Candidate attraction has changed. Has your marketing hiring strategy?
Key insights
- Candidate research starts early: marketing professionals are assessing employer brand, culture and leadership before applying
- Job boards aren’t enough: reaching passive marketing talent requires proactive recruitment marketing and ongoing engagement
- Salary isn’t the only priority: career development, flexibility, leadership and growth opportunities increasingly shape candidate decisions
- Candidate experience matters: clear communication, efficient interviews and quick decision-making can help employers secure top talent
- Long-term talent attraction is important: employers are connecting recruitment marketing, employer brand and talent acquisition to build stronger talent pipelines
Not long ago, a recognised brand, an enticing salary and a vacancy on the right job boards were often enough to attract strong marketing talent.
Today, many employers are discovering that isn’t the case.
The best marketers assess more than the role, including the leadership team, growth ambitions, company culture, employer brand and the opportunities available beyond their first 12 months in the business.
In a market where skilled professionals have more choice and more information, attracting top marketing talent requires a very different approach than it did a few years ago.
This shift is reflected in candidate priorities. According to Randstad, 83% of employees value work-life balance, compared with 82% who prioritise salary. Candidates are assessing the overall employee experience, not just the compensation package.
Here’s why traditional marketing hiring approaches are becoming less effective, and what employers need to do differently to attract today’s talent.
Candidates are researching employers long before they apply
For many candidates, the recruitment process begins before they’ve even seen a vacancy. Marketing professionals are increasingly researching organisations through:
- Company websites
- Careers pages
- Social media platforms
- Employee testimonials
- Leadership content
- Employer review sites
They’re forming opinions about businesses before engaging with a recruiter, submitting an application or responding to a job advert.
67% of job seekers research company reviews and ratings before deciding whether to apply, highlighting the growing importance of employer brand and online reputation.
That means your employer brand is influencing hiring outcomes whether you’re actively recruiting or not.
Job boards aren’t enough
Most employers still use job boards as a core part of their recruitment marketing strategy, but relying on them alone can leave significant gaps in your talent attraction efforts.
Many of the strongest candidates aren’t actively searching for a new role. These passive candidates may be open to the right opportunity, but they’re unlikely to be scrolling through job postings every day.
As a result, organisations are investing more heavily in:
- Content marketing
- Employee advocacy
- Talent communities
- Employee referrals
- Recruitment campaigns
- Targeted job advertising
The objective is to build a future talent pipeline, rather than just filling vacancies.
Candidates are looking beyond salary
Salary remains important, but it is rarely the only factor driving career decisions. Marketing professionals increasingly want to understand:
- How they’ll develop their career
- What the leadership team is like
- Whether the business is growing
- How flexible working operates in practice
- What success looks like in the role
This is where a clear employer value proposition can make a difference.
Candidates want a reason to choose one employer over another. Businesses that communicate a compelling EVP often find it easier to engage talent and generate interest from candidates who were not actively considering a move.
Candidate experience is becoming a competitive advantage
Many organisations invest heavily in attraction and overlook what happens after a candidate applies. But candidate experience can have a significant impact on hiring outcomes.
A poor hiring process often includes:
- Delayed feedback
- Lengthy interview stages
- Unclear communication
- Constant changes to timelines
- Slow decision-making
Even candidates who are enthusiastic about a role may lose interest if the recruitment process becomes frustrating.
In contrast, organisations that communicate clearly and move efficiently through the hiring process often improve engagement, reduce time-to-fill and strengthen their reputation in the market.
Recruitment marketing and talent acquisition are becoming more connected
Historically, recruitment marketing sat separately from talent acquisition. Today, the most successful employers bring the two together.
An effective talent acquisition strategy combines:
- A strong employer brand
- Well-written job descriptions
- Targeted recruitment marketing
- Candidate engagement
- Talent pooling
- Data and market insight
Rather than focusing solely on individual vacancies, businesses are building long-term talent attraction strategies designed to support future growth.
Your job descriptions may be doing more harm than good
Many job descriptions still read like lists of responsibilities and requirements.
The problem is that candidates have plenty of options. They need to understand why the opportunity is worth pursuing.
The best job adverts and job ads explain:
- Why the role exists
- What impact the individual will make
- How the business is growing
- What progression opportunities are available
- Why the opportunity is exciting
A well-written job description should help candidates see themselves in the role rather than simply assess whether they meet the criteria.
What does successful candidate attraction look like today?
The organisations attracting the strongest marketing talent tend to focus on the bigger picture. They’re investing in:
- Employer branding
- Recruitment marketing
- Candidate experience
- Talent communities
- Employee advocacy
- Employee referral programmes
- Long-term talent pipelines
Most importantly, they’re thinking beyond immediate hiring needs.
Their goal is to become an employer of choice for marketing professionals, creating a consistent experience that attracts talent before a vacancy even exists.
Looking ahead
Competition for experienced marketing professionals is unlikely to disappear. But candidates will continue to have greater visibility into organisations and higher expectations of potential employers.
Successful hiring strategies will rely less on simply increasing the visibility of job postings and more on building trust, credibility and engagement over time.
Organisations that invest in their employer brand, refine their candidate attraction strategy and continuously improve the candidate journey will be best positioned to attract and retain top marketing talent.
Candidate attraction has changed, but has your marketing hiring strategy changed with it?
Get in touch today to discuss your hiring needs.
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Frequently asked questions
This section provides clear, concise answers to the most common queries.
A good cost-per-hire for marketing roles depends on the role’s seniority, location and specialism. The most useful benchmark is whether hiring spend delivers high-quality candidates who stay and perform well in the role.
Recruitment agencies can support a talent acquisition strategy by providing access passive candidates, providing market intelligence and strengthening talent pipelines for specialist or hard-to-fill marketing roles.
Employers can improve the candidate journey by starting with clear communication, realistic timelines and a streamlined hiring process. Candidates who have a positive experience are more likely to accept offers, recommend the business to others and apply again in the future.
To become an employer of choice, businesses need a clear employer value proposition, visible leadership, meaningful career development opportunities and a culture that consistently delivers on what is promised during the recruitment process.