For years, Marcus Sheridan has taught businesses to build trust and drive revenue with The Big 5: the five content topics that buyers care about most. But what if you applied the same approach to recruiting?
That’s the question we’re exploring in this article. Just like customers, job applicants are scouring your website, review sites, and social media to learn all they can before applying. If you provide transparent, helpful content, you’ll attract better-fit candidates who stay longer and contribute more.
In this episode of Endless Customers, Alex Winter sits down with Marcus Sheridan to discuss how companies can adapt The Big 5 framework to recruiting, and why educating candidates is the key to building trust and reducing turnover.
These five topics are so powerful, explains Marcus, because they speak to core concerns that every buyer has, regardless of product or industry.
The Big 5 topics, listed below, all speak to the pressing questions that are on buyers’ minds:
Best in Class: We search for the “best”, “most”, “top”, or whatever extreme we can find. Even though we might not end up buying “the best”—we at least want to be able to have a clear sense of our full suite of options.
According to Marcus, these topics are so powerful because they close the knowledge gap and help potential customers feel like well-informed buyers.
Just like your customers, your job applicants are hungry for information. They’re scouring your website, review sites, and social media to learn all they can about your business.
Marcus thinks we should use the same Big 5 strategy for our candidates. When we produce content for job seekers, we level the playing field, close the knowledge gap, and, ultimately, bring better candidates into our organizations.
We can take the same Big 5 topics and change them slightly for this different audience.
Cost (think: salary and benefits)
Problems (think: job seekers don’t want to be in the 33% that quits)
Comparisons (think: putting different options head to head)
Reviews (think: an honest look from the inside)
‘Best of’ lists (think: how people rank their choices)
Best office perks that help productivity and culture
Top companies to work for in the Orlando area
10 signs your company runs great meetings
By answering these questions openly, you help candidates self-qualify, reducing misalignment and turnover.
Marcus emphasizes that better-informed candidates make more successful employees. When people know what to expect, they arrive more engaged, stay longer, and perform better.
Transparency isn’t just a recruiting tactic—it’s a culture of trust. The same clarity that builds credibility with buyers also builds loyalty with employees.
Need help building a transparent recruiting strategy? Reach out to our team at IMPACT. We’ll show you how to use The Endless Customers SystemTM to improve hiring outcomes and build a stronger company culture.
Marcus Sheridan is a writer, speaker, and business expert who’s worked with companies all over the world. Marcus is the author of Endless Customers and They Ask, You Answer.
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Learn more about Endless Customers
Read: When It Comes to Hiring, Experience is Overrated
Read: 7 Hiring Tips for Attracting Talent in a Competitive Job Market
Learn: Reframe Your Hiring Process to Bring in Better Candidates
Do candidates really want salary info up front?
Yes. Salary and benefits are usually among the first details candidates look for when reviewing a job posting. If they cannot find that information, many will move on to other opportunities. By publishing at least a realistic range, you show respect for candidates’ time and attract applicants who already know they are in the right ballpark financially. This creates a smoother hiring process for both sides.
Won’t sharing challenges scare applicants away?
It might discourage some people, but that is often a good thing. If you are honest about the challenges of a role, you filter out candidates who are not a fit. The ones who remain are more likely to be motivated, resilient, and aligned with your company culture. Transparency about the hard parts of the job helps build trust and ensures you are bringing in people who know what they are signing up for.
How can I start small with The Big 5 for recruiting?
You do not need to create a library of recruiting content overnight. Start with one position you are hiring for right now. Think about the questions candidates often ask, and then create a simple piece of content that answers them. This could be an FAQ page that explains pay and benefits, a “day in the life” video from a team member, or a short article that highlights what makes your culture unique. Starting small helps you test what resonates before expanding further.
How do I use these recruiting articles in practice?
In the same way sales teams use assignment selling. Share helpful resources with candidates early in the process, such as in your first follow-up email or before an interview. This approach reduces uncertainty, speeds up decision-making, and shows that you value open communication. It sets the tone for a more transparent and positive candidate experience, which ultimately strengthens your employer brand.