Marketing and Recruitment: Attracting the Right People for Business Growth in 2025

Marketing and recruitment share a common goal: attracting the right people. Whether it’s customers or employees, the process relies on clear messaging, trust-building, and consistency. Yet, many businesses treat them as separate functions, missing the opportunity to align their strategies for stronger business growth.

For small and medium-sized businesses, recruitment can feel overwhelming. Without dedicated employer branding teams, HR, and marketing efforts often remain disconnected. However, 86% of job seekers research a company’s reputation before applying (Glassdoor), meaning that your employer brand exists, whether you actively manage it or not. By approaching recruitment through a marketing lens, companies can attract talent just as effectively as they attract customers.

The Biggest Pitfalls in Recruitment (And How to Fix Them)

Pitfall 1: Confusing Company Messaging

A common issue in recruitment is unclear job descriptions. Many companies write overcomplicated listings, filled with jargon, making it difficult for candidates to understand the role and the company itself. This leads to mismatched expectations, higher turnover, and missed opportunities to attract the right people.

The Fix:

• Simplify job descriptions – Remove unnecessary jargon and clearly define responsibilities.
• Treat job listings like marketing content – Engage and inform, just as you would with customers.
• Be transparent about company values and expectations – Candidates should know exactly what to expect.

Best Practice: HubSpot’s career page effectively uses plain language, real employee testimonials, and video stories to provide an authentic view of company culture.

Action Step: Review your latest job posting—does it clearly explain the role to an outsider? If not, simplify and clarify.

Pitfall 2: Lack of Salary Transparency

Many companies ask candidates for salary expectations while already having a budget in mind. This lack of transparency wastes time creates negotiation struggles, and may deter top candidates from applying altogether.

The Fix:

• Clearly state salary ranges in job descriptions.
• If not specifying an exact number, provide a range or indicate that compensation aligns with industry standards.
• Shift hiring conversations toward role alignment rather than prolonged salary negotiations.

Best Practice: Buffer openly shares its salary transparency model, attracting candidates who align with their compensation philosophy.

Action Step: Assess whether hiding salary details is helping or hurting your recruitment process. Transparency builds trust and saves time.

Essential Recruitment Practices You Must Follow

1. Always Respond to All Candidates

Ignoring applicants damages employer branding. Even if a candidate isn’t the right fit, acknowledging their application creates a positive impression.

2. Stick to Deadlines

A structured hiring process improves efficiency:

1. Weeks 1-4: Collect applications.
2. Weeks 5-6: Review candidates.
3. Week 6: Notify candidates who won’t proceed.

Tip: Use a template response to quickly notify candidates, ensuring communication remains professional and timely.

3. Choosing the Right Interview Format

• Group interviews can streamline the initial screening process.
• One-on-one interviews work best for in-depth role alignment.

Efficient Approach: Conduct two group interviews with five candidates each, then move 2-3 top candidates to final individual interviews. This reduces delays and improves decision-making.

4. Keep the Door Open

Even if a candidate isn’t selected, they may be a great fit for a future role. Maintaining communication keeps talent pipelines strong.

Recruitment Is a Two-Way Process

Recruitment, like marketing, is about relationship-building. While companies evaluate candidates, candidates are also evaluating companies. Job seekers should feel empowered to ask about company culture, leadership style, and growth opportunities.

At the end of the day, the key question is: Who are you giving your valuable time to? Finding the right workplace is just as critical as hiring the right candidate.

Conclusion: Marketing and Recruitment

Aligning recruitment with marketing strategies strengthens employer branding, improves hiring efficiency, and attracts better talent. If you’re looking to refine your recruitment process, start by simplifying job descriptions, increasing transparency, and improving communication.

To dive deeper into this topic, watch our Live Chat: Marketing + Recruitment – Attracting the Right People for Business Growth, where Mari-Liis Vaher discusses these principles with Laura Kassin.

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