It is no secret that right now, many business owners are finding effective recruitment in Northern Ireland a tough challenge – and they are not alone. The Open University’s recently released annual Business Barometer 2021 report reveals nearly three quarters (69 percent) of local businesses believe there is a skills shortage in their own organisation.
The impact of the pandemic on future working dynamics has been and continues to be seismic.
Perhaps the most obvious and important example of these dynamics has been the prolonged levels of remote working. Since March 2020, many people have adjusted to their kitchens becoming their new office domain as collaboration – and even socialising – with colleagues in meeting rooms and pubs became routinely replaced with instant connection through video conference software.
Irrespective of how people found, or are still finding this new dynamic, it cannot be argued that the impact has irreversibly changed the outlook of both businesses and talent. This change in outlook has also impacted how the recruitment process can bridge the gap between dream candidate and career.
With ever-changing working dynamics but an ever-present need to source and attract talent, the advertising industry can provide a solution.Because the core fundamentals of effective advertising can help to overcome many of the recruitment challenges posed.
Consumer Insight
The first of these three fundamentals is consumer insight. Because human behaviour is driven by our views, opinions, and attitudes – from what we buy in the supermarket to where we decide to build a future career.
As a first step in every advertising campaign, it is critical to understand not only who exactly we want to reach, but also what really matters to them. At Ardmore, we do this by comprehensively analysing consumer behaviour using a wide variety of data points that help us build a clearer picture of people.
In our most recent campaigns, our insight team spent time with employees at companies facing a recruitment challenge. By getting inside, we could gauge a clear, more honest view of their workplace. For example, our recent work with Lidl uncovered that one of the big positive factors for their warehouse staff is the satisfaction that comes from the unique camaraderie experienced on a daily basis.
Creative Impact
The second fundamental where advertising can support recruitment is creative impact. At the most basic definition, we work in the business of memorability. We help brands stand out against their competition and win a precious space in people’s memory. In the context of recruitment, creativity is also essential to give a real and exciting sense of what your future career will look like. Executed correctly, not only are we able to attract the right talent, but also protect, build, and strengthen a brand.
Take our recent work for Bloc Blinds for example. A brand that truly prides itself on the lateral thinking and intuition of its workforce. This required advertising that complemented ideal this by challenging people to solve unique puzzles to determine if they were a fit for the brand. A disruptive, forward-thinking idea that echoes what a career with the innovative company will feel like.
If our insights are the fuel for an effective recruitment campaign, then the creative impact is the Flamenco Red Cadillac that takes us there in style.
Advertising’s Ability to Disrupt Through Effective Social Media
The final fundamental is advertising’s ability to disrupt through effective social media use. With an ever-increasing proliferation of tv channels, social media platforms, and mobile apps, reaching the right people at the right time has never been more challenging. And with only a handful of recruitment sites available to businesses and talent in the search for careers, knowing how to fly above the noise and get your jobs noticed means thinking beyond the generic options available. To combat the ever-increasing skills shortage right across Northern Ireland, the worlds of advertising and recruitment certainly have a promising future in working together.
At Ardmore, we can make it easier, impactful, and more efficient by building, positioning and amplifying brands as a career destination of choice.
