into greater satisfaction and a higher retention rate.

Our steps for implementing an inbound recruiting strategy

1. Defining your EVP (Employee Value Proposition)
   • EVP is the set of benefits and values that a company offers its employees. It is what differentiates a company from its competitors when it comes to attracting talent. FEV's Anne Hugonin stresses the importance of defining a clear value proposition for employees. A strong EVP helps to differentiate a company from its competitors and attract the best profiles by highlighting the unique aspects of the company.
2. Research and understand your candidate personas
   • Understanding the typical profiles of the candidates we're looking for is crucial. Charlène Hemery recommends defining personas to target content and actions effectively.
3. So how do you create your HR persona?
   • Research and data collection: Analyze data on current and past candidates, conduct surveys and interviews to understand their motivations, aspirations and pain points.
   • Segmentation: Divide candidates into segments based on common characteristics such as experience, skills, motivations and behaviors.
   • Detailed profile: Create detailed profiles for each segment, including demographic information, career goals, work preferences, professional challenges, and preferred communication channels.
   • Practical use: Use these personas to personalize your content, messages and recruitment approaches to better meet the expectations and needs of each target group.
4. Employer branding: attract qualified candidates with authentic content
   • The creation of relevant, authentic content is at the heart of inbound recruiting. Hence the importance of sharing concrete achievements and employee testimonials to attract candidates. The content must reflect the company's culture, values and projects, to arouse the interest and commitment of talented people.

II. Favouring the candidate in recruitment to move away from headhunting alone?

Once you've caught candidates' attention, it's essential to ensure that their experience throughout the recruitment process is positive and engaging - to avoid disappointment!

From attraction to conversion, a few ways to boost your candidate experience

1. From recruiter to coach: simplifying the candidate process
   • Transparency and communication: Provide clear information about the recruitment process, the next steps and deadlines. A well-informed candidate is more confident and committed.
   • Reactivity: Respond quickly to candidates' applications and questions. Fast, effective communication reinforces your company's positive image.
2. Delivering a seamless, personalized experience
   • Appropriate technology and tools: Use application management tools (ATS) to automate and personalize interactions with candidates.
   • Human interaction: Although technology is essential, human interaction remains crucial. Make sure every candidate feels valued and respected throughout the process. We talk about this in this live interview.

Integrate and build loyalty

1. Structured onboarding to overcome the talent shortage
   • Welcome and orientation: Plan welcome sessions to introduce the company, its culture and values. Facilitate contact with teams and managers.
   • Training and support: Offer training tailored to the needs of new employees and provide regular follow-up to address their questions and concerns.
2. Monitoring and assessment
   • Surveys and feedback: Set up surveys to gather new employees' impressions of the onboarding process. Use this feedback to continually improve your onboarding program.
   • Mentoring and sponsorship: Assign mentors or sponsors to new employees to guide and support them in their first months with the company.

The candidate experience is not limited to the recruitment phase. It also encompasses the integration and retention of new employees, ensuring a smooth transition and long-term commitment.

We talk about it in this article.

III. Sourcing: internal ambassadors and recruitment strategy

Internal ambassadors are employees who actively represent and promote the company to potential candidates. Anne Hugonin explains that identifying and mobilizing ambassadors is essential to strengthening the employer brand and attracting talent.

How to identify ambassadors, and what approach to take?

1. Close circles: Start with HR teams and managers. These people are often the first to come into contact with candidates and can play a key role in promoting the company.
2. Volunteering: Encourage employees to volunteer. Those who are passionate about their work and the company will naturally be good ambassadors.
3. Alumni and partnerships: Involve alumni of partner schools and employees with close ties to academic institutions.

Creating a community of ambassadors

Once identified, it's important to structure and animate this community to maximize its impact.

1. Training and support
   • Training sessions: Organize training sessions to help ambassadors understand their role and develop the necessary skills (for example, how to use LinkedIn effectively).
   • Resources: Provide tools and resources (guides, message templates, etc.) to help ambassadors share quality content.
2. Animation and recognition
   • Dedicated events: Organize specific events for ambassadors, such as workshops, seminars or networking meetings. This is one of our favorite levers at Skeelz.
   • Recognition: Acknowledge and reward ambassadors' efforts with public acknowledgements, certificates or specific benefits (e.g. access to exclusive training courses).

The impact of ambassadors on talent attraction

Ambassadors play a crucial role in enhancing a company's visibility and attractiveness. Their authenticity and commitment can :

1. Strengthen the employer brand: ambassadors' testimonials and sharing on social networks and at professional events help build a positive, attractive image of the company.
2. Simply put, attracting talent: Candidates are more likely to apply when they hear positive things about the company from current employees. Ambassadors can also identify and recommend talent from their personal network.

IV. Use events and social networks

Events, forums...show yourselves!

Professional events and forums are key opportunities for promoting your company and attracting talent. The FEV case study highlights the importance of actively participating in these events to boost brand visibility and establish direct relationships with potential candidates.

