Intro
HR is probably the one domain that should have embraced personalized content a while ago. If the department in charge of making the company human can't do it, then who will?
Personalization is the special touch of tailoring content just for you. It's like when your best friend knows exactly what kind of gift you'd love or remembers your coffee order perfectly. In content, it means shaping it to fit your unique preferences, interests and needs rather than giving everyone the same generic experience.
It makes interactions feel more relevant and meaningful because they’re designed with you in mind. It's all about making you feel seen and valued as an individual.
If this were applied to your HR content marketing strategy you'd never have issues with not being able to hire the right profiles, people leaving, or employees not engaging. With a personalized HR content strategy, you make sure to hit the nail on the head every time.
Let's see why you need to start tailoring your HR content marketing but also how you can do so.
Understanding personalization in HR content marketing
You've seen it everywhere already. From the recommendations you get on social media to the ads you see, everything is made to fit your preferences. Applying these techniques to HR content is easier than you think.
Personalization vs Customization
First things first — personalization and customization, what's the difference?
Think of personalization like a playlist made just for you with songs you actually love. It's about tweaking the content to fit your unique tastes. Customization is like when you have some input in what goes into the playlist; you still get to choose parts of it. In HR, this means creating information and experiences that speak directly to what individual employees or job candidates care about rather than giving everyone the same boring memo.
Customization gives employees the ability to choose from a set of options, allowing them some control over their experience. Personalization, on the other hand, is where the experience or content is automatically tailored to meet the individual preferences and needs of the employee, often leveraging data or insights about them.
For example, employees might be able to select from several professional development courses based on their career aspirations. They are given options to build a learning path that fits their goals. That's customization because they make the choice themselves.
On the other hand, new hires could receive an onboarding program tailored to their role, incorporating specific training modules and resources that align with their job functions. Additionally, welcome messages that address them by name and highlight their team and role specifics. That's personalization because you built something for them.
Both are incredibly important for your HR strategy, but they play different roles.
Personalization is more scalable than customization because it allows you to make your company human at scale with the right tools. So today, we'll focus on personalization for your HR content.
What is the first step in personalizing HR content marketing?
If you're thinking about diving into personalization for HR, starting off might seem daunting, but it's all about taking one step at a time. Let's break it down:
Understanding your employees' individual needs and preferences
First things first, you've got to really get to know the people you're trying to support. This means understanding their individual needs and preferences. Think of it like getting to know a friend — you learn what they like, what motivates them, and what they need to thrive.
Maybe some of your employees prefer flexible working hours, while others are more about career development opportunities. Having a pulse on these diverse preferences sets the foundation for any personalization efforts.
Collecting and analyzing data to inform personalization strategies
Once you've started understanding these individual preferences, the next step is all about gathering and making sense of data. Not just numbers and spreadsheets – you'll collect insights through surveys, feedback forms, and even casual conversations.
Analyzing this data helps spot patterns and trends, which you can use to shape your personalization strategies. It’s like being a detective, piecing together clues to create a clear picture of what your people really want.
Implementing technology and tools for personalized HR processes
Let’s talk tech. To deliver tailored experiences at scale, you'll probably need a bit of help from technology. This could be using HR software that tracks employee engagement or platforms that tailor training content to individual career paths.
These tools can automate and streamline personalization content, making it easier to meet individual needs without stretching your team too thin. Once you have the right tech in place, you can keep refining and improving how you cater to your team’s diverse preferences.
How Foleon can help you personalize your HR content
Getting started with personalizing HR practices might seem like a lot at first, but by taking these steps, you’re setting up a workplace where employees feel seen, valued, and empowered to do their best work.
What HR Content Can You Personalize?
Personalizing HR content can really transform how employees experience your organization. Here’s a rundown of some key areas where personalization can make a big difference:
Recruitment
Personalization is key to making potential candidates feel like you really want them on your team. This can mean tailoring job descriptions to highlight what matters most to specific roles, personalizing communication with candidates, and sending them a personalized job offer at the end of the process.
For example, sending interview tips that are relevant to the exact position they’re applying for can make a big impact. Additionally, during follow-ups, personalizing messages to reflect previous interactions shows that their efforts are valued.
Make a couple of notes during your interview with the candidates, and make sure to include details of your conversation in your communications. This will really make them feel valued and already give a good impression of your company.
Here's how you can create amazing recruitment content with Foleon.
Onboarding
Starting a new job can be overwhelming, but personalized onboarding helps new hires feel right at home. You can create onboarding materials that cater to the specific role and team the employee is joining. Personalized welcome emails, training schedules, and even buddy systems that match new employees with mentors based on shared interests can ease the transition and make those initial days much more engaging.
