Definition

A recruitment campaign, or hiring campaign, is a set of activities undertaken by an employer to unlock a flow of great candidates applying for the work within the employer’s company.

Similarly to running a traditional marketing campaign for a product, the recruitment campaign is directed towards their target audience, has a key message and it is distributed through multiple channels.

A well-designed and well-targeted recruitment campaign will help most companies to attract skilled candidates and fill their vacant work or internship positions quicker than without the campaign.

Strategies for developing and running successful recruitment campaigns

Many factors will play role in deciding what kind of recruitment campaign a company should run, such as the industry, the vacancies, and the target audience. All the recruitment efforts that are part of the hiring campaign should be compatible, well-planned and consistent to bring the top quality candidates. Most successful recruitment campaigns nowadays are:

  • a combination of online (e.g. recruitment advertisements published on company’s website, Facebook, and LinkedIn) and offline recruitment activities (e.g. recruitment posters published on local TV and radio, at bus stops, cafes, and university campuses);
  • not limiting the online postings to Facebook and LinkedIn only but also to niche social media sites and industry-related websites and forums;
  • not posting only the recruitment flyer but also articles with eye-catching headlines that promote the employer’s brand;
  • clearly communicating the nature of the role and qualifications needed for it (to naturally de-select the unfit candidates by them not applying);
  • communicating the same values against which the candidates will be screened to ensure consistency and fairness throughout the entire hiring process;
  • creating a talent pipeline of candidates who might not be right for the current vacancies but might be interested if the right opportunity comes along in the future;
  • managing the applications received during the campaign and communicating with applicant via a recruitment management system;
  • taking into consideration the candidates’ applications that are coming through internal referral sources.