What is recruiting? Is it HR? Is it sales? Is it marketing? We’re of the mindset that an effective recruitment process, one that results in the right person in the right seat, is a combination of the three.
We’ve read all the studies across sectors that have been released this quarter. To summarize them for you: attracting and retaining skilled talent is a top projected workforce challenge for 2026.
With that on a lot of our partners’ minds, we want to hone in on the marketing piece this week.
The reality is, we’re all competing in the same talent pool. And unless you’re Apple or Google or Amazon where job seekers know your culture and are stalking your career page (how did they accomplish that level of brand awareness? Marketing), you can’t forget about this third of the equation.
Because here’s what often gets overlooked: Candidates are evaluating you long before you evaluate them.
The job posting, the way you describe the role, the tone of the interview, your transparency about values, it’s all marketing. And if you don’t use it to tell your organization’s story consistently in the recruitment process, candidates will come in without the context they need to know whether they actually fit.
Here are a few things we think are important:
- Your story should be cohesive and tie back to your brand
- Done well, effective marketing allows you to get more out of your resources (think job boards, hiring events, advertising)
- Job postings, interviews, onboarding – they are all marketing your organization to a new team member
If the first time you’re telling your organization’s story is during onboarding, you’re too late, they’re already locked in. It starts with that first exposure and builds from there.
Wondering where the bear comes in?
If you’re on social media, read the news, or patronize Starbucks, you’ve probably heard of the Bearista Cup. People stood in line for it, spent their money, fought crowds (literally). Everyone wanted one.
But when they actually tried to use it… it didn’t fit in a cupholder.
We know. Starbucks probably didn’t care whether it fit. They weren’t thinking about longevity or daily use. They cared that it sold.
And maybe that works when you’re selling a cup. But that’s not how your organization can operate.
You do care how long someone stays.
You do care whether they fit your values.
You do care whether they can actually do the work and thrive in the role.
And that’s why marketing matters in hiring. Because the story you tell – consistently, across every step of the process – is what determines whether someone actually fits once they’re in the seat.
Until next time,
Your Spherion South Central WI & Northern IL team