As an international recruiter, you understand the market well, you know how to talk to candidates, and you’ve probably made some successful placements. However, what really turns those skills into a structured recruitment business that brings consistent income is a well-rounded marketing strategy.
As such, this article will highlight some of the strategies you can use to build and boost your online presence even if you are just starting your career as an independent recruiter.
Let’s get started.
1. Set Up Your Recruitment Business Profile on Social Media Platforms
While LinkedIn is excellent for connecting with employers and some candidates, other social media platforms can help you reach even more people. Both Facebook and Instagram have recruiting potential, and are essential if you are serious about branding (which you should be).
Your Facebook Page
Around 81% of job seekers want to see more career opportunities on the platform, and blue-collar candidates are no exception. And with more than 1.96 billion global users, you’ll never be short of candidates, especially if you know where to look.
After setting up your profile, make sure you join relevant Facebook groups, where candidates look for international work opportunities.
We’ve talked many times about the advantages of Facebook groups dedicated to jobs in specific countries and industries. That’s exactly where you’ll find candidates and be able to promote your job vacancies, so we recommend doing this right away. Search for Facebook groups, such as:
- Jobs in the Netherlands
- Work in Germany
- Construction Jobs Europe
- Warehouse Workers EU
These groups often have thousands of active job seekers specifically looking for blue-collar work opportunities abroad. Make sure you join them so you can connect with potential candidates.
Set Up Your Instagram Business Account
Instagram is becoming very similar to search engines, so publishing job listings and optimising captions with relevant search terms and hashtags can help you reach people who are searching exactly for the opportunities and services you’re offering. You can use content from your LinkedIn profile to optimise your Facebook and Instagram accounts.
How can you leverage this highly visual platform to get more candidates and to become more relevant within your recruitment niche? To get some inspiration, consider checking out these experts who’ve mastered the platform and gained success from it.
2. Plan Your Content Calendar for Your Recruitment Business
Random posting doesn’t work. You need to create a simple weekly schedule that serves both candidates and employers and helps you stay organised and on track without taking too much of your time.
You can start with posting 1-3 times per week. The content you prepare can easily be repurposed and distributed on all platforms. We will share with you a few simple steps you can follow to write your first posts. Additionally, you can use Canva or any other simple-to-use design tool to create visuals for these posts.
For instance, in a three-day split, you can start off Monday with a post about job listings, then follow up with a post about success stories to keep engagement high, and finish the week with practical tips and other essential information people should know if they want to work abroad.
Creating a sound content strategy takes time and requires you to understand your target audience. From gathering the right templates to brainstorming content ideas that offer value, getting the hang of content production may take a while but it’s essential in branding your business and creating trust with your audience.
Measure the Performance of Your Posts
Luckily, all social media platforms allow you to easily track the performance of the content you create and publish with your audience. Check out all relevant engagement rates (comments, saves, shares, post reach), click-through rates, most engaging post formats, direct messages, and adjust your strategy based on the insights.
Remember, the goal isn’t to be everywhere but to be consistently present where your candidates are looking for jobs. Start with these guidelines, track what works for your specific audience, and adjust accordingly.
3. Build Your Candidate Pipeline
Now that you know what kind of content to create, let’s focus on using it to find and attract exceptional blue-collar candidates. Here are a few strategies you can leverage.
Use Facebook Groups
As we already shared, Facebook groups are gold mines for finding blue-collar candidates. Creating and sharing job posts within these groups can be a good way to capture attention, but it’s only the first step in building rapport with candidates. Implement good community management techniques to more profound relationships with your audiences, engage with group participants regularly, and listen to their concerns and pain points actively.
Post on Job Boards
While social media is important, don’t overlook job boards. Many international candidates still use them as their primary job search tool. The key is knowing which boards work for your specific market. There are several popular job boards targeting the EU market, but your best bet might be those that directly target the blue-collar workforce if that’s your area of expertise.
Build a Referral System
Your placed candidates are your best source of new candidates. You can create a simple referral program by staying in touch with your working candidates and asking them for referrals after the first month. Then, create incentives for successful referrals and make it easy to share the job info.
Here’s an example of a referral message:
Hi [Name], how’s work going? Do you know anyone else looking for warehouse work in Rotterdam? I have 5 positions starting next month, with the same company as yours. If your friend starts working, you get [incentive].
4. Expand Your Client Base
Many recruiters start by building direct relationships with companies. This means researching potential clients in your area, creating a list of companies that might need your services, and reaching out through calls or emails. You might attend industry events, join local business networks, and gradually build connections that could lead to your first clients.
The process typically starts with smaller companies where you can meet decision-makers directly. You’ll need to prepare presentations about your recruitment process, show how you screen candidates, and explain your terms of service. Once you make your first successful placements, you can use these as case studies to approach larger companies.
However, this path comes with significant challenges. Companies often want to see a proven track record before trusting you with their positions. You’ll spend considerable time negotiating payment terms, managing different documentation requirements, and handling communication across time zones. Even after placing candidates, you might face delayed payments or disputes about candidate qualifications.
Building a client base this way can take months or even years. You’ll need to maintain relationships with multiple decision-makers, adapt to each company’s unique requirements, and constantly prove your value as a recruitment partner. While some recruiters succeed with this approach, there’s a more efficient way to grow your recruitment business.
Partner with Hire Abroad
Building a digital presence for your recruitment business takes time and maintaining said presence also shaves off precious moments off of your daily availability. On average, small businesses should focus on digital marketing one hour and twelve minutes a day, which can make it overwhelming to juggle around candidates, clients, taking care of invoicing, and other essential processes.
Hire Abroad transforms how you approach recruitment and offers you a way to get around paperwork and constant negotiating.. Built on data from over 40,000 successful placements and nearly two decades of experience in blue-collar recruitment, the platform connects you directly with trusted employers who need candidates now. Here are some of the platform’s top features designed to help you grow your recruitment business.
Interested in improving your recruitment processes and overall business? Feel free to reach out to our team today!
