What is recruitment marketing software?

September 21, 2022

 

iCIMS Staff

10 min read

As a talent acquisition professional, you know the game has changed. In today’s competitive job market, being a recruiter is not enough. You must also be a marketer, armed with data and strategies to find new candidate pools, identify prospects to fill critical skills gaps, and search for the many candidates to fill positions emptied by The Great Resignation. You can’t wait until someone comes looking for a job – you need to find them. That’s why TA teams increasingly rely on recruitment marketing software. 

What is recruitment marketing software?

Recruitment marketing software combines recruiting and marketing activities to help organizations find and connect with candidates. By using dedicated software, talent acquisition teams can deliver consistent, clear, and authentic communications throughout the job seeker’s talent journey with less effort and more effective results.  

With recruitment marketing software, TA teams can also:  

• Build and manage a pipeline of skilled talent 
• Create an engaged network to source from when opportunities open 
• Improve the candidate and recruiter experience  

Recruitment marketing software can take shape in two ways: point solutions or a comprehensive platform, often called candidate relationship management software (CRM).  

Point solutions (sometimes called bolt-on solutions) are purchased individually and can be used on their own or with a talent acquisition platform like an ATS. Point solutions are designed to solve one specific issue. For example, recruiters might use an email marketing point solution to send out a monthly newsletter.  

In contrast, a CRM is a single platform that includes multiple solutions where recruiters can access most, if not all, of the tools they need to attract and engage candidates. For example, a CRM may include email marketing, text and video messaging, and candidate search within the same platform.  

Learn more about candidate relationship management software.   

Five key features to look for in recruitment marketing software

Whether you purchase recruitment marketing solutions as individual add-ons or as part of a comprehensive platform, here are five features you should look for to attract and engage candidates.  

1. Talent networks 

When a job position opens, how long does it take to find a qualified candidate?  

With talent networks, recruiting teams can build pools of candidates based on business needs and source from that network when a role opens rather than starting their search from scratch.  

When used with other recruitment marketing solutions, recruiters can use these talent networks to send personalized outreach based on candidate type. This means passive, active, or internal candidates each get a unique message designed to move them through the talent journey.  

As recruiting teams search for candidates to fill open positions, it’s natural that they concentrate on attracting people who are actively job searching. But be careful not to overlook passive candidates – those who are not actively searching but may be equally qualified.  

One survey found that more than one-third (37.3%) of people said they were passively looking for a job. When you have a robust talent network and the right recruitment marketing solutions, you can easily nurture these candidates until they’re ready to convert.  

2. AI-powered talent matching

In the fast-moving TA world, recruiters need to sift through hundreds of resumes fast to make informed decisions about candidates.  

Applied intelligence can help. Talent matching solutions identify best-fit candidates through recommendations based on skills data. This allows recruiters to quickly review top candidate profiles, including ones they may have initially passed over. This can also free up recruiter time to focus on other important tasks, like outreach and building a personal connection.  

Pro tip: look for applied intelligence that provides context for the recommendation. This helps recruiting teams understand the results (i.e., which of the candidate’s skills match the open role) and puts them in the driver’s seat to make decisions based on the recommendation.  

Learn more about applied intelligence within the recruiting process.  

3. Connected career sites

You may have a career page on your company website that lists open positions. But without a connection to your CRM or ATS, you could be missing out on valuable connections. 

First, your career site must connect to your audience. Whether it’s an add-on solution or part of a platform, your career site should highlight your company values, commitment to diversity, and culture. This allows job seekers to build an emotional connection to your organization and makes them more likely to engage with your site.    

Next, look for a career site that connects with your ATS and CRM to create better experiences for both job seekers and recruiters. Here are just a few features your recruiting team may benefit from:  

• • Intelligent search that surfaces relevant jobs regardless of spelling errors in a search term  
  • AI job matching that provides personalized recommendations to job seekers based on skills data from their resume   
  • Source-to-hire analytics that help recruiters understand and optimize recruitment marketing spend 

When your career site is connected to your TA tech, you can collect valuable data that supports a better recruitment marketing process.    

4. Email and text campaigns

The most enthusiastic candidate can lose interest if they don’t hear from you. This can happen any time in the recruiting process–even between accepting the offer and starting work.  

While individual candidates differ, research shows that Gen Z and Millennials prefer texts and email over phone calls. What may surprise you is that Gen X and Boomers feel the same! With more than 8 out of 10 people owning a smartphone, recruitment marketing software that enables text and email lets you and the candidate move the process forward, no matter where they are.  

Let’s take a deeper look:  

Text to apply capabilities make it simple and quick for candidates to apply for jobs. That ease in applying increases the likelihood that active and passive candidates will submit an application. The addition of conversational-AI to your text messaging solution allows candidates to ask and receive answers to FAQs on the spot which helps speed the recruiting process and keep candidates engaged.  

Your candidates aren’t all the same, and your email campaigns should reflect that. Deliver customized, relevant content by segmenting your talent networks. By doing this, you can personalize your messaging and build an always-on nurture strategy to reach candidates at each stage and across multiple channels.  

5. Employee-generated content with video

A few years ago, candidates could get a good sense of a company culture during an in-person interview. Now, work from home, hybrid work schedules, and the expansion of geographically remote candidates makes that more difficult. And yet, candidates have put a premium on finding a work culture that aligns with their values. 

Employee video testimonials are an effective way to help candidates “hear” from the people who work at your organization. Just as potential customers rely on product reviews before making a purchase, potential employees value the reviews of current employees. Glassdoor found that 83% of job seekers look at employee reviews when deciding where to apply, demonstrating employee influence. 

To amplify the employee voice, consider an employee-generated video solution. You can incorporate employee testimonial videos into:  

• • Email campaigns that bring your employer brand to life. Employees can describe the company, culture, or a day in the life of their job.  
  • Your career site. Employees can share advice, how they’ve benefited from the job, and the opportunities they’ve had.  
  • Recruiting chatbots that respond to FAQs with a video answer. Help job seekers from historically excluded groups (HEGs) picture themselves at your company by including video answers about diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Find the right kind of recruitment marketing software

Identifying the right recruitment marketing software is like finding the right person for the job. Consider what you need and decide if point solutions or a comprehensive platform are the right fit for your organization’s goals.   

Ultimately, whatever mix of recruitment marketing software you choose should help your TA organization attract and engage qualified candidates. Through streamlined processes and continuous engagement, the right tools will help you deliver a seamless recruiter and candidate experience that leads to a winning workforce.  

Learn more about candidate relationship management software.