Insights

Recruitment marketing is the external expression of your employer brand—how you present your organisation to the job market, both consciously and consistently. It applies established marketing principles to the talent acquisition process, swapping sales goals for talent attraction targets. The aim is to create awareness, interest, and desire among job seekers so that when a role opens up, your organisation is already on their radar.

At its core, recruitment marketing covers all candidate-facing communications. This ranges from traditional role advertisements and job descriptions to broader, strategic recruitment campaigns. Done well, it offers a compelling and authentic route to attracting and nurturing relationships with future hires, whether they’re actively job-hunting or not.

Importantly, recruitment marketing is not limited to promoting live vacancies. It encompasses a rich mix of content and messaging designed to bring your employee experience to life and distinguish your organisation in a crowded job market. This includes showcasing your Employee Value Proposition (EVP)—the unique set of benefits, values, and experiences employees can expect in return for their skills and commitment.

Content plays a key role in this. Effective recruitment marketing might feature:

• Employee stories that offer real insight into career progression, workplace culture, and the impact of individual roles.
  
  
• "Day in the life" videos or blog posts, helping candidates visualise themselves within your environment.
  
  
• Interviews with team members and leadership giving a human face to the brand.
  
  
• Behind-the-scenes content, which could include office tours, team events, or insights into your onboarding and training process.
  
  

While company websites, careers portals, and platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed remain important distribution channels, forward-thinking organisations are experimenting with more creative formats. For example, Instagram Stories might feature employee takeovers, while TikTok can bring a fun, informal edge to showcasing company culture, engaging employees in content creation and answering common questions about roles. 

But recruitment marketing is not just about eye-catching content—it’s also about building a strategic, data-informed ecosystem. This includes tactics like:

• Email nurture campaigns tailored to different segments of your talent pool.
• Targeted social advertising to reach passive candidates with specific interests or skills.
• SEO-optimised content to help your opportunities rank highly in search engines.
• Talent communities where individuals can stay engaged with your brand even if they’re not ready to apply.
  
  

Together, these activities help to prime your talent pipeline, ensuring that when the right opportunity arises, you’re not starting from scratch. You’re reaching people who already understand and resonate with your culture, mission, and values.

A strong recruitment marketing strategy also acts as a reputation builder, highlighting what makes your organisation a great place to work. It can reinforce trust, transparency, and inclusivity, while also demystifying processes and leadership. From promoting unique benefits and development opportunities to showcasing your impact on customers, communities, and the planet, recruitment marketing helps answer the question candidates are always asking (even if they don’t say it out loud): "Why should I work here?"

The Challenge of Implementation

The only real downside of recruitment marketing is the time, skill set, and resources it requires to execute effectively. Marketing teams are often focused on customer acquisition and brand building, while HR and Talent Acquisition teams may lack the necessary tools, training, or resources to manage a candidate-focused marketing strategy effectively.

That’s where expert support can make a difference.

We’ve partnered with our sister agency, What’s Next, to bridge this gap, combining deep HR and TA experience with no-nonsense marketing know-how. Whether you’re looking to create a compelling EVP, revamp your careers site, or roll out a full recruitment marketing campaign, we can help you design and deliver an approach that cuts through the noise and attracts the talent you need. 

To find out more, visit whatsnextinsights.co.uk or book a free, no-obligation call today.