1. Job fairs and trade shows
   • Regular presence: Ensure a regular presence at job fairs and trade shows relevant to your sector. This allows you to meet candidates face-to-face and present career opportunities within your company.
   • Attractive stand: Create an attractive stand with visual and interactive communication media. Use videos, product demonstrations and testimonials to capture visitors' attention.
2. Partnerships with schools and universities
   • Presentations and workshops: Organize presentations and workshops in schools and universities to raise students' awareness of your company's professions. Serious games and case studies are effective tools for engaging students and giving them an insight into the reality of your sector.

Optimize your presence

Social networks are essential channels for disseminating your content and interacting with potential candidates. In our live interview, Charlène Hemery stresses the importance of a well thought-out digital strategy to maximize the impact of your online presence.

1. Using LinkedIn
   • Regular content: Regularly publish relevant content on LinkedIn, such as articles, videos, employee testimonials and job offers. Make sure this content accurately reflects your company's culture and values.
   • Candidate engagement: Respond to candidate comments and messages to show you're accessible and responsive. Encourage employees to share and comment on your publications to increase their reach.
2. Other social platforms
   • Twitter and Instagram: Use Twitter to share news and quick information about your business. Instagram is ideal for posting attractive visuals and stories that show the behind-the-scenes of your business.
   • YouTube: Create professional videos for YouTube, highlighting projects, employee testimonials and company events. Videos are a great way to capture candidates' attention and give them an immersive view of your work environment.

If you're interested in the subject of content creation, we'll also talk about it in this dedicated live.

The impact of events and social networks on recruitment

The combined use of events and social networks enables you to reach a wider audience and reinforce your company's credibility as an employer of choice. Face-to-face interaction at events, complemented by an active online presence, creates a holistic and effective recruitment strategy.

1. Strengthening the employer brand : Participation in events and a dynamic presence on social networks help build a strong, consistent employer brand.
2. Attracting diverse talent: By having a presence both online and offline, you attract candidates from diverse backgrounds and increase your chances of finding the best talent for your company.

V. Talent wars: measuring and optimizing your inbound recruiting strategy

Once your inbound recruiting strategy is in place, it's crucial to measure its effectiveness and make ongoing improvements. Here's how:

KPIs to track

To assess the effectiveness of your inbound recruiting strategy, track relevant key performance indicators (KPIs). Charlène Hemery and Erika Buot recommend monitoring the following KPIs:

1. Number of applications received
   
   • Origin of applications: Analyze where applications come from (social networks, website, events, etc.) to identify the most effective channels.
   • Conversion rate: Compare the number of applications received to the number of job offers to assess the attractiveness of your ads and content.
2. Quality of applications
   
   • Candidate profile: Assess whether the candidates you attract match your defined personas (skills, experience, values).
   • Qualification rate: Measure the percentage of candidates who pass the first stages of the recruitment process (pre-selection, interviews, etc.).
3. Recruitment time
   • Recruitment lead time: Track the average time needed to fill a position, from publication of the offer to acceptance by the candidate.
   • Impact of inbound strategy: Compare recruitment times before and after inbound recruiting to assess its impact.
4. Commitment and retention
   • Retention rate: Analyze the retention rate of new employees recruited via inbound recruiting versus those recruited by other methods.
   • Candidate satisfaction: Use surveys to gather candidates' impressions of the recruitment and integration process.

Continuous improvement

KPI analysis provides you with valuable information for optimizing your inbound recruiting strategy. Here are some steps you can take to continually improve your processes:

1. Analysis of results
   • Regular reporting: Generate regular reports on KPIs to identify trends and areas for improvement.
   • Stakeholder feedback: Gather feedback from recruiters, managers and candidates to get a complete picture of the strategy's effectiveness.
2. Adjusting tactics
   • Content optimization: Refine your content according to the results obtained. For example, if videos generate more qualified applications, focus more on this format.
   • Adapt channels: Reallocate resources to the most effective channels and experiment with new ones to diversify sources of applications.
3. Innovation and adaptation
   • Technology watch: Stay up to date with new technologies and recruitment trends to integrate best practices.
   • Ongoing training: Regularly train your HR teams on new inbound recruiting techniques and recruitment tools to maintain a high level of performance.

Optimizing your inbound recruiting strategy involves an iterative process of analysis, adjustment and innovation. By monitoring KPIs and adapting your tactics, you can maximize the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts and attract the best talent for your company.

What to remember?

By adopting an inbound recruiting strategy, companies can transform their approach to recruitment and attract talent proactively and effectively. From defining the EVP to optimizing the candidate experience, from the role of internal ambassadors to the use of events and social networks, every step contributes to creating a holistic and attractive recruitment process.

Properly implemented, inbound recruiting not only attracts quality talent, but also reduces recruitment costs and timescales, while boosting employee commitment and loyalty. By continually measuring and optimizing your strategy, you can ensure that your company remains competitive and attractive in the talent market.

Do you want to attract and retain more talent? Let's talk about it over a coffee?