I’d like to share an interesting observation. Regardless of what the dialogue is about between two recruiters, no matter the topic of an industry forum, or how a business development strategic plan is built, the exchange of opinions inevitably leads to a common problem for all manufacturing companies.
Its name is mass recruitment.
Yes, the shortage of blue-collar workers has long transcended individual enterprises or industries. It is a chronic headache for employers in Kazakhstan.
The problem cannot be solved simply by increasing the number of recruiters, boosting the volume of calls, or improving recruitment conversion rates. It’s not enough to just publish vacancies on job boards—there may be no responses at all. Cold outreach is losing effectiveness—90% of candidates won’t answer the call, will ignore the message, or will mark the recruiter’s contact as spam.
By equating “candidate shortage” with “excess of offers,” we are approaching an understanding of the key challenge in mass recruitment. How to stand out among competitors? How to attract passive candidates? How to make the hiring process convenient and fast?
The answer lies in innovative recruiting.
What is innovative recruiting in mass recruitment?
Many mistakenly believe that innovative recruiting is simply placing vacancies at the top of job boards, highlighting ads with color, or running targeted ads on social media.
In reality, it is a personnel attraction strategy that includes creative methods and unconventional hypotheses. It is based on originality, convenience for candidates, and game mechanics.
The tools of innovative recruiting are constantly updated. Today, gamification and stories work, tomorrow flash mobs and challenges gain traction, the day after—chatbots and video reviews.
To successfully fill mass recruitment vacancies, it’s important to experiment and test new approaches.
Gamification in Vacancies: How Does It Help in Mass Recruitment?
Gamification is a key HR trend in Kazakhstan that makes the hiring process faster, more interesting, and more effective. It allows companies to stand out among competitors and attract young candidates.
Most often, gamification in personnel recruitment is used by companies with constant mass hiring, as well as organizations with unique requirements for candidates.
Among LavoroSolutions’ clients in Kazakhstan, we know of no more than 20 companies actively using elements of gamification. Most of them operate in retail, logistics, and manufacturing. They hire couriers, assemblers, and operators, offering candidates to complete gaming quests and tests before the interview.
One of LavoroSolutions’ manufacturing clients uses gamification to recruit qualified workers. Two types of game mechanics have been implemented:
Production work simulator—for training operators who have not previously encountered multi-task lines. This helps assess candidates’ ability to adapt.
Gamified testing—for evaluating the performance of welders and fitters. Candidates must pass mini-games that test logic, reaction speed, and teamwork skills.
Gamification increases candidate motivation and reduces the number of rejections. It also improves the company’s image: even if a candidate doesn’t pass the selection, they will remember the employer as modern and progressive.
Video Ads and Stories in Personnel Recruitment
Another tool for effective recruiting is the video format.
Video job ads became popular during the pandemic. Back then, employers faced a paradox: workers were urgently needed, but access to production sites was prohibited. Video became a lifesaver.
Now, video ads are a standard for mass personnel recruitment. Production personnel are the ideal audience for such content. Why?
A text job description can hide the nuances of the job.
For example:
In one company, a “line operator” presses three buttons and calls a specialist if there’s a difficulty.
In another, they move 15-kilogram parts, lift them to a height, and monitor the conveyor.
Both vacancies are named the same, but the conditions are different!
Video ads provide a clear idea of the job and filter out unsuitable candidates even at the viewing stage.
Moreover, video simplifies communication. Even an experienced recruiter cannot always explain the technical nuances of a vacancy. A video solves this problem.
Tips for creating video ads:
Use emotions, animation, and dynamics.
Add elements of corporate culture.
Come up with original formats, such as challenges, “Try to Repeat” stories, or teasers like “We’re looking for you!”
Hyper-targeted Advertising in Personnel Recruitment
One of the most complex but powerful tools for mass recruitment is hyper-targeted advertising.
How is it different from regular targeting?
Regular targeting uses broad audiences: age, gender, profession, region.
Hyper-targeting analyzes user behavior, interests, income level, online activity, and even time of day.
Using artificial intelligence, ads can be shown only to those who are genuinely interested in the vacancy.
Creative Cases from LavoroSolutions Kazakhstan in Hyper-targeted Advertising:
Advertising targeting candidates’ wives (the decision to change jobs is often made within the family).
Geo-targeting not on the company’s district, but on competitors’ plants.
Personalized content depending on the device the candidate uses to go online.
Mass recruitment is not just about posting vacancies.
The modern labor market demands unconventional solutions:
Gamification makes recruitment interesting and interactive.
Video ads help the candidate immediately understand the essence of the job.
Hyper-targeted advertising attracts the precise audience.
The main thing is not to be afraid to test and experiment.
LavoroSolutions already uses these technologies in its projects. Are you ready for innovation in mass recruitment?
Lubov Smirnova, Head of Mass Recruitment Department
