Almost every hiring manager will tell you, “It is getting harder to find and keep good employees.” But, recruiting and hiring can be easier than ever with the help of programmatic recruitment advertising. If you have not heard of it before, here’s everything you need to know about programmatic recruitment advertising to help you find better candidates and create a less stressful search for new employees.

What is Programmatic Recruitment Advertising?

Simply put, it is a computer program that buys recruitment ads online. You probably think you are already doing that on LinkedIn or Indeed, but programmatic recruitment advertising is very different. It sounds complicated, but it simply automates and optimizes every aspect of how companies look for candidates.

This technology puts your job postings in front of relevant candidates and saves you money on unnecessary and irrelevant advertising. Some of the most popular companies that make programmatic recruitment software claim it takes the guesswork out of hiring. It will even post ads on sites you’ve never heard of, but the candidates you seek are actively using.

The automation eliminates human negotiations, ad orders, and third-party vendors. It uses sophisticated artificial intelligence to put ads in front of the right people, at the right time, wherever they are located, and on any device they are using. It maximizes your ROI and allows current employees to focus on higher-level tasks.

How to Get Started

The “Great Resignation” is leading more companies to explore programmatic digital advertising. In the US, companies are expected to spend $123 billion on programmatic advertising displays in 2022. Statista.com reports that’s double what was spent in 2019.

In 2022, there are dozens of companies offering programmatic digital advertising services. Another Recruiting News Network story will guide you through some of the best. Doing your research on companies, their software, and how they align with your goals is the first step.

Programmatic digital advertising is like any other type of advertising; you need a strategy and a budget. Once you provide that information, the program's algorithms and analytics take over.

Instead of you posting digital ads on job platforms and social media, programmatic recruitment advertising does it for you. The software uses a series of algorithms that include data about the open position, how similar job postings performed in the past, and how your current posting is performing on job boards to put the ad in front of the right people.

Leverage Real-Time ROI Tracking

The next step is tracking real-time ROI. Consulting firm PwC reported that 74% of media spending is wasted. Companies using programmatic digital advertising can slash that waste by monitoring performance 24/7.

Real-time data boosts your ROI by focusing your campaign spending on high-performing ads. Once you narrow down where and when you look for candidates, you can refine your budget and compare ROI for future campaigns.

The automated software will also change how you pay for your digital job advertising. Instead of relying on a pay-per-click model, it creates a cost-per-applicant or cost-per-hire payment structure.

In 2021, the talent acquisition company Great8 People teamed with programmatic digital advertising manufacturers Pandologic. At the time, Great8 People called it an efficient and effective way for companies to use their time and budget to target top talent. The company's Chief Product Officer Jayne Kettles said it “automates and optimizes decision-making during every stage of the job advertising process.”

What You Can Track

Each system is different but they provide most of the same features. Programmatic digital advertising automates all the manual tasks of job advertising. You can monitor, track, and change budgeting, goals, cost-per-click bidding, candidate journey, and every site your job is advertised.

Provide Yourself Protection

Programmatic Digital Advertising uses AI; that means you can use automation to protect your company. It is vital that you create a system to represent your values and needs. PwC recommends a responsible AI toolkit.

When appropriately used, programmatic digital advertising and AI provide transparency. They show where the money is going, and what changes are being made and can track a candidate from first contact to becoming a new employee.

Deliver Targeted Messages

In today’s current hiring climate, brand reputation is more important than ever. There is a significant connection between your company’s brand and hiring qualified candidates.

A series of LinkedIn studies discovered that 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before applying. It also reported that 72% of recruiting leaders said employer brand has a “significant impact” on hiring.

Try leveraging programmatic recruitment advertising to strengthen your brand by phrasing ads differently to different demographics. It will create targeted messages highlighting various aspects of your company to match different audiences.

It will provide more relevant content to improve the candidate experience by showing each type of candidate what they want to see. This helps build a stronger relationship before they apply while giving them insight into your company. It helps prevent candidate ghosting and is expected to lead to higher employee satisfaction rates.

In a 2021 webinar (sponsored by Pandologic), the research company Staffing Industry Analysts showed that programmatic digital advertising is also a tool to improve DEI rates. The source-neutral algorithms help companies target candidates from underrepresented communities to develop a diverse applicant pool.

Why Programmatic Digital Advertising is Essential

As Recruiting News Network previously reported, 75% of hiring managers believe hiring will become even more challenging this year. A Greenhouse Hiring Manager Report found that 88% of hiring managers report experiencing new or more pressure because of the growing number of open positions in the current job market.

Greenhouse CEO and co-founder Daniel Chait said, “Hiring is a business-critical function–and it needs to be structured, measured, and continuously improved.”

Dozens of Fortune 500 companies already use programmatic digital advertising and believe it works. They say it frees up resources, saves money, and does find better candidates in the difficult recruitment and hiring field.

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