How to Use Marketing for B2B Recruitment and Employee Retention  

Recruitment and Retention Challenges Today

There are a lot of factors creating a climate of uncertainty in the B2B industry in terms of hiring and retention. The first is mounting economic factors like the possibility of a recession and inflation. These factors cause potential candidates currently employed to be weary of looking for better opportunities. Many stop investing in certifications and continuing education given tighter household budgets. This plays into the second factor, the skilled labor shortage. 

Many industries, especially manufacturing, face a shortage of qualified or skilled professionals. It’s a lopsided job market, with the tech sector overflowing with candidates and laying off thousands while others struggle to get candidates to apply—increasing competition for quality talent.  

The third factor is the cultural climate, with The Great Resignation of the last couple of years seeing many voluntarily leave the workforce. While this has slowed, the trend of “quiet quitting” remains, where workers keep their jobs but do the minimum to avoid getting fired. This third factor hits retention the hardest due to employee dissatisfaction in work-life balance, environment, and other fallout from the COVID-19 years. 

What Can My Business Do to Compete in the Current Job Market? 

While the trends and statistics can be discouraging, qualified candidates are still out there, and retaining employees is possible with engagement. The challenge is, how do you get their attention? 

This is where marketing comes in. Just like your products and services, you need to get the word out about your company to potential candidates. Recruitment marketing is key to creating a pipeline of qualified candidates and keeping current team members engaged and up to date on what your company can offer. In this blog, we’ll look at the steps needed to create a marketing program that can boost your recruitment and retention efforts. These steps include: 

1. Aligning Your Teams 

2. Creating Content for Your Website 

3. Distributing Content on Social Media 

4. Applying a Customer Service Mindset to Candidates and Your Current Team 

Step 1: Aligning Your Teams  

It’s common to assemble your marketing, human resources, and executive teams to establish how you present your business to customers, so why not decide how to present your business as a workplace? What should a candidate know about your company even before they read the job description? 

Deciding this can help create a marketing strategy that attracts new team members. Additionally, gather some data by sending out a survey or email to get a pulse on some of these thoughts from your larger team. You’ll find that tenured employees are invaluable in this effort, giving their perspective on what works. Find out what the existing team values, discuss how everyone works together, and how you approach career growth. 

Once key points and supporting data are gathered, it’s time to decide the message. Find themes and create 3-5 core values that help your team feel valued and proud of the work they do. With everyone having a say, this exercise is a win-win—beneficial to hiring and retention. 

Now Human Resources and Marketing Can Get to Work 

These two teams can now discuss the type of talent needed and align this with current marketing strategies and the established culture. Then lay out financial incentives, flexibility, continuing education, wellness programs, and other offerings you have that top talent want to see. With job descriptions and benefits in hand, the marketing team can start folding this into their planning.  

Step 2: Create Content for Your Website 

Your website is the central hub for all your content, feeding search and social efforts for your product marketing. The same goes for recruitment marketing, with job openings and culture highlights centralized in the careers section of your website. Overall, the tone or voice of recruitment and retention content should be the same as your product marketing, it’s all under the same umbrella.  

Be cognizant of what a potential candidate might search for on a job site like LinkedIn, Indeed, or search via Google—keywords and the B-SMART method work here too. This page content should help you get discovered and educate users on what your company does and what type of workplace it is thanks to those core values. The overall goal is to help candidates visualize what a long career at your company could look like. 

Remember those tenured employees? They come in handy for content. Your career page should feature testimonials, team photos, and videos featuring their stories—these are your greatest influencers. Job seekers want to see authentic testimonials from a diverse workforce, knowing that someone like them is succeeding at your company. Plus, this gives recognition to your top in-house talent. 

Step 3: Distributing Content on Social Media 

With a central hub for job seekers to learn about your company, culture, and available roles in place—it’s time to drive candidates and team mates there. Using organic social in conjunction with job posting sites brings in candidates and increases current employee engagement. That’s because social media offers a two-way conversation where the company and candidate can learn about each other through profiles and posts in a convenient and less formal environment.  

To reach those target individuals, look at relevant hashtags trending and follow specific associations and topics a candidate might follow. Additionally, check out available trade forums or professional organizations and start a presence there. For creating a talent pipeline, partner with local schools and their professional chapters. These programs are always in need of volunteers, speakers, and donations, and is a great way to introduce the next generation to the industry you serve. With every share and post, link to your career page or job posting to lead traffic to your site.  

Social content can include photos of happy hours, outings, conferences, training, or coffee time—offering candidates a chance to see themselves in the culture. These offer chances for current team members to engage too, sharing posts and possibly attracting someone within their network that’s a good fit. Provide company guidance on what your voice is, what kind of content you have planned, and reminders on what is appropriate. 

Regular cadence on social is important as social feeds move fast, so to get seen, you must improve your odds. This is not to say post just to post, but to create a strategic plan and content calendar with approved messages and job postings. The content must be of value to either potential candidates, current team members, or both.  

Step 4:  Apply a Customer Service Mindset to Employees and Candidates 

Treating candidates and current employees like customers can boost hiring success, offering them the best experience possible and creating a great reputation for your company. Regularly check social media for messages, engage with employee posts, and ensure applicants get a follow-up regardless of being qualified or not. A simple response is better than being “ghosted”. Additionally, workplace surveys via a third-party platform can gather information about your process for candidates and keep a pulse on employee satisfaction to keep retention efforts on point.  

Social media allows candidates to share poor experiences during the application and interview processes, so make sure your company puts its best foot forward and is aligned during all stages of the hiring process. Plus continue to showcase your current talent and show appreciation for all their efforts as often as possible. 

What’s your Takeaway? 

With these four steps, your B2B business can stay effectively staffed. If you need help tracking your progress, TopSpot has the tools and data to help your efforts stay effective. Contact us to learn more.