5 Ways to Engage Candidates at Every Stage of the Recruiting Process

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It’s no surprise to today’s recruiters that talent acquisition is increasingly difficult — with low unemployment rates and a record-breaking number of unfilled jobs, we’re undoubtedly in a job seeker’s market. When candidates have their veritable pick of the litter when it comes to jobs, it’s up to you to differentiate your organization so that you stand out from the crowd. One of the best ways to do that? A candidate-centric recruiting strategy that nurtures job seekers every step of the way, from awareness all the way to closing. To help you ensure a continuous pipeline of talented and informed candidates, Glassdoor and Jobvite teamed up to create an eBook that shares best practices for engaging candidates at each phase in their journey. Read on to learn some of the top tips, and make sure to download Candidate Engagement at Every Stage to learn more.

Stage #1: Awareness

Before a candidate can apply to your open positions, they need to have some basic awareness of your company and the fact that you’re hiring as well as your unique employee value proposition. This often begins with recruitment marketing, the system by which you draw qualified candidates to your pipeline, which involves everything from job descriptions to your career site to your Glassdoor presence. Successful recruitment marketing requires a multi-pronged approach — you have to leverage the right technology (like applicant tracking systems, sourcing tools and appropriate boolean lists), empower your employees to share referrals and, perhaps most importantly, show off your employer brand. Action Item: Show off your employer brand on Glassdoor by signing up for a Free Employer Account and branding your company page.

Stage #2: Consideration

After a candidate has discovered your brand, they’ll be thinking about whether or not they should apply to your company. Make the decision a no-brainer for them by highlighting all of the reasons it’s great to work for your company. In their research, candidates will be turning to your career page, social media accounts, Glassdoor profile and more, so make sure that you stock each of these channels with engaging and persuasive content. Action Item: Bring your company culture to life through employee testimonials. Videos, blog posts or even quotes from current employees about why they love working at your organization are powerful, authentic ways to give candidates a glimpse inside your company.

Stage #3: Interest

By this stage, you’ve got candidates on the hook — now, you just need to reel them in. As they move down the funnel, they’ll go beyond passively glancing at your Glassdoor ratings and social media posts and begin to look more closely at job descriptions to evaluate whether or not they’re a match. Writing job descriptions isn’t always the most thrilling task, but don’t make the mistake of cranking out a flat, generic list of responsibilities. Craft thoughtful job advertisements that both attract and inform candidates in order to ensure that a high quality and quantity of employees click apply. Action Item: Revamp your job descriptions. Use attractive language that highlights the benefits and rewards of working at your organization, and link to resources where they can learn more about you.

Stage #4: Evaluation

Now that you’ve got the candidate in your application ecosystem, it’s time to identify whether or not they’re a good match for your organization. While you want to be thorough, you also don’t want to turn candidates off of your job opportunities due to a lengthy, redundant interview process. Make sure to follow interview best practices like being quick to provide answers and updates to candidates and training hiring managers on how to conduct effective interviews. Action Item: One of the best ways to upgrade your hiring process is to ask the right questions — that way, you can skip the fluff and get straight to the heart of the matter. Try these questions on for size:

  • What’s your availability for this job?
  • What attracts you most about this position?
  • What was the best thing about your last job?
  • What was the worst thing about your former job?
  • How would you solve this problem?

Stage #5: Closing the Candidate

So you’ve already convinced the candidate to apply, identified that they’re a good fit for your company and extended an offer — great! But keep in mind, even after a candidate accepts a job offer, your work isn’t done. If you want your new employee to hit the ground running, you need to set them up for success, and that means beginning the onboarding process as soon as possible. Of course, you’ll want to get the official documentation out of the way — a signature on the job offer, new hire paperwork, background check, etc. — but you also want to get them excited about their new role. Action Item: Provide a warm welcome by having team members reach out and congratulate them, letting them know how excited the team is to have them onboard. Then, on their first day, greet them with a small gift like company swag or snacks and a handwritten card signed by every member of the team. For more tips and ideas, make sure to check out the Glassdoor + Jobvite guide, Candidate Engagement at Every Stage, to learn more.