Using location data to reduce wastage and improve candidate quality

We all want the same things from our recruitment marketing; high quality candidates, less wastage, and a stronger return on every pound we spend. And with budgets getting tighter (while expectations rise), the question is… what if we could target smarter, waste less, and get better results?

For in-house teams juggling tight budgets and even tighter hiring timelines, blasting job ads everywhere just doesn’t cut it anymore. We need to look at how we can use data (specifically location data) to target our campaigns more precisely. 

What location data can tell you about candidates

Where someone spends their time says a lot about their daily routine, their commute, and even the kind of work they’re likely to do.

• People regularly around industrial estates could be linked to logistics, warehousing, or manufacturing
  
  
• Those near hospitals, clinics, or care homes may have healthcare experience.
  
  
• Commuter routes can show you who’s travelling daily, and how far they’re realistically willing to go for the right job.
  
  

When you start to work with this data, you get a much clearer picture of who’s actually relevant to your role and, crucially, where you’ll have the best chance of reaching them. Enter geofencing technology… 

From scattergun to precision targeting

Traditional recruitment marketing can sometimes cast the net way too wide. This means you end up paying for clicks from people who live miles away, or who were never realistically going to take the role in the first place.

Geofencing flips that on its head. Instead of advertising to everyone, you place a digital fence around the locations that matter; a competitor site, a university campus, key postcodes, transport hubs etc. And you target the people inside this ‘fence’ with digital ads. 

Recruiters who use this method are seeing less wasted budget and a more relevant, appropriate group of applicants. 

Smarter targeting = stronger ROI

Using location data to improve candidate quality also saves time, meaning faster hires and better ROI. This is because every click is more relevant and every application is more suitable to the role. 

So next time you’re planning your recruitment marketing, think beyond job titles and salaries. Think about where your next hire is likely to be and how to reach them right there.