If you’re like most employers, competing for talent is one of your top priorities on your to-do list. If your company is vying for a global presence, it can be even more challenging to stand out. What are you doing to expand your reach? If you’re hiring in Latin America, here are some of the global and LATAM-specific insights and research, based on historically successful regional recruitment and marketing methods.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO HIRE IN LATIN AMERICA

If you haven’t been living under a rock the past 10 years, you’d know that social media is one of the best ways to attract candidates. As a point of reference in the United States, 61% of the population uses social media on their mobile phone, and Central America clocks in closely behind at 56%.

USING RECRUITMENT MEDIA TO HIRE IN LATIN AMERICA

Paid media will rise to $44.35 billion by 2022 in Latin America. Companies in Latin America are starting to feel optimistic and are expected to increase advertising spend. T.V. especially will grow in the future.

MOBILE USAGE 

If you’ve ever considered recruiting in Latin America, it’s imperative that you optimize your mobile experience. Don’t believe me? Did you know that worldwide more people own a cell phone than a toothbrush? In 2018, 52.2% of all worldwide online traffic was generated through mobile phones up from 50.3% in the previous year.
We also can confirm that there are now more global mobile users than desktop users globally.
In addition, mobile phone internet user penetration rate in Latin America is expected to increase from about 60% in 2016 to over 70% in 2020.

Mobile Phone User Penetration as Share of Population in Latin American Countries (2013-2019)

(Source: Statista)

GLOBAL MEDIA OUTLETS

When forming a global strategy, employers should be sure to leverage these tried and true tools, like:

LinkedIn

• More than 70% of LinkedIn users are outside of the U.S.
• Brazil has 35+ million users on LinkedIn, Mexico has 12+ million users, Argentina has 6+ million.
• LinkedIn now has over 500+ million members that hail from more than 200 countries.
• 41% of LinkedIn users access the site through their mobile devices.

Indeed

• Indeed is a recognized leader in job seeker traffic. In Brazil and Mexico, Indeed is the number one job site, with 9.5 million visitors in combined site traffic for Peru, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina.
• 70% of total traffic in Brazil and Mexico came from mobile devices, and Argentina saw 71% of total traffic from mobile.
• On Indeed, Mexico has the lowest average CPC out of LATAM countries at $0.10, followed by Brazil at $0.11 and Argentina $0.13. (Source: Indeed)

Glassdoor

• Glassdoor has 59 million visitors each month from across the globe and has a presence in 190 countries.
• Glassdoor acquired Brazil’s “Love Mondays” in September 2016, a top local Brazilian site.
• Recruit Holdings, Ltd. acquired Glassdoor in June 2018, further expanding their global presence. (Read more on the acquisition.)

In regards to hiring trends, similar to the U.S., Latin America is finding itself short-handed on the skilled workers they need. Around 50% of formal Latin American firms can’t find candidates with the needed skill sets.
The World Economic Forum reported that manufacturing and information technology have the biggest skills gap in Latin America and are most beneficial for development.

How can you find qualified candidates in Latin America? Here are insights you need to know for a few key countries:

ARGENTINA

• Argentina has been in an economic recession. The country has lower real incomes and high-interest rates that will discourage private consumption.
• Argentina is the sixth most highly engaged social networking market globally at 76% of its total population.
• The average Argentinian spends an average of just over three hours a day on social media, which is ranked the fifth highest in the world.
• Top recruitment sites for Argentina are Computrabajo.com.ar, Bumeran.com.ar, and Zonajobs.com.ar.

      (Source: Comscore)

BRAZIL

• Employer confidence in Brazil continues to remain modest but is overall positive.
• The strongest job gains are expected in the manufacturing and services sector where employers report their most optimistic forecast in nearly four years.
• Brazilians on average spend nearly four hours a day on social, which is ranked second highest in the world and is ranked third in Facebook usage, accounting for 6% of all Facebook users worldwide.
• Top recruitment sites for Brazil are: Vagas.com.br, Indeed.com.br, and Infojobs.com.br

      (Source: Translate Media)

COSTA RICA

• GDP grew 3.1% in 2019, had the forecast to grow by 3.4% in 2020 (data is not available on final numbers)
• Social media market leader Facebook accounted for 62.79% of all social media site visits. Twitter was ranked third with 8.66% of all desktop social media visits.
• Newspapers are quite popular in Costa Rica and are a strong way to promote sales for products or services. Newspapers like La Nacion, El Financiero, and La Republica are top publishers.
• Indeed.com and elempleo.com are the top recruitment sites in Costa Rica. (Source: Alexa)
• The Central American Observatory of Social Development reports that Costa Rica has the highest rate of youth unemployment at 27%.

MEXICO

• The country’s GDP is expected to grow 2.3% in 2019 and expand an additional 2.4% in 2020.
• The population on average spends just over three hours on social media per day, which ranks seventh highest in the world.
• Of the countries we analyzed, Mexico has the lowest forecasted unemployment rate at 3.5%
• Top recruitment sites are Indeed.com.mx, Computrabajo.com.mx, and occ.com.mx.  

PERU

• Before the pandemic, the economy was expected to expand solidly, and the strongest job growth was expected to be in the finance, insurance and real estate sectors.
• 68% of the population are internet users, with 62% active on social media.
• Top recruitment sites are Computrabajo.com.pe, bumeran.com.pe, and Indeed.com.pe. 

Now that you are more familiar with trends in a handful of LATAM countries, here a few additional success factors to consider:

Know Your Audience

As it was covered earlier, countries in Latin America have more cell phone users than desktop users. Are your banner ads and landing pages mobile-friendly? A small adjustment in your campaigns can make a big difference.

Don’t Underestimate the Favorites

Since its debut, Google for Jobs’ presence and reach continues to grow. Google for Jobs allows jobs seekers a simplified and targeted process with advanced search results. Learn more about this development through this Guide to Google For Jobs. Currently, Google for Jobs has launched in the following key LATAM countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia & Mexico.

Leverage Several Sources

For example, in Brazil, some job boards, such as InfoJobs, allow employers to post jobs for free on their website. They also provide additional and more robust products and services for a fee. However, you can test the waters with free postings first, and if you get some results, then a paid investment with that media could be more easily justified.

Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things

Costs for Latin America job sites are reasonable, which can allow you to sample some sites without a long-term commitment.

Give Yourself Ample Time

It’ll take time to communicate with different job boards and vendors due to potential language barriers.  Also, keep in mind you may be dealing with time zone differences, which could impact your delivery dates.
If your company is looking to successfully recruit in LATAM, you’re going to have to do a good deal of research, think outside of the box, and be prepared for barriers you may never have experienced.
What are some tactics you’ve tried for recruiting in LATAM? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Talivity Reporter

---

At Talivity, our team of industry experts and thought-leaders are committed to elevating the world of recruitment. We're here to provide talent acquisition professionals with the insights and knowledge necessary to navigate the dynamic recruitment landscape. Dive into our unique Marketplace for unbiased reviews on recruitment software solutions, and join our community by subscribing to our newsletter for the latest trends and insights.