Talent is talent. This isn’t to say an organization can easily swap out one moneymaker, innovator, or idea creator for another. We know the importance of attracting talent to move a company forward and retain them for as long as possible. What we mean when we say “talent is talent” is that any person coming into your organization—be it full-time, contractor, freelancer, or project-based worker—should have the same experience as each other.  

Companies used to treat full-time employees differently because the premise of full-time work was the commitment of that company (shown in ways like 401K, health insurance, pensions, and paid vacation) for the person’s commitment to years of service. It was not uncommon for a person to work at a company for 10, 20, or even 30 years— years spent building culture and brand awareness, a camaraderie that spanned decades. 

Times have changed. Now, even with a person accepting full-time work, that commitment could be less than five years, and in many cases, only one or two. Leaders have a fraction of the time to invest and garner investment from the people they bring into their organizations. And it’s likely one person could come back into an organization with a different work arrangement than their previous (i.e., contractor then full-time employee). The way an organization markets, engages, communicates, retains, and redeploys its best talent must shift with it—and it needs to be immediate and consistent across worker type.  

Talent marketing is changing the game in full-time hiring, and it represents a shift in the way organizations attract, engage, and retain top talent. This approach recognizes that the job market is highly competitive, and to secure the best, companies must actively market themselves to prospective talent. For full-time hiring (and all hiring, for that matter), talent marketing can be used in the following ways.  

Employer Branding: Talent marketing helps build a strong employer brand where top talent is excited to work. This involves creating a positive image of the company as an employer in a specific industry. This can be done through various channels, such as social media, websites, and testimonials. A compelling employer brand can attract top talent by highlighting the company’s culture, values, and opportunities for growth. 

Tailored Messaging: Instead of leading with generic job postings, talent marketing helps to focus messaging that is tailored and personalized to attract and engage them. This approach ensures that all job seekers feel a sense of connection to the company and its culture from the very beginning. 

Candidate-Centric Approach: Talent marketing treats candidates like customers. It recognizes that a positive candidate experience is essential for attracting and retaining talent and having that talent refer people in their networks. This means things like meeting candidates where they are with omnichannel communications, accessible websites, and mobile capabilities to create a more positive experience. 

Talent Advocacy: Existing talent (regardless of work arrangement) are a company’s best brand ambassadors. Talent marketing encourages them to share their experiences and promote the organization to their networks. This can lead to faster time-to-fill a role, greater retention, and a desire to be redeployed into other areas of the company.  

By building a strong employer brand, providing targeting messaging, and providing a superior candidate experience that is scalable across the organization, attracting and retaining all talent means they will stand out from the competition. If you want to know how WorkLLama is using AI-driven, automated talent marketing to help organizations reach top talent, please visit WorkLLama.com.