Because brand loyalty isn't just for consumers any more

Twenty-five years ago, the advent of 'cable' television transformed the way organizations communicated with their stakeholders:  With total television viewership fragmented across 500+ channels, advertisers discovered that they had to communicate through more than just a handful of big networks.

In the past 10-15 years, the internet and other technology has caused a similar fragmentation in the way individuals and organizations communicate with each other.  Telephone, email, texting, blogging, micro-blogging, discussion groups, social media, videos - there are more channels to choose from, and a significant amount of variation across demographics.

Individuals expect to be able to communicate with organizations on their own terms, and they expect to have a choice.  What's more, Gen Ys and Millennials are more brand-aware than any previous generation - and when the consumer brand isn't consistent with the recruiting and employment brand, they become cynical, fast.

This has significant ramifications for recruiting:

Recruiting strategies must be multi-pronged and channel-agnostic
No single channel is going to reach a majority of candidates.  Recruiting strategies must use multiple channels - online and offline - to reach potential candidates.

Recruiting must become more targeted
In a fragmented talent market, it's more important than ever to know where your 'ideal candidates' are, which channels they're using to communicate, and what messages resonate with them. 

One size does not fit all
Recruiting professionals have always known that attracting and recruiting a junior administrative position requires a different approach than attracting and recruiting a CEO.  However, in a fragmented labour market - which has to appeal to both Gen Ys and the 50+ demographic - it's important to remember that candidates look for information in different ways, and employ different networks.  Messaging and channel use has to reflect this.

Word-of-mouth is more powerful than ever
The average candidate is more sceptical of 'marketing messages' than ever before, so they tend to consider recommendations and advice from friends, family and colleagues more reliable than 'marketing'.  Recruiters need to know what current and former employees are saying about what it's like to work at the companies for which they're recruiting.