Marketing is concerned with finding an effective meeting place between you and your customer. From a recruiting standpoint, the same principle applies. It’s a question of your firm’s values and personality and those candidates out there that would thrive in that environment.
Build a persona that attracts candidates who would absolutely thrive in your company.
Demographics
- Age range.
- Education level.
- Years of experience in the field.
- Income level.
- Residence/location.
Education and Experience
Define your need and then talk about it from the candidate’s point of view.
A candidate’s education and experience can give clues as to how we can talk to them and what level of familiarity they have in the field. For example, if we told an accounting joke, would they get it?
It also gives us technical, searchable demographic info for targeting with ads.
- What is the candidate’s educational background (e.g., accounting degree, certifications)?
- How many years of experience do they have in accounting roles?
- What specific accounting skills do they possess (e.g., tax accounting, auditing, financial analysis)?
Career Goals
What kinds of career goals do you support, as a culture? Know those and then define the person who would have their goals met if they worked for you.
- What are the candidate’s short-term and long-term career aspirations in the accounting field?
- Are they looking to advance in their career or seeking a stable position?
- better work-life balance?
- career growth?
- salary?
- a more challenging role?
Job Preferences
What kind of company are you? How would you describe the candidate’s preferences and how they connect with you?
- Are they open to working in a specific industry or company size?
- Where are they located, and are they open to relocation for the right opportunity?
- What type of company culture are they seeking (e.g., corporate, startup, family-oriented)?
- What values are important to them in an employer?
Preferred Communication Channels
What are their preferred communication channels for job search (e.g. job boards, LinkedIn, career fairs)?
The More You Know, the More You’ll Connect
To sum it up, these questions will help you tailor job postings, social content, and even your approach to recruiting. And the more you understand the preferences, motivations, and needs of potential accounting candidates, the more effective you can be.
