What makes a strong diversity recruitment campaign?
There are plenty of recruitment strategies out there, but most rely on a single idea: reach as many qualified eyes as possible. Diversity recruiters must ensure their efforts reach the right people at the right time, by whatever methods their target demographics use. As technology develops and these channels become more diverse, recruiters should assess their strategies and determine where to leverage their attention for the most benefit.
Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for recruiting, particularly in today’s digital world. From diversity-focused sites like HBCUConnect.com to broader networks, like Facebook and LinkedIn, The benefit of social media over other engagement channels is right there in the name—social. Social media users willingly align themselves with different groups and organizations that resonate with them. This takes some of the work out of the recruitment equation. Candidates who publicly identify with ethnic or cultural organizations on social media are prime prospects to target with your recruitment strategies. Along with pre-selection, social media gives every organization a chance to promote themselves in a public way. This can be ideal for promoting sponsored events, internship opportunities, and describing past partnerships with other cultural groups.
Websites
Along with social media, having a strong web presence is an essential part of any online recruitment strategy. In some ways, this aspect can actually be more important than social media itself. Think of social media as a funnel, and your web page as an engine. It doesn’t matter how many eyes your social recruitment brings in if you can’t provide them anything of value when they reach your site. Provide resources for your demographic to demonstrate both the value they can bring and what you can offer them. This is the place to discuss educational materials, company perks, diversity milestones, and the benefits of working with a company that values different cultural perspectives.
Television
For people don’t use the Internet as much, television is an effective form of diversity recruiting. Cable and satellite carriers usually offer specific channels for target ethnic groups; this an ideal place to start, but don’t limit your advertising to these channels alone. Limiting your outreach to generalized ethnic programming will reduce the spectrum of potential candidates. Learn your market’s viewing preferences here to understand what they’re watching and when they’re watching. This information will reveal the best time and place to leverage your recruiting advertisements.
Print Media
Though considered old-fashioned when compared to social platforms, print media is a great way to address specific minority demographics. Many minority organizations publish magazines, career journals, and promotional materials for educational and recruitment purposes. Businesses (particularly those with a known history of collaboration with cultural groups) can purchase space in these materials to promote job opportunities or sponsored events. Inclusion in these publications adds legitimacy to your brand, and reaches those candidates who don’t use social channels.
The Media Tool Set
While each method of media outreach has its own advantages, they’re most effective when combined. Social, TV, and print media can be used to drive traffic to your website. Your web content can spark discussion on social channels and bring qualified eyes to your social recruitment network. Print and television advertisements often work in tandem to increase visibility of events you’re promoting or available job opportunities. Assess the behaviors of the demographics you’re seeking, and learn how to apply these media tools for better diversity outreach.
Posted By: Lorenzo Esmoquin
Sunday, February 14th 2016 at 7:08PM
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