How can I better understand candidate needs/triggers so I can better target my recruitment advertising?
How can I better understand candidate needs/triggers so I can better target my recruitment advertising?
– Recruitment manager in healthcare, Melbourne
The best way to understand candidates is to ask them what they need and want. Having an external view and engaging in quantitative and qualitative research can provide real and powerful insight. mycareer.com.au recently conducted research where we listened to the opinions of over 400 passive and active candidates from across Australia. From this it became clear that there are distinct needs and triggers across three different types of candidates:
Inexperienced ‘blue and pink collar’– Characteristics: younger; it’s about a job not a career; may be undecided about the type of job they want; often not computer savvy; print retains a big role when it comes to media consumption; approximately 60 per cent of Australian workforce. Needs/triggers include: use websites that are top of mind; need the process to be simple (can be easily intimidated); want assistance on how to get a job; also need some assistance on discovering what the right job is for them.
Experienced ‘white collar’– Characteristics: professionals; have a career or currently have a clear career path; computer literate; more confident with the recruitment process; heightened awareness of various media sources; use more than one source when job-hunting; approximately 40 per cent of Australian workforce. Needs/triggers include: are aware of online job board product features; use the perceived brand leader or the best media source suited to their industry and skills; use print as a passive media.
Executive ‘platinum collar’– Characteristics: high level white collar; well advanced career; unlikely to apply cold for a job; demand confidentiality; require some level of counselling; approximately less than 2 per cent of the workforce. Needs/triggers include: passive use of media; lack of interest in online; heavy use of agencies.
So, depending on the type of candidate you want to attract, whether they are blue collar or platinum collar, it is extremely important to consider their experience and lifestyle behaviours to ensure you catch their attention at just the right moment.
When it comes to choosing the right media mix to fill your roles, it’s never as simple as just using the one supplier or media type for that matter. Naturally, you need to be where the candidates are.
By Lisa Watts, general manager, mycareer.com.au. Tel: 1300 799 337
