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Recruitment reflected, pt 8
When was the last time you bought a set of waterproof Bluetooth running headphones from Amazon?
Just me?
I’m on there now with literally 2,000 results. Who’s got time to read through all those?
So I slice and dice it down - no need for amazing bass, just those basic £15 to £20 in-ear ones because your hearing’s bad enough in the one ear that works you can’t tell the difference?
48 results.
They’re a commodity, so doesn’t need to be perfect.
One headline reads “Wireless Earbuds, Bluetooth 5.3 Headphones in-Ear, HiFi Stereo Earphones with 14mm Drivers, True Wireless Earphones with ENC Noise Cancelling Mic, IP7 Waterproof Sport Ear Buds, 30H Deep Bass Black”
Another “True Wireless Sports Earphones - Grey” (at least that one got to the point)
Click on a few product pages, scroll down, and read a few salient details to check it fits the bill - not the whole thing, of course, most of it’s just wordage.
Then the key trick for me is to read the three-star reviews - those are the ones which show the caveats - and if that’s good enough, I’ll just buy.
Click click - I’ve never understood why their one-click buy is actually two.
Would you say my buying behaviour is vastly different from yours, for a low-stakes purchase in a sea of competition?
What about if you had 120 CVs to sift through, and six deadlines to meet?
Would you read every CV exactingly and read every bullet point?
Here’s the rub of this post:
you might be on a buying journey for your vacancy, but so too are your candidates.
Recruitment is a rare industry in that everyone buys and sells at the same time while acting as the product.
How do you think your candidates behave on their buying journeys?
Right now there are 781 Finance Manager vacancies on Totaljobs, in a 20-mile radius distance of ‘London’.
Sat in a static list that says the agency/employer name, the salary, location and a 1 line preview of the post. A preview that is most often meaningless - “We are looking for a Finance Manager”, surprise.
Reed has 2881, with a similar list but no preview.
Unlike my need for running audio though, if someone needed a job would they be so discerning with a single purchase?
Or would they click EasyApply in the hope they are a commodity purchase?
Hardly sounds like a hire based on someone specifically interested in your vacancy.
Ever experienced candidates that lack commitment?
Not that you should blame job seekers - bills don’t pay themselves and a salary has to come from somewhere.
Besides, the market is built on transactions, so if anyone’s to blame it’s the job boards and how they advise employers and agencies to advertise.
Or maybe it’s employers for not demanding the industry be built on quality instead of volume?
If they didn’t need a job but might be tempted with one, how would potential candidates react if yours was one of many vacancies, in a way that sounds identical?
If all vacancies are the same on paper, and 4 hours of their time anticipated in committing to interviews, can they afford to apply to an advert that appears the same as up to 2880 others?
I say no. Do you disagree?
What about me as a commodity purchaser, how else might I procure music for my ear?
A banner targeted at me, having clicked elsewhere?
A website emailing me telling me I’d left something in my basket?
Only if I hadn’t bought one surely?
What if I received a targeted email that offered a Strava membership, discounted running shoes, annual headphones and a Spotify subscription?
Those are needs you might not know about but might make me enquire further, even when I don’t have a need. Because it’s what you can offer in your uniquely defined way.
Yet that same message might also appeal if my wife happened to see that advert, while she was browsing that website for the thing she said she wouldn’t buy.
And I know she’d find an excuse to put it under my nose.
In a world of transactional adverts, one headline that spoke to my needs might just get a click. “Risk-free running earbuds, unlimited listening, track your performance, increase your miles” would peak my interest to clickable heights.
If the content behind the headline wet my appetite too, I might swim my way to a purchase.
While that same specificity might deter those in a volume hunt for volume products.
How does your ideal audience search for jobs?
Do they search for jobs? Or do they get found?
If they don’t how might you gain their awareness, and what message will encourage further action in a commodity marketplace?
How do they experience adverts and messages?
Will they already be aware of you as an employer of choice, or might only your Headline be their only experience?
Does it draw them forward, or put barriers in their way?
Writing adverts isn’t just about the words, it’s just as much about understanding how your readers might navigate a potential career move and catering to their needs.
Were I advertising a Finance Manager on Totaljobs, I might lead with “Finance Manager, tech for good, inclusive team, make your mark”, to influence how it’s read in those static lists.
Then have an advert and process that speaks to the needs of my buyer.
An advert which might be on a job board, but also in an email, DM or on a phone call. Inbound and outbound.
What would work for you?
Regards,
Greg
P.s. while you’re here, if you’re finding a vacancy difficult to fill, and your process is all about you and not about your ideal candidates - I can fix that for you.
Don’t be shy, email me at greg.wyatt@bwrecruitment.co.uk.
I can fill that vacancy directly, with employees who often exceed expectations, or help you do it better yourself.
P.p.s pique / whet