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Greater creativity in recruitment advertising campaigns could be

the answer for companies which bemoan a shortage of good quality

candidates in the marketplace.

At last month’s Recruitment Advertising Awards, winning agencies across

14 categories demonstrated that a more creative approach to recruitment

ads boosts both the volume and quality of response.

Paul Sissons, director of recruitment at event organiser Reed Business

Information, believes that companies are having to step up investment in

recruitment advertising in order to attract the right candidate. ’It is

a competitive marketplace and advertising has to work harder. Already we

are seeing a closer link between the branding of an organisation and the

vacancy.’

The Scottish Prison Service, whose agency, Riley, picked up the award

for best campaign, changed its marketing strategy 18 months ago in order

to address a long-running recruitment problem. It reports a significant

increase in the quality and quantity of response since launching the

campaign, which more than outweighs the increased investment in

adspend.

’Each ad tells a story of what the job can involve, from delivering a

baby to taking a visitor to see his mum. We had to change people’s

misconceptions about what working for the prison service involves. It’s

not just about putting a person in a cell and shutting the door, ’ says

managing director of Riley Scotland Alan Fraser.

Similarly, Tesco Stores shifted its recruitment advertising strategy to

tackle a recruitment problem in its pharmacy division. According to

Tesco recruitment manager Carol Trower, the campaign, through Bernard

Hodes Advertising, prompted a tenfold increase in the number of

applicants.

’We are placing more people than ever before, vacancies have fallen by

25%,’ she confirms.

The campaign won the award for best ad in the health, social care and

charities sector and showed the ad being pelted with eggs and tomatoes

by the competition to prevent candidates reading it.

But, Helen Rosethorn, managing director of Bernard Hodes warns against

strong, creative work which fails to deliver. ’Don’t be creative just

for the sake of it. Our work is built on solid research and you need a

creative which will build on that knowledge. Then you’ll get the

results,’ she says.