Grace Mark and Kate Reitz, Digital Media Strategists, and Siobhan Tabor, VP of Account Services, recently attended the Google Ads ALIGN conference in Washington DC, where Grace had the opportunity to take part in a panel about AI and Google Ads for recruiting.
The panel, How Industry Leaders Are Navigating the Future of AI-Driven Recruitment, focused on how agencies like MarCom Group are adapting to the rapid shift toward AI in recruiting and what that means for the future of hiring, especially within government. Here are five of the biggest takeaways from the event:
1. Not If, But How
With nearly all federal agencies exploring AI tools, the conversation is no longer about whether AI should be part of government recruitment, but how it can be used effectively to identify and attract the next generation of public servants.
Given the perception of government as slow-moving, partners like MarCom Group must match the pace of technology and embed it in their recruitment strategies.
As AI becomes more and more ingrained in our lives, job seekers are looking for opportunities where they can hone their skills with the technology.
Our team has had success using Google’s AI-powered targeting options to make sure we’re getting in front of the right candidates at the right time. There are multiple AI tools that provide similar services based on your organization’s specific needs. The top job boards are also offering AI assistance tools like talent scouts and job description generators.
If you haven’t already, poke around to find out what AI tools will work best for your organization. But, as with any technology, make sure it’s supplementing your human-centered approach, not replacing it.
2. Candidates Are Upskilling With AI… and You Can Help Them
It’s not just HR teams and organizations using AI; job seekers are too. According to a study conducted by Ipsos, nearly 7 in 10 job seekers are using AI in their job search. The difference is they aren’t just using it to find jobs, but to upskill as well. Upskilling with AI can look like improving their current skillset with new technologies and tools in order to work more efficiently and prepare for changing responsibilities.
As AI becomes more and more ingrained in our lives, job seekers are looking for opportunities where they can hone their skills with the technology. This creates an opportunity for organizations to showcase their education and training benefits prominently in their ads and job descriptions, especially if they relate to AI.
3. Meet Candidates at Every Stage of the Journey
Another major topic was how government agencies can use AI and full-funnel recruitment marketing strategies to move from reactive hiring to proactive talent sourcing, especially while competing with both the private sector and other government organizations for the same job seekers. This means job ads showing up in every stage of a candidate’s online behavior, from searching to streaming to scrolling.
At MarCom Group, we use YouTube ads to build awareness and consideration with job seekers, delivering them an engaging recruitment message before and during their job search.
When the full-funnel approach is implemented successfully, demand grows across platforms while interested job seekers are captured on high-intent channels like Google Search and job boards.
4. Prioritize Data, Even When It’s Difficult
Data is everything. Even though it can be challenging to access strong data within government organizations, it is always worth prioritizing. Better data securely fed into the systems, like offline lead or applicant data, makes AI platforms stronger and helps shift the focus from quantity to quality. At MarCom Group, we heavily use data to inform decisions, so involving it in our recruitment marketing strategy, AI learnings, and creative decisions is vital to strong performance and ROI for our clients.
5. Think Beyond Traditional Recruiting Channels
Video platforms can meaningfully expand reach beyond what traditional TV and job boards typically capture. 62% of Gen Z users report watching short-form videos like YouTube Shorts multiple times a week, making YouTube a critical platform to prioritize if you want to reach this audience.
At MarCom Group, we use YouTube ads to build awareness and consideration with job seekers, delivering them an engaging recruitment message before and during their job search. What makes YouTube so effective is that organizations can target users in a variety of ways and build custom audiences, ensuring the right message is hitting the right people.
How AI Continues to Evolve Recruitment Marketing
After attending the conference and participating in a panel on AI-driven recruitment, it was even more apparent how rapidly the hiring landscape is evolving — especially within government. The key takeaway is that success with AI isn’t about redesigning your recruitment marketing strategy around it, but letting it complement your already existing, human-centered approach.
This means using a full-funnel strategy, strong data, and a presence across both traditional and digital channels with AI support along the way. As organizations continue to experiment with AI, they should keep these insights in mind to drive the results they’re looking for.
Learn how MarCom Group transformed the Air Force Civilian Service’s recruitment marketing strategy.
About the Authors
Grace Mark is a Senior Digital Media Strategist at MarCom Group specializing in paid media strategy and campaign optimization across digital platforms. She focuses on helping clients reach their goals through strategic, data-driven advertising campaigns.
Kate Reitz is a Digital Media Strategist at MarCom Group, specializing in data-driven media strategy and campaign management across digital channels. She develops paid search and social strategies that connect with target audiences and deliver meaningful results for clients.