How Recruitment Advertising Adapts to a Focus on Quality
The job market has seen a significant shift from a candidate-driven market during COVID-19 to the recruiter-driven market we’re experiencing today. For those of us in recruitment advertising, this shift brings a new set of challenges and opportunities. One of the biggest changes we’re seeing now is a clear focus on quality over quantity when it comes to applications.
Let’s explore what’s driving this change and how recruitment advertising needs to evolve to meet the expectations of both recruiters and candidates.
A Shift Towards Quality in a Recruiter-Driven Market
In today’s recruiter-driven market, the pressure to generate a high volume of applications isn’t as strong as it once was. Many of our clients are moving away from methods like email applications, which historically brought in larger volumes of applicants because they’re quick and easy to complete. However, these applications often lacked the depth recruiters needed, resulting in more time spent filtering out unqualified candidates.
Now, with applicant tracking systems (ATS) playing a bigger role in the recruitment process, the focus is shifting towards encouraging more considered and thoughtful applications. The idea is that if candidates are willing to go through the ATS process, they are more likely to be genuinely interested in the role and better suited for it. This results in higher-quality applications that save recruiters time and effort.
Why the Focus on Quality?
This shift towards quality over quantity is largely driven by the current recruiter-driven market. With more candidates available, employers no longer need to worry about getting a flood of applications—they can afford to be selective. Rather than casting a wide net, businesses are focusing on attracting the right people and minimising the work involved in screening and shortlisting.
From an advertising perspective, this means we need to adapt our strategies:
Precision Targeting: Rather than aiming for mass visibility, the goal is to focus on specific talent pools. By using data-driven targeting across programmatic ads, social media, and niche job boards, we can ensure that the roles are being seen by those with the right skills and experience.
Stronger Messaging: With less focus on high-volume applications, ad copy must now highlight the specifics that matter most to potential candidates. This could mean emphasising career progression, company culture, or unique perks—key elements that resonate with top-tier talent.
Exceptions: High Volume in the Logistics Industry
Of course, this trend doesn’t apply universally. In industries like logistics, where seasonal peaks occur—especially leading up to Black Friday and Christmas—the need for high-volume applications remains. During this period, recruitment advertising for logistics must focus on attracting large numbers of candidates quickly to meet the immediate demand.
For logistics companies, the traditional high-volume approach, such as email applications or one-click apply, may still make sense, as recruiters prioritise filling numerous roles in a short timeframe.
The Role of Recruitment Advertising in a Recruiter-Driven Market
So, what does all of this mean for recruitment advertising? In a recruiter-driven market, the focus shifts to creating more refined, targeted campaigns that prioritise quality over quantity. This might mean:
Maximising ATS Usage: Encouraging clients to integrate their ATS systems fully into their recruitment advertising process. This helps ensure that candidates are more engaged and deliberate, improving the overall quality of applications.
Optimising Budgets: Since the need for mass applications is reduced, budgets can be optimised to focus on channels that deliver the highest quality of candidates, rather than spending on generating as many applications as possible.
Maintaining Flexibility: For industries like logistics, we need to stay flexible, using high-volume tactics when necessary but switching to more refined approaches in sectors where the focus is on attracting top talent.
Looking Ahead: The Evolution of Recruitment Advertising
As the market continues to evolve, it’s clear that recruitment advertising needs to adapt to meet new expectations. Whether we’re in a candidate-driven or recruiter-driven market, the key is to stay flexible and data-driven. The shift towards quality applications is a trend we expect to continue, especially as technology and ATS platforms become more sophisticated.
At Further Media, we’re here to help our clients navigate these changes, offering recruitment advertising strategies that deliver the right results—whether that’s focusing on attracting high-quality candidates or scaling up during peak hiring seasons. Get in touch to find out how we can help you achieve your recruitment goals, no matter the market conditions.
