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3 productive PR strategies for recruiting new employees

by | Aug 17, 2018 | Analysis, Public Relations

Companies that have great PR are likely to have more job applicants from more qualified candidates. Think about Apple, Amazon, Deloitte, the CIA, Salesforce, Adidas, and myriad other large companies who employ thousands of workers. They have hundreds to thousands of intern applicants every year, simply because students know that the company name carries weight on a resume.

All of these companies have great PR teams to make sure they continue to carry that weight and are seen in a good light.

Follow the model

There is a model of outreach that most companies with great PR follow. They have connections with the media through magazines, newspapers, websites, and social media, among other channels. They usually utilize these connections to advertise new products and services, but they also use them to make sure the world hears about the good that is happening within their company. If they donate money to charity, it’s published in the next day’s news. If they provide service to a shelter or clean up a highway, photos are taken and posted to social media the same day.

While it may seem self-serving to make sure all of your good services are published, you have to consider the good that comes from publishing the services provided. If talking about the service your company provided leads to company growth and opens more work opportunities for more people, then it’s worth it.

Walmart recently committed to paying out more money to employees due to the extra money they would have left over after the passing of recent tax laws. They also expanded their maternity/paternity leave. Regardless of political beliefs and leanings, this was an opportunity for Walmart to do something good for their employees. They made sure the community knew about their good works.

3 productive PR strategies for recruiting new employees

Another thing great companies do is they treat their employees very well. A common mistake is that executives measure how well they treat their employees by comparison to the industry standard. A programmer in the tech industry has a much “cushier” job than a foreman of road construction in the sense that it requires much less physical effort. However, both employees should have great benefits packages and opportunities for maternity/paternity leave, PTO, and opportunities to move up in the company.

Employees that love where they work will talk about it on social media, leave great reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and work harder to make sure the company succeeds. They will become your best word-of-mouth advertisers. They will talk to their neighbors and friends about how great their job is. Treat them like royalty, and they will work like it.

So, follow the model. Do good things, and let people know about it.

Control what you can control

The previously described model of outreach is something that you can control, but not everything is so easily controlled. So don’t worry too much about it. You can’t control if the online trolls say bad things about you. If you’re a public company, you can’t control if your quarterly earnings are released. There are things you have no control over—that’s life. The worst thing you can do is publicly complain about it.

Every once in a while there is a company that will turn some bad PR into something great. Here are some examples. This might be something you could do.

Trust the process

If you start following the model for good PR and are not seeing the results you want, have patience. Good things come to those who do good, and your work will pay off. People will eventually begin to notice the good you do for your community and industry, and they will respect it.

As the company gains respect, grows, and increases in revenue, you will be able to get better recruits. When they come, make sure you have a great onboarding process. Different HRIS softwares and training services will help to accelerate the process. Do some quick research to find out what will fill the needs of your company. This blog post will explain what is HRIS and how it can benefit your company.

Walter Bodell

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