Webinar: The Agency of Tomorrow: Moving Beyond Job Boards
Andre Miletti and Travis Arnold(me) sit down to chat through the future of marketing for staffing firms and how they can steal concepts and practices from other sectors in a world beyond job boards.
I sat down with my friend Andre Miletti recently to chat about the future of the staffing agency and how they’ll need to adapt to move beyond job boards; the biggest marketing channel in the industry.
We dig into critical shifts we believe the industry needs to make and more. Below are the key takeaways and the whole enchilada is down there too. Enjoy!
- The Job Board Dilemma: It’s crazy to think that we’re still pouring $34-36 billion a year into job boards. That’s 97% of our digital spend! But here’s the kicker – only 30% of our hires actually come from these platforms. We’re stuck in an inefficient cycle, and it’s time for a change.
- Embracing a Multi-Channel Approach: We need to take a page out of the e-commerce playbook. SEO, paid search, display ads, social media – these aren’t just buzzwords. They’re powerful tools that can help us reach both active and passive candidates more effectively.
- Brand Matters More Than Ever: With younger generations entering the workforce, our online reputation is crucial. We can’t ignore the power of reviews and ratings anymore. Building a strong brand isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential for attracting top talent.
- Getting Personal with Candidate Personas: I’ve seen the power of personalization in other industries, and it’s high time we brought it to staffing. Understanding our candidates better and tailoring our approach could be a game-changer for engagement.
- Streamlining the Application Process: We’re losing too many potential candidates to clunky application processes. We need to think like UX designers and make it as frictionless as possible. And let’s not forget about those passive candidates – maybe it’s time to rethink the traditional resume upload.
- AI is Our Friend: I’m excited about how AI is transforming our industry. It’s making it easier to categorize and match candidates, which means we can focus more on building relationships and less on administrative tasks.
- Don’t Underestimate Referrals: I can’t stress this enough – referral programs work. They’re often overlooked, but they can be a goldmine for high-quality candidates. We just need to make them more systematic and user-friendly.
- Content is King: Creating relevant, industry-specific content isn’t just for marketing companies. It’s a powerful way for us to engage with potential candidates, even when they’re not actively job hunting.
- Data Should Drive Our Decisions: We need to get better at tracking and analyzing our efforts. Understanding which channels are working and why is crucial for optimizing our strategies.
- The Future is Holistic: I believe the future of staffing lies in a more rounded, candidate-centric approach. We need to blend the best practices from e-commerce, content marketing, and personalized engagement to build lasting relationships with our talent pools.
As we move forward, the agencies that adapt to these changes will be the ones that thrive. It’s about more than just filling positions; it’s about creating value for both candidates and clients.
By diversifying our marketing efforts, focusing on our brand, and leveraging technology, we can create more efficient and effective recruitment processes.
The future of staffing is exciting, and I’m looking forward to being part of this evolution (again).
