How to run an effective recruitment campaign?

In the fast-paced world of corporate recruitment, an organization's success often depends on the quality of its staff. Indeed, according to ManPower, HR voice and Opensourcing, the cost of a recruitment failure ranges from €30,000 to €150,000.

The question then becomes how to run a successful recruitment campaign, not only to fill vacancies, but more importantly to fill them with the best talent available. In this article, we'll break down the steps to running an effective recruitment campaign, exploring its definition, objectives and the key steps that can make it a magnet for top candidates.

What is a Recruitment Campaign?

A recruitment campaign is a coordinated strategy of activities implemented by a company or organization with the aim of hiring qualified candidates to fill vacancies within the organization. This approach aims to arouse the interest of qualified candidates, promote the employer's image, and facilitate the recruitment process by mobilizing various communication and promotional channels. This strategy is implemented by the company or organization's Human Resources department.

The recruitment campaign is a vital facet of the overall recruitment process. It's not simply a matter of advertising vacancies; it's a journey that begins when the need arises and ends when those positions are successfully filled. Let's unpack the steps:

Steps to an effective recruitment campaign

Step 1: Define your needs :

That's the basics. Before you tell the world you're hiring, you need to know exactly what you're looking for. Identify the skills, experience and personal characteristics that will enable someone to succeed in the job.

The aim is to effectively target the right audience. To simplify this task, follow these steps:

1. List the future employee's main tasks, so as to define his or her precise scope of intervention.
2. Define the position and its hierarchical position, if any.
3. Identify links with other services, to estimate the softskills needed to keep your services running smoothly.
4. Specify working conditions, to avoid attracting candidates who can't fit in with your corporate culture or methods.
5. Anticipate any difficulties the position may present, and explain them to candidates, so that you don't see a succession of departures after the position has been filled.

Step 2: Create job offers :

Creating captivating job ads is an art. You want to attract the attention of potential candidates and give a clear picture of what the job entails. To do this, you have several options: start from scratch, copy what's already being done, or use a tool to automatically generate optimized job offers. Whichever solution you choose, make sure your offer is clear and precise - you don't want to attract people who are irrelevant, overqualified, or unsuited to the working conditions you're offering.

Step 3: Search for candidates :

Once the job adverts have been published, it's time to start looking for candidates. This can include searching online job boards (such as Talent.com), posting on traditional social networks,using professionalsocial networks (such as Linkedin.com), attending job fairs, and so on. Other solutions, such as programmatic HR, enable you to automatically source the most qualified candidates from all over the Internet.

Step 4: Selection and interview :

CVs and cover letters pour in, and it's up to you to sift through them to find the most promising candidates. Interviews, whether in person or over the phone, follow. To save time, use tools that automate your processes, and concentrate on the essentials: recruiting qualified candidates. But be careful, your responses are one of your company's showcases, so make sure you respond to everyone, even the candidates you reject, at the risk of negatively impacting your employer brand.

Step 5: Proposal of an offer :

The successful candidate is offered a contract following a rigorous selection procedure. The recruitment campaign is coming to an end. Make sure you've deleted your job offers (to avoid phantom applications) and responded to all applicants.

Step 6: Candidate integration :

The journey doesn't end with the acceptance of the offer. The onboarding process begins, ensuring that new staff are properly trained and integrated into their position. If this stage seems a little vague, we've prepared an onboarding checklist especially for you, to help you integrate your new arrivals perfectly.

Tips for an effective recruitment campaign

Now that we've demystified the essential components, let's look at what distinguishes a successful recruitment campaign from a failure. It's not just about filling positions; it's about doing so with the right people who align with the company's culture and add value.

Working human resources and marketing hand in hand

A recruitment campaign is not a solo act. It's a duo between human resources and marketing, to create a single entity: HR marketing. The aim is not only to fill positions, but also to elevate the employer brand, making it attractive to potential candidates.

Use various channels

The avenues for a recruitment campaign are diverse. A campaign on social media and the internet, well-positioned billboards, or even events such as job fairs can all be used. Tailor your approach to your objectives, your recruitment policies and the profiles you're looking for: Gen Z's recruitment methods will be different from those of Gen X, themselves even more different than those of the baby-boomer generation.

Social media expertise

In the digital age, social media are a powerful source for recruitment campaigns. Use platforms like LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook not only to post job offers, but also to showcase your company's culture. Social media isn't just a tool; it's a window into the soul of your company. Solutions like Seeqle make it easy for you to control the distribution of your job offers in these environments, without the need for extensive expertise or large teams.

Don't hesitate to have only a localized impact

Sometimes it's not about reaching the masses, but reaching the right people. Localized campaigns, such as street signs or community rallies, can create a more personal connection with potential candidates.

Demonstrate adaptability

The recruitment landscape is constantly evolving. A successful campaign is one that can adapt to changes, whether in market trends, candidate expectations or the general business climate. Flexibility is the key to long-term success.

Examples of successful recruitment campaigns

The French Army and TikTok

By creating a TikTok account and video campaigns specially dedicated to its recruitment activities, the French Army has effectively generated a large number of applications, while at the same time raising awareness of its professions.

Google recruits on its search network

Despite its highly-developed employer brand, even the American giant is finding it difficult to recruit specialized profiles.

With the aim of recruiting for very specific positions, Google has set up interactions on its search network that are only triggered in certain specific cases. If you search for "python lambda function list comprehension", you'll come across a mini-game that acts as a job interview.

Harry Hope. brings its recruitment expertise to Seeqle

To ensure the success of its recruitment activities and those of its customers, Harry Hope has decided to adopt a pioneering position in the world of recruitment agencies: to use a programmatic HR solution to boost its visibility and CV acquisition in all its recruitment sectors (particularly its healthcare recruitment).

In a nutshell

Running a successful recruitment campaign is becoming more and more like magic in the fast-paced world of talent acquisition. It's not just about filling positions; it's about strategically positioning your company as a destination of choice for top talent. Every step of the way, from needs definition to the integration process, is a magic wand for your company's success.

So, human resources managers, recruiters and talent acquisition experts, remember: it's not just about finding the best candidates. It's about finding the right candidates for the right jobs. Design your campaigns with care, embrace diversity in your approaches, and let your recruitment strategy reflect your commitment to excellence. After all, the perfect recruitment campaign isn't just a procedure; it's a journey towards realizing your organization's full potential.

Want to find out if programmatic recruitment can help you run an effective recruitment campaign? Try our free analysis tool 👇

PS: Don't miss our news and events 👉 Follow us on LinkedIn  

‍