Talent Connect Highlight: Reframing employment marketing, a Googler’s perspective

LinkedIn’s Talent Connect conference was just last month, and we loved it! So much so, we thought we’d recap one of our favorite sessions with Google’s Head of Employment Marketing, Chris Malin. Malin gave a standing-room-only talk at Talent Connect. Here are our top five takeaways from his session on reframing employment marketing.

Use Inclusive Marketing in Your Job Postings

Inclusive language in job ads helps ensure qualified candidates don't edit themselves out. @ChrisMalin #TalentConnect2019

— Bryan White (@bmwatx) September 26, 2019

A job posting is often a candidate's first “official” interaction with your company. Unfortunately, many job postings inadvertently eliminate candidates who self-select. This can happen in two ways. 

One, recruiters ask more than they need from a candidate. If you’re asking for a master’s degree in an entry-level job, lots of perfectly qualified candidates won’t bother to apply. Be sure to distinguish what’s actually needed versus desired.

Two, your job posting verbiage may be the turn-off. While certain words might seem subtle to a recruiter, they could be the reason some candidates turn away.  According to LinkedIn, words like “aggressive,” “rock star,” and “superior” are likely to turn women away. Chris Malin reiterated the importance of thinking critically about the words you use, and ideally, having a diverse group of employees review the posting before you publish it. 

Keep It Real

What you deliver and what you've positioned need to align, or you're guilty of bad marketing. Meet people where they are. @ChrisMalin#TalentConnect2019

— Bryan White (@bmwatx) September 26, 2019

It’s a competitive market, and everyone wants to make their company seem like the best company in the world that’s perfect for everyone. While such postings may appear all sunshine and rainbows, it’s important to be real. Misleading job postings can cause you to lose candidates further down the hiring pipeline. Even worse, you could quickly lose new hires. So, be honest with yourself and your prospective candidates-- what is it really like working at your company? The truer you are, the better aligned your candidates will be.

Find Your Employment Market

Chris Malin, Head of Employment at @Google, shares the keys to identifying candidate market size: focused needs and documenting your goals. #TalentConnect pic.twitter.com/ym7Vzt9xPJ

— LinkedIn Talent Solutions (@HireOnLinkedIn) September 26, 2019

We loved how Chris Malin explored the candidate market outside of the traditional sense. Instead of simply looking at candidates in nearby areas or related fields, Malin focuses on what his company needs and what candidates need. Where these needs overlap is his ideal candidate market-- that’s where yours should be too!

Malin also discussed the four quadrants of the candidate engagement spectrum. The vertical axis of the chart states “intent to find a new job,” and the horizontal axis is “intent to work at our company.” Ideally, you should aim for candidates in the top right quadrant-- candidates who are looking for a new job, and who are excited about working in his company.

Market Your Brand Relevance

“It isn’t about helping candidates see you more clearly, it’s about helping them see themselves with YOU.” -Chris Malin @Google on #employmentmarketing #TalentConnect

— Meaghan Monastero (@MsMeaghanLynch) September 26, 2019

But how do you attract candidates with the desire to work at your company? Two words: brand relevance. How relevant is your company to your candidates? 

For example, take a company like Amazon. While just about everyone is aware of its existence, not everyone knows if its a good fit for them. That’s why Malin stressed the importance of focusing on communicating relevance to the right candidates-- and not just getting the word out. Find the candidates you want, and then make sure they can envision themselves at your company.

Inspire Candidates

“Company is the catalyst, never the hero.” Great insight from @Google’s Chris Malin on reframing employment #marketing at #TalentConnect. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼#TalentConnect2019

— Mike McCarry (@Mike_McCarry) September 26, 2019

Although branding is primarily focused on your company, recruiting should always be about your candidates. Your company could provide a candidate with a massive career step, a reason to move states, or another life-changing opportunity. As a catalyst for your candidate’s career, use recruitment marketing as a way to inspire prospective employees. You’ll candidates will not only notice this mentality and support, but you’ll be sure to end up with better-fitting candidates! 

What other sessions from Talent Connect did you enjoy? Let us know!