e- Recruting Postcards

e-Recruiting Postcards By Scott Rich

We have found that the application of a technical initiative called e-postcards is becoming a huge differentiator in setting us apart from our competition. In mid-2002, we started sending out recruiting e-postcards, and these have proven to be a great way to create a favorable impression with candidates especially in Internet recruiting.
The previous year, we recruited 1,512 agents, and in 2002 this number grew to 1,689 recruits. The e-postcards were definitely a driver of part of this growth.
The genesis of the idea came from e-cards received from vendors who were soliciting our business, and we were impressed with the level of technology that they demonstrated. These e-card employ sophisticated flash technology, sound and are personalized for each recipient. The cards are designed to reach several audiences, including:

· College interns
· CPAs
· MBAs
· Female recruits
· Career changers
· Sales Managers

We also gear our cards to deliver different messages, such as to:

· Announce a class date/career seminar
· Remind someone about an appointment
· Thank a center of influence for a nomination/referral
· Thank a candidate for submitting a résumé online
· Congratulate a candidate who has been made an offer with an agency
· Follow up with a candidate who decided not to accept our initial offer of employment

E-Postcards have proven to be an excellent, tech-savvy way to bring our recruiting efforts to another level. Our MMFG agency recruiters regularly share testimonials from potential recruits with me such as, "I've gotten lots of responses as a result of submitting my résumé online, but yours resonated so much better. It was personalized and so much more professional looking. Several candidates have interviewed with us due to the impression these have made versus our competitors. As we all know, first impressions are critical in the recruiting and selection process.”
We use our agencies as a sounding board to find out what has and hasn't worked, what kinds of comments our managers have heard from recipients, and suggestions for additional types of cards.
One caveat in using these e-cards: Be sure to work with your compliance department on potential spamming issues due to limitations as to their applications.

Scott B. Rich, CLU ChFC
Director of Recruiting
MassMutual Financial Group
Springfield, MA