Another year, another warehouse peak hiring season behind us – and with it, new learnings and optimizations for the new year. As always, recruitment marketing professionals need to be at the top of their game in order to compete for the attention of the same candidates in the talent pool.
As rapidly as the recruitment landscape has been changing, recruiters often find themselves asking what the most solid recruiting strategies for the warehousing space currently are. What worked last year, or even earlier in the year, may not be the best strategy for attracting candidates right now. Add to this the fact that this sector is consistently experiencing an ongoing shortage of workers, a condition that is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Sound recruitment marketing in the warehousing space can give companies an edge over their competition for reaching both passive candidates and audiences who might not have previously considered positions in this industry. It also helps talent be well-informed regarding roles, role types, and role options.
Positioning is Everything
Based on current trends, it has become evident that in recruiting for the warehousing and logistics space, it is important to position the business on as many of the correct channels as possible to raise awareness. While this is a comprehensive task, once a company or recruiter has sufficiently systematized the internal process, it becomes a matter of ensuring all bases are covered.
So, what are those bases? Those bases encompass everywhere that job seekers frequent or congregate to look for employment. The below list is not comprehensive, but this is a good start:
Multiple channels: This means that recruitment marketers need to craft messaging appropriate for audiences on TikTok and YouTube – and everything in between. It also means that the messaging will often use different language, length, and media in keeping with the platform's engagement environment. Getting on more channels helps a company attract from varying talent pools, such as people looking to leave their current job or industry for new opportunities or a side hustle for seasonal work.
Highlight benefits: Since the benefits of working at a company are often topmost in the minds of job seekers, it is a good idea to convey this information first. Detailing all of the specific benefits to the candidate helps the company stand out from the competition and helps to build the employer brand (see below). For example, apart from salary and benefits packages, warehousing and logistics companies can showcase flexible working hours, safety and security practices, job security, better technology, training opportunities, schooling reimbursement, growth opportunities, and supportive teams – since these are aspects that carry weight with workers in this industry.
The employer brand: Many experts in this area maintain that all recruitment marketing should be about building the employer brand – and the marketing content can be used specifically to this end. There are numerous ways that recruitment marketers can accomplish this. One is keeping employer social and company profiles up-to-date, so that when candidates are doing research, information is easy-to-find, making candidates more likely to apply.
A great starting point when enhancing the employer brand through recruitment marketing is asking the question, “What makes this organization different?” – and answering this question throughout all marketing content. Since many warehousing positions are very similar in the operational sense, differentiating a company can be done by highlighting benefits (as mentioned above) and showcasing the company’s culture (e.g., corporate responsibility, DEIB efforts). Showcasing how unique an organization is can supercharge its recruitment marketing efforts.
Authenticity: Companies need to remain true to themselves. Inconsistencies between what candidates see when researching and what they experience on the job will do more harm than good in the long run.
Content Creation Best Practices for Warehousing
Authenticity: Companies need to remain true to themselves. Inconsistencies between what candidates see when researching and what they experience on the job will do more harm than good in the long run.
Having addressed the channels and coverage above, now it’s time to move on to the finer points of the recruitment marketing strategy for warehousing. Let’s dive into content types, media, and messaging recruitment marketing professionals should use to attract talent in the warehousing space.
Video is king: One of the best ways of staying ahead of the competition, as well as attracting and retaining warehouse workers in the face of steep competition, is through the use of video. In recruitment marketing, video is indispensable in reaching the best candidates, creating awareness, and driving action.
Tell a story: Across the types of media that support this, telling the company’s story and communicating who they are is an excellent way of conveying information about the company while avoiding the “hard sell.” Of course, video is an excellent medium for accomplishing this. Video and imagery of real workers in warehousing roles should be used to help the viewer visualize themselves in the job and see that people like them are thriving in similar roles.
Recruitment marketers can also include written or video testimonials from current warehouse employees, photos of company events or people at work – anything that will show that the organization is innovative, modern, and diverse (e.g., age, ethnicity, gender). Including quotes and testimonials from employees as proof that the company is a great place to work helps to drive the messaging home. People often associate warehouse roles with heavy lifting and poor working conditions, but some viral TikToks have been claiming warehouse work is #easymoney.
Social media: In addition to conveying information, social media platforms are relationship-building platforms. Continuous engagement via social media is essential in recruitment marketing today. Companies should ensure that their profiles are up-to-date and relevant, and that content is fresh.
Some platforms offer invaluable resources that can benefit employers and recruiters. Social engagement takes time, but consistent interaction with the audience will build trust.
Google ad campaigns: Google remains the dominant purveyor of ads across the internet. Google ad campaigns can help companies get to the top of search results, but they can also tap into audiences watching YouTube videos.
Photos & text: Here, the idea should be to keep it simple. Excluding job descriptions, verbiage should remain as concise and intuitive as possible. Heavy hashtagging can be used to help with the discovery of postings. It is helpful to include information to help people self-select and open up the talent pool as much as possible such as "No college degree required" or “No Experience Required.”
Use photos that are inherently more engaging. For example, displaying photos of real warehouse workers on the job carries more weight than stock photos. Graphics should use consistent colors, fonts, and layouts – since these pull everything together for a cohesive feel. Finally, if text must be included with an image, be sure to go light and simple.
Include clear CTAs: The best marketing in the world won’t lead to conversions without the right call-to-action (CTA). It may be clear that the desire is for the job seeker to apply for a job, but how they go about doing this must be unequivocally clear and easy. Always include a call-to-action that tells users exactly what to do next; these should be highly visible and engaging, so the candidate is more likely to click on them.
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In the end, candidate marketing for the warehousing space should cover all activities for building and maintaining the employer brand, extending the reach of career opportunities, building and nurturing candidate relationships, and managing talent acquisition messaging.
If your company is ready to supercharge its recruitment marketing for the manufacturing and logistics sector, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
