Inside JobTarget: A Conversation with Susan Walsh, Director of Media Services

Dear reader,

Welcome to Inside JobTarget — a new blog series where we sit down with the people behind our products to share the stories, ideas, and insights that shape them.

In this second conversation, we’re diving into Media Services — what it is, why we built it, who it’s for, and how it’s helping recruiters and hiring teams solve today’s biggest hiring challenges.

Interview with Susan Walsh, Director of Media Services.

Who did JobTarget build Media Services for?

Susan: It was originally built for clients that had the need to use third-party media. 

Anybody that had a LinkedIn package with recruiter seats and job slots or somebody that was going directly to Indeed or had a sponsored job campaign…it was built for them so that they could have consultation and someone helping them manage those third-party contracts.

What is the purpose of Media Services?

Susan: To support strategic media planning.

To help clients use any and all solutions and recruitment media to help them meet their goals.

We augment and supplement third party solutions, which can support JobTarget products too.

Why is it worth their attention and money?

Susan: There’s a lot to know about media buying and how to be strategic. Coming up with a media plan, especially for recruitment advertising, can be complex and time-consuming.

That's where we come in. 

We have a lot of experts on our team that have years of experience and knowledge that work side by side with our customers. We use research and data that can help them make the best decisions for their recruitment goals, with the resources they have.

We don’t want people to throw away their money on solutions that don’t work for them.

This is a shifting industry with new media trends and we're able to handle that for you with the tools we have at our disposal. 

We remove the stress and time of having to create and run your own Google Search Ads, your own texting campaigns, or calling five different job boards to try to figure out which is the best for you.

Where do you gather your research and data?

Susan:

SimilarWeb – It gives us insight into the traffic number on job sites, it helps us understand keyword searches and where those searches drive traffic, it gives us insight into the demographics of sites, etc.

Lightcast Labor Research – It helps us understand the hiring landscape for different occupations and locations (statewide search or national search), compensation, competitors, etc.

Insights from Indeed are also critical to our assessment.

These combined sources (and others) give us the ability to quickly help customers use their dollars strategically.

How does the process work when someone begins to work with Media Services?

Susan: We begin with discovery. We get to know the company, understand the recruiting KPIs and goals, and assess what resources they currently have.

We then come to the table with solutions. We discuss a proposal and plan and collaborate on cost.

Next comes implementation. We begin negotiating pricing and contracts, upload inventory into our platform, and schedule check-ins in which we provide performance metrics and data. 

Can you give me an example of what that looks like?

Susan: Sure, say we're discussing a 3-month Indeed sponsored job campaign. 

Every few weeks, we'll schedule check-ins with our customer and make sure everything is running smoothly. These can be as simple or complex as the customer wants them.

At the end of the campaign, we'll schedule a review meeting where we have an open conversation about what was successful, what hires were made, if we recognized any trends, etc.

How has the product gotten better since its launch?

Susan: When Media Services was in its infancy, it was all about job boards. We bought job board contracts for our customers.

As recruitment advertising has evolved, so have we. 

It has grown into managing multi-media campaigns for our customers.

We go where candidates are. We began the implementation of Google Search Ads, texting and email campaigns, social media ads, adapting to multi-media solution formats, we strategize traffic drivers to career pages and work closely with our clients on brand building efforts.

Candidate trends will continue to change and evolve. Where they go, we follow to make certain that our customers are meeting them where they are already engaging.

What’s the most popular Media Services solution that customers choose?

Susan: Google Search Ads. If a recruiter is having a really difficult time getting more applications or gaining brand visibility, it’s a perfect solution. Our customers always see increased traffic to their Careers Pages with a Google campaign. A Google ad also gives tremendous promotion to Hiring Events and has become a real driver towards more qualified attendees and increased hiring at these events.

How is Media Services a relevant and efficient product for customers even when there are hiring slowdowns, economic ruts, and other critical market conditions that impact shifting budgets and priorities?

Susan: Even if you’re not actively hiring, it pays to be vigilant with your Employer Brand. You still want to ensure candidates understand who you are as an employer, and what it’s like to work for you.

For Employer Branding specifically, you never want to lose momentum.

Brands are full of powerful messages, and they are fluid and dynamic. That comes with a commitment to consistently communicate who you are as an employer and reflect changes in your organization that impact the work culture.

We strategize with our customers on how to create enhanced and premier company pages, reviews, competitive analysis and more. So when you are ready to actively hire again, you know your brand is on point and working for you.

In the universe of JobTarget, does this product stand alone or are there supporting products that increase its impact? If so, what are those products?

Susan: Media Services supports a lot of JobTarget products. It makes your Programmatic campaign better, makes a Marketplace posting better.

We are one team that supports all JobTarget products. We enhance what JobTarget is already doing for you by taking your media strategy one step further.

If you could sum this product up in one word or phrase, what would it be?

Susan: Media expertise. We make buying easier.

How do you see this product growing in the future? What are you focused on improving? 

Susan: To become part of a holistic strategy and solution for our customers. Many companies are still slow to prioritize media solutions. We want to help educate them and enhance their experience with JobTarget products. 

We also want to continue adapting to the market and candidate behavior – finding more niche solutions for our customers to win top talent.

Interview concluded.

Want to learn more about our Media Services solutions? 

Find more Media Services content here. 

Learn more about Susan Walsh here.