This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
As Armed Forces Day approaches, shining the spotlight on your employees who currently or previously served in the military can help with further recruitment.
Taking place this Saturday, it marks the culmination of a week of celebrations showing support and appreciation for the Armed Forces community.
The benefits experienced by organisations taking on former military personnel are wide-ranging, and telling their story can help potential job applicants from a similar background resonate as well as view your brand favourably.
Aiming to speak with a niche audience allows you to truly understand their wants, needs, desires, and worries and tailor your communication accordingly.
A strong place to start in addition to your employee is an organisation such as The Ministry of Defence (MoD), and specifically their regional employer engagement directors; this is Tony Fish in North Wales.
As a side note, consider signing the Armed Forces Covenant to further cement your credentials as a Forces-friendly business.
Linking the key messages being shared back to what’s important to the target audience will help your content grab attention and stay memorable.
Within the content, it may be easy to simply focus on your colleague’s career journey with you. However, many are proud of their time in the military and truly value the opportunity to talk about it. It’s important to ask them at the outset though what they feel comfortable speaking about.
Suitable website copy includes news articles, employee spotlights, and updates to your careers section.
If writing a news story, add depth to the piece by approaching third parties for quotes, with options including Tony Fish as well as Ken Skates MS, who leads on policy in relation to the Armed Forces in Wales.
Take a multimedia approach and film and edit news-style video interviews with the employee. Follow a similar format to the likes of the BBC and ITV for a proven method of engaging viewers.
Send as editorial to the media, and when sharing on social media, research relevant people to tag and hashtags to include.
All content can be repurposed, either in its entirety or with tweaks and amends, throughout the year. For example, if you sign the Armed Forces covenant or during a related awareness day or week such as learning at work week (May).
If you have multiple employees who served in the military, create a print newsletter containing all stories as well as relevant tips and advice on transitioning into careers in the civilian workplace.
Hand them out at targeted events. For example, tomorrow (Thursday), there is a North Wales Careers Fair in Wrexham aimed at current and former servicemen and women considering their next steps.