Even with the economy slowing now, many companies are battling to find the right people, particularly in markets such as Richmond's where jobs have been tighter than the national average. Sometimes that means looking farther afield.
Some businesses respond with more aggressive advertising to lure workers.
Well-crafted want ads also can bolster a company's overall marketing effort. And because recruitment advertising budgets are often smaller than those of broader campaigns, companies can get more bang for their brand-building bucks. This marketing niche has become a full-time pursuit for firms such as Nationwide Advertising Service, based in Cleveland. Owned by McCann Erickson World Group, the marketing and advertising giant, NAS provides its clients with the same creative and strategic services as any advertising agency - except that its efforts are primarily targeted at prospective employees. That means creating recruitment ads that fit into a company's branding and marketing campaigns.