Here's an example of an onboarding Doc we personalized for our new Content Marketer, Anne:
Internal Communications
Not all information within a company is relevant to everyone. Personalizing internal communications means ensuring that employees receive updates and news that really matter to their roles. Whether it’s departmental updates, location-based news, or specific project information, targeting communications helps cut through the noise so employees can focus on what’s relevant to them.
Here's an example of our internal newsletter that we tailor per department:
Compensation & Benefits
Personalized approaches to compensation and benefits can significantly enhance employee satisfaction. Offering flexible benefits plans that allow employees to choose what suits their needs—such as healthcare options, wellness programs, and retirement plans—demonstrates that you understand and appreciate their individual lifestyles and priorities.
Learning & Development
Everyone has unique career aspirations and learning styles, so personalizing learning and development opportunities can lead to higher engagement and skill advancement. This might involve offering curated course recommendations based on past project work, suggesting career paths aligned with their strengths, or providing personalized mentorship opportunities. By showing that you’re invested in their growth, employees are more likely to feel motivated and committed.
By personalizing content in these key HR areas, you’re creating a workplace where employees feel understood and valued. And when everyone feels like they're being catered to personally, it really boosts morale and productivity all around.
Want to learn more about personalization?
Watch our free webinar in which the agency Differentiated explains everything about how to create award-winning content with ABM strategies.
Benefits of Personalization in HR
Embracing personalization in your HR Content marketing makes sense for a number of reasons. It'll bring you tons of benefits.
Why should you personalize your HR content marketing?
Long gone are the days of generic and horizontal approaches. With strategies such as Account-Based Marketing, you can now tailor your message to your audience.
This is particularly important in HR content if you want to stand out. Offering a personalized experience through the recruitment and onboarding process makes employees feel valued. Even after the onboarding, tailored content will nurture the relationship with your employees.
Here's a quick breakdown of why you should personalize HR content:
Stand out
No matter what industry you work in, the hiring market is so competitive that you need to find a way to stand out. Creating a personalized experience for your candidates will make them remember you.
Make employees feel valued
Employees and candidates alike expect to feel heard and seen by a company. Sending them personalized content tailored to their realities and positions will make them feel valued.
Connect with your employees
Staying in touch with employees worldwide can be a hassle, especially for big corporations. Creating tailored content based on different audience segments is a great way to build a bond with all your employees.
Bring the "Human" in Human Resources to life
Making your content more human begins with tailoring it to your audience. And while it might not be possible to do it by hand, personalization allows you to do it easily and at scale.
Enhancing employee experience through tailored approaches
There's no better feeling than when you're starting a new job, and right off the bat, everything feels like it was designed just for you. Personalization in HR makes that happen by tailoring the onboarding process, training pathways, and even internal communications to fit each person’s role and interests. It's like getting a custom-made suit instead of something off the rack. This approach helps employees feel truly supported and understood from day one, leading to a much more positive and engaging workplace vibe. Engaged employees turn into increased revenue for your company. Research has shown that happy employees are much more efficient and motivated. In fact, happiness makes people around 12% more productive.
Improving recruitment and retention with personalized strategies
Now, onto the nuts and bolts of hiring and keeping great people. In today’s competitive job market, using personalized recruitment strategies can really make your company stand out to potential hires. For instance, sending candidates updates or preparation materials that are specifically relevant to the roles they're applying for, shows them you're attentive and invested in their success.
During hiring, making things personal can help a company stand out. Changing job descriptions and messages to show chances for growth, skill improvement, and work-life balance can appeal to job seekers. Also, having a personal touch in interviews by focusing on a person's skills, experiences, and goals can create better conversations and lead to wiser hiring decisions.
Once they’re onboard, continued personalization in career development and feedback can make them feel like a valued part of the team, potentially boosting retention rates. Offering flexible work options, customized benefits packages, and chances for career growth related to their personal goals can greatly increase employee satisfaction and loyalty, helping build a strong and stable workforce.
It’s all about making sure employees know they matter, and let's be honest, who doesn’t want to feel that?
Discover more about HR content in our eBook
The bottom line
So, you're probably seeing now how personalization in HR isn't just some niche idea but a total game-changer. By adding personal touches into recruitment, onboarding, internal communication, and beyond, you're not just meeting expectations—you're setting new ones. But here's the exciting part: this journey in personalizing HR content is only the beginning.
In a workplace where every team member feels uniquely valued, where their growth paths are clear and tailored to them, and where communication resonates deeply, the potential is limitless, and the impact on engagement, morale, and productivity is substantial.
The big question is: where do you start? Maybe it's time to have that coffee chat with a few team members to understand what they value most, or perhaps have a look at your data analysis to see trends you've previously missed. Or it could be exploring new tech tools that can help automate and scale these efforts.
What will your first step be in bringing personalization into your HR practices? Let's start this conversation and see where it leads you. After all, in making HR more personal, we are bringing the "human" back into Human Resources in a truly transformative way.
