Content marketing (also known as inbound marketing or talent inbound marketing) is an effective way to transition from project-based “advertise and wait” recruitment projects to actively and strategically attracting talent, as well as continuously attracting and acquiring talent. Choice's hybrid recruiting service includes the best parts of the content marketing process.
The content marketing process is used to build a bridge between a company’s brand and potential employees long before the first job application is submitted. Content marketing is part of a more strategic whole and should not be confused with tactical content production or individual job posting campaigns. Whereas various content production services for executives or key personnel typically focus on individual-level impact and content, Choice offers comprehensive expertise and know-how to support the implementation of organizational culture communication and recruitment strategies. At Choice, we also produce content in various formats for our clients, but our framework is centered on a strategic employer brand, the organization’s appeal, and its internal work culture and communication. As part of Choice’s service process, a content creator (or ghostwriter) can interview an expert or executive and transform their ideas into professional publications for platforms such as LinkedIn or TikTok.
However, a great deal has already happened both before and after this: a structure that involves the rest of the organization’s staff has been created, along with content themes and a foundation for motivation. Employer branding requires authenticity and truthfulness, and communication carried out solely through the words and face of a manager should not be the only approach to increasing the attractiveness of the employer organization. Brand risks must also be taken into account at the latest when the company decides to feature an individual employee as the face of its employer branding or marketing campaign. It is important to recognize that people change jobs, switch roles within the company, or leave for other reasons. Brand marketing builds and strengthens the employer company’s brand, not that of an individual, but individuals can appear in content and share it.
Content marketing aimed at meeting recruitment and staffing needs emphasizes an understanding of the professional world and the recruitment process, as well as the ability to identify, reach, and influence target groups of skilled professionals.
Just as with acquiring new customers, it is well known that most qualified professionals are not actively looking for work at the very moment your organization needs them. Looking for a new job requires careful consideration and a gradual increase in understanding and awareness of new opportunities. Talented individuals who are not actively job hunting are referred to as passive candidates. This means they are not actively searching for job postings, for example, but may be open to new opportunities if the company and its prospects seem interesting or the timing is right.
The target group of passive candidates is typically approached through personal outreach, a direct search conducted by a recruiter or headhunter. Content marketing, on the other hand, conveys the brand message or various key messages designed for the target group to the entire pool of potential talent before a headhunter has necessarily contacted any of them. The marketing strategy is therefore not inherently tied to direct outreach, but rather complements the recruiter’s personal outreach efforts. Overall, content marketing has multiple dimensions that provide both direct and indirect benefits to recruitment professionals.
Most of the suitable or future-targeted talent are typically passive candidates who do not actively browse job postings but are, for example, interested in the industry and business in general. They may have acquaintances and friends working at competing employers, and as a result, work and job opportunities are frequently discussed within their networks. Here are a few concrete ways to build employer awareness and appeal:
Expert and professional content: Blogs, LinkedIn posts, and podcasts concretely demonstrate that the company is solving interesting problems at the cutting edge of the industry. Every company can enhance its role and visibility by investing in communication about its work and clients. There is significant synergy between employer branding content projects and the production of content needed for commercial marketing, particularly during the planning and pre-production phases. The same people and professionals can appear in content for both target groups, but the core messages, content objectives, and format must be clearly defined in advance. You can’t start thinking about these things only when you’re on set or in the studio.
Making Culture Visible: Videos, photos, comments, and insights into everyday life paint a picture of what it’s really like to work at the company and what factors keep talented employees engaged in their day-to-day work. Making culture visible begins with the company first being able to articulate its cultural strengths and the real factors that make the work community attractive. These cannot be decided by the management team alone; the process typically involves analyzing and understanding the employee experience. Goals might include, for example, increasing visibility, expanding the target audience, shaping perceptions, or consciously differentiating from competitors.
Increasing the communication confidence and capabilities of your own staff: Many companies have already recognized that communication and marketing by the company’s staff is more authentic and impactful than commercial communication from organizational accounts. Marketing efforts run through a company’s advertising accounts are also increasingly blocked by personal ad blockers. Since people connect with people and often form peer groups with colleagues in the same field or those doing similar work, it’s truly worth putting in the effort to engage your own staff and systematically build their confidence in communicating. Of course, this requires that your own staff be motivated to share matters related to their daily work, their experiences, and their employer’s brand message. It is of paramount importance to build a clear concept for employee advocacy that includes.
When a skilled professional becomes interested in an open position, they begin to do some background research. Content marketing provides answers to questions and addresses points of interest that a job posting alone simply cannot cover without becoming as long as a book. There has been extensive research on what matters to skilled professionals when job hunting, including:
Team and work environment: Who will be my future supervisor? Who will be my future colleagues?
Clients and projects: What kind of clients will I be working with? Will I get to challenge my skills? Is the work challenging enough / simple enough for me? Are our clients satisfied and proud of our collaboration?
Leadership: What is the leadership culture like at the company? Will I receive support for my own development? Could I advance to a leadership role?
Career and growth stories: How can I advance within the company, and what options are available for my personal development? How will I be supported in developing my professional skills? Content that outlines genuine career and development paths builds trust. These can be designed for all target groups, from juniors and trainee programs to “job rotation programs” for experienced seniors.
Opening up the recruitment process: Various content related to the employer promise, leadership, the recruitment process, and compensation and retention policies always resonates. It’s not advisable to cram every theme and angle into a job posting, but communicating the progress of the recruitment process is precisely what a job posting is for. It helps manage the applicant’s expectations from the very beginning.
High-quality content marketing doesn’t attract everyone; rather, it attracts exactly the right members of the target audience and professionals. It acts as a filter, saving time for HR and hiring managers. Organizations should, as a starting point, know what kind of experts they want to recruit and what kinds of roles are available within the company. If these have not yet been defined in your organization, Choice’s recruitment and HR services team can assist you in this matter. Value-based communication that tells the story of the workplace makes it possible to reach out to desired talent even before a recruitment need has materialized. Many of our clients have noted when starting the recruitment process:
If only we had focused on communicating our employer brand and attracting top talent much, much earlier, we wouldn’t be in such a rush now to start recruiting and get the word out.
Ville Teikko, a designer, Art Director, and UI/UX specialist with over 20 years of experience in Finland and the UK, joined the Choice team in March 2026. Ville brings his extensive experience and international perspective on marketing technologies, analytics, and website projects to strengthen the employer brand and attract target talent groups, particularly in the medium to long term.
💎 Designs and implements concepts and initiatives that strengthen the employer brand and increase its impact, typically across multiple channels
💎 Develops analytics, for example, by integrating website data, advertising data, and insights from the recruitment pipeline into a single reporting framework (within the constraints of the systems)
💎 Compares and improves the functionality and effectiveness of various channels, content, and visuals among selected target groups and in their preferred channel environments (e.g., performance of owned channels vs. performance of paid media/advertising)
💎 Designs and implements career pages/work life pages either as a standalone entity or as part of a comprehensive website redesign so that they support long-term employer brand building from the perspectives of discoverability, content, and functionality
💎 Collaborates with EB designers and candidate experience professionals, contributing insights - particularly regarding digital marketing and technology expertise, to reach, engage, and retain target talent groups
💎 Supports clients in identifying and evaluating capabilities related to technology and artificial intelligence
Network with Ville in LinkedIn!