Using 'Voice' for Recruitment PR in the AI Era

Today, I will talk about the importance of audio media in corporate recruitment PR. Now that AI technology is evolving, the value of the human 'voice' is being re-evaluated. As the competition for top talent intensifies, audio media demonstrates great power as a means of conveying a company's culture and appeal.

In this note, I will explain the benefits and latest trends of using audio media in an easy-to-understand way, so that business owners will think, 'This is something we should do!'

The value of 'voice' that stands out in the AI era

We have entered an era where generative AI is developing and text and image content are being produced in massive quantities. As a result, a flood of information has occurred, making it more difficult to send messages that reach people's hearts. In such a situation, 'voice' has the characteristic of harboring emotion and warmth, allowing messages to reach the heart directly.

Also, for the speaker, instead of having their entire body and facial expressions shown on video, delivering content through voice alone makes it easier to convey their personality naturally without feeling nervous.

The more AI evolves, the more human-like qualities gain value. By conveying a company's vision and thoughts not just through text but through the human voice, you can gain deeper empathy.

The importance of 'communicating company culture' in the talent acquisition race

The recruitment market is currently intensifying, and the best talent tends to place importance on corporate culture and workplace atmosphere. Questions like 'What kind of people work there?' and 'What is the atmosphere like in the office?' cannot be fully conveyed through job postings or text-based recruitment pages alone.

In one survey, about 55% of job seekers responded that they 'wanted to know about the workplace atmosphere and culture, but could not research it sufficiently.' This is where recruitment PR using audio media is effective. By having employees speak in their own voices about the reality of their work and the company culture, you can convey the essence of the company to job seekers.

Audio content becomes a brand asset as it accumulates

Once produced, audio content can be used repeatedly. If a company operates an audio program as a recruitment-owned media channel, the accumulated content will be archived with the same level of passion as when it was recorded, capturing the 'company's journey' and 'employee voices'.

By going back through past broadcasts, job seekers can understand the company's growth and culture along a timeline. Accumulating high-quality audio content strengthens corporate branding and, as a result, leads to improved recruitment power.

Also, voices are easy for people to remember and remain in a candidate's impression for a long period of time. It is entirely possible to be recognized as 'the company with this voice when you think of X.' In Voicy interviews, I am often told, 'I feel close to you because I've already heard your voice.'

Netflix also practices audio recruitment PR

As a successful example of recruitment PR using audio media, Netflix's initiatives can be cited. Since 2018, Netflix has operated an official podcast specialized for recruitment called 'WeAreNetflix Podcast,' providing a place where employees can talk deeply about business content and the working environment.

In this podcast, directors and managers from various departments appear and talk about their own experiences and Netflix's culture from a realistic perspective. The 'actual way of working and workplace atmosphere' that cannot be fully conveyed on a text-based recruitment page reaches job seekers directly through audio, creating a mechanism that deepens understanding of Netflix's culture. Moreover, since internal members can also listen to this, it leads to the cultivation of internal culture.

In this way, the movement of global companies using audio for recruitment communication is progressing, and now is the time for Japanese companies to jump on this trend!

The unique strengths of Voicy

Companies interested in using audio can use Podcasts, but Voicy is the optimal platform for recruitment PR.

1. Visualization of engagement: On Voicy, you can analyze listener attributes and behavioral data, making it easier to create content that resonates with your target audience.

2. Approaching the existing listener pool: It is possible to deliver corporate audio content to the user base already present on Voicy. You can also approach them directly through surveys or pop-up notifications.

3. Collaboration with popular personalities: Voicy has many personalities active in various industries, and you can effectively expand awareness through collaborations with companies.

4. Reaching out via specialized genre tabs: For example, by utilizing the 'IT/Engineer' tab, you can directly approach technical candidates.

5. Live broadcast feature: You can also deliver content while sharing the same time live.

6. Production support by Voicy Contents Studio: There is a team that provides total support from planning to production of audio content, helping companies with their broadcasting.

There are also some unfortunate cases
Unlike video or text, audio is not something that heats up or cools down quickly; while it has long-term cumulative effects, it is difficult to see short-term results. Therefore, I often see Japanese companies stop after a dozen or so broadcasts when they start audio distribution. It is a great waste to quit because you expected the same short-term results as video.

As a guideline, I would like you to aim for 100 broadcasts. If you do it twice a week, that is one year. If you continue to do this while using trial and error and encourage people inside and outside the company to listen to the content, you will definitely see great results.

Conclusion: The future of recruitment PR spreading through voice

In the AI era, 'voice' that conveys humanity is a more powerful tool than ever before. Audio broadcasting that directly delivers corporate culture and vision is not just about recruitment activities, but becomes building fans for the company itself.

For those who are skeptical, wondering 'but is it really effective?', why not start small? Audio distribution can be tried at a low cost, and Voicy has a system in place to support companies.

An era is coming where there will be a difference depending on whether or not you incorporate audio into your future recruitment PR.

For reference, I have included a link to Voicy's 'Voice Owned Media' page. Please take a look and download the materials!