Over the past few months, exaqueo’s Insights and Experience teams have been busy working on “source of influence” reports for two very different clients. In the highly competitive fields of pharmaceuticals and entertainment, attracting talent globally requires more than traditional methods. When application quality often gets lost amidst application quantity, it's crucial for Talent Acquisition (TA) teams to rethink their recruitment marketing strategies. Welcome to the era of source of influence, where understanding candidate interactions becomes key to effective recruitment marketing.

Downside of Traditional Recruitment Marketing

Many TA teams fall into the trap of relying heavily on historical data from applicant tracking systems (ATS). This often leads to recruitment campaigns built on outdated strategies, perpetuating the cycle of “more money equals better results.” But does spending thousands or even millions on job boards truly guarantee the quality hires that organizations need? 

The focus on quantity over quality has been a persistent issue since I first started my career more than two decades ago. Companies see a flurry of applications but struggle to attract the candidates who thrive inside their unique environments. Understanding where your hires originate—beyond the last click—is critical to refining your recruitment strategies.

Introducing Source of Influence

In 2013, exaqueo pioneered the concept of “source of influence” as a talent acquisition metric that matters. This approach moves beyond simplistic ATS metrics to capture a holistic view of the online and offline influences on candidates. It’s about recognizing that the inbound click is merely the last step in a series of influential interactions that shape a candidate’s journey.

Uncovering Sources of Influence

For recruitment marketers to drive awareness and quality application conversions, they need to rely less on simple ATS metrics. Instead, shift the focus to advanced strategies and research that capture a holistic view. Here’s how:

1. Survey Employees and New Hires

Understanding how current employees and new hires researched the organization as an employer provides invaluable insights. Surveys can reveal patterns and channels that might otherwise be overlooked. You can also zoom out to understand what type of content, informaiton, and stories were most influential on their decision to apply and/or join the company. 

2. Engage with Interns and Candidates

Direct conversations with interns and candidates can shed light on their perceptions and the various touchpoints that influenced their decisions to apply. Instead of assuming where to reach Gen Z or today’s candidates, ask them and find the common threads. 

3. Conduct External Research

Staying informed about job seeker trends through external research ensures that your strategies are aligned with current market dynamics. This can be done via a survey panel, market research firm, or with a workforce research partner like us. 

4. Dig Into Site Analytics

Analyzing traffic sources to your careers site can help identify where potential candidates are coming from and what content engages them the most. Dig into your Adobe or Google Analytics to understand more about the behavior patterns that drive job seekers to your site. I also like a tool called Similarweb that can provide topline site traffic insights at no to low cost. 

5. Leverage ATS Data as a Single Data Point

While ATS data is useful, it should not be the sole source of truth. It’s essential to integrate it with other data points to get a comprehensive view. Candidates are on a journey; the ATS is often just the last port of call. 

The Importance of Sources of Influence

Recognizing and leveraging sources of influence goes beyond tracking the final step of the application process. These insights, grounded in thorough research, empower TA teams to make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts and resources.

By understanding where potential candidates consume content—even outside of job search activities—employers can strategically place their brand in front of the right audiences. That’s recruitment marketing 101; getting the right content on the right channel to reach your audience. This might mean focusing less on job boards and more on innovative approaches like word-of-mouth referral campaigns or other creative outreach methods.

Transforming Recruitment Marketing

The journey from awareness to application to hire is complex and multifaceted. By adopting the “source of influence” approach, TA teams can build smarter, more effective recruitment marketing strategies, ultimately attracting the talent that is right for their organization.

As we embrace this new era of recruitment marketing, remember, it’s not just about the last click—it’s also about zooming out and gaining a more holistic view. By understanding and influencing each touchpoint, we can show up in the right places (and maybe some new places, too!) to strategically inform and transform how we attract and hire today’s talent.

Want to learn more about Source of Influence? Listen to Susan LaMotte, CEO + founder of exaqueo, on this CXR podcast. 

Ready to get your hands on your organization’s sources of influence? Contact us to learn more.