How Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative Increased Qualified Applicants with Optimized Job Ads

As a member-owned electric cooperative, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative is dedicated to providing reliable energy to communities across Virginia for 85 years. To maintain and expand its service operations, the organization needed to hire more Field Engineer Technicians—a critical role that requires specialized skills and a strong alignment with company values.

Despite consistent job postings, Mecklenburg faced challenges in attracting a high volume of qualified applicants. Their existing job ads weren’t generating enough interest, making it difficult to fill positions quickly. To improve applicant flow, they turned to isolved Talent Acquisition, formerly ApplicantPro, to refine their job ads and increase visibility in organic search results.

Hiring Challenges

1. Difficulty attracting qualified candidates
2. Limited job ad visibility in search results
3. Need to showcase company culture and competitive benefits
4. Low applicant engagement with original job ad content

Optimizing the Hiring Process

To improve Mecklenburg’s applicant flow, a strategic, data-driven approach to job ad optimization was implemented. This approach included:

• Enhanced search engine optimized (SEO) techniques to improve search ranking and visibility
• Persuasive job ad copywriting to highlight company culture, benefits and career growth
• Optimized keyword strategy with targeted density for “Field Engineer Technician” and relevant terms
• Refined ad structure to engage job seekers and increase applicant conversion rates

With this new approach, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative was able to increase applicant flow by 71% within the first 30 days of the optimized job ad for Field Engineer Technician. The improved job posting attracted 12 applicants compared to 7 from the original ad, reducing hiring delays and improving candidate quality. By leveraging SEO-driven job ads, Mecklenburg can now market its positions more effectively, ensuring it continues to build a strong workforce to support its communities.