Elite recruiters strive to thoroughly engage prospects, compelling them to learn more about the hiring business and give serious consideration to an offer of employment. However, if you are like most recruiters, hiring managers, and others in the human resources industry, you are likely wondering, “Why is candidate engagement important?”

The level of engagement achieved throughout the recruiting process has the potential to shape the candidate’s thought process to the point that it becomes the primary determinant of accepting or rejecting an offer.  The challenge lies in heightening candidate engagement in the most efficient manner possible. Here’s a quick look at the question of “Why is candidate engagement important?” and how to achieve engagement without running the risk of onboarding candidates who turn out to be a net negative to the bottom line.

7 Important Ways To Think About and Increase Candidate Engagement

1. Nurture Leads

Lead nurturing is often referenced in the context of inbound marketing yet it is also of the utmost importance in the context of recruiting. Develop a recruiting strategy that focuses on candidate engagement, heighten that engagement with recruiting tools and you’ll convince target candidates to give employment offers serious consideration. 

The engagement process starts at the initial point of contact with a lead and extends all the way through to the point of hire. Detail the value proposition provided by the employer, explain how such value is beneficial to the candidate and he or she will envision the benefits of working for the business in the short and long term. Such an initial foundation of engagement sets the stage for a mutually beneficial employment relationship that stands the test of time.

2. Humanize the Employer

A company in search of human capital that is portrayed as faceless and solely driven by profit is one that will fail to engage target prospects. Alternatively, a company with a well-defined identity is one that will attract target candidates, encourage them to enter the fold, and remain with the business for the foreseeable future. 

Branding the hiring business with social media, blogging, video content featuring employees and other humanizing elements helps maximize candidate engagement. Seize the opportunity to highlight the hiring company’s unified identity and you’ll find target candidates are much more interested in working for the business.

3. Highlight Opportunities for Growth

Selling a role to candidates is that much easier when focusing on opportunities for skills advancement and career growth in the years ahead. Make it clear that the open position is an initial starting point that has the potential to lead to additional opportunities down the line, highlight employees who have ascended the corporate ladder and interested candidates will be that much more interested in your open position.

4. Engagement Through Culture and Ethos

The culture of a business is its dominant value. An appealing group-oriented ethos that emphasizes collective advancement rather than the cutthroat pursuit of self-interest makes the hiring employer that much more appealing to prospects. Focus on how the company culture, values, and brand benefit new hires, provide examples for reinforcement, and candidates will be engaged to the point that they give serious consideration to an offer of employment.

5. Engage Candidates Online and Offline

Though online interactions have increased as a result of rapid tech evolution and the pandemic, face-to-face interpersonal interactions are still important for recruiting. Recognize that comprehensive candidate engagement requires both online and offline interactions and you’ll maximize your chances of landing the top candidate in the pool of prospects. 

Showcase an employer online through the following channels:

• Email communication
• Virtual events
• Video chats
• Informative job postings
• Email/live chat

Reinforce your online interactions through offline interactions over the phone, in-person, or even with a follow-up mailer and you’ll succeed in engaging prospects to the point that they are inclined to accept an offer of employment.

6. Subtle Nuances Help Establish Rapport

Rapport, meaning trust, is essential to snagging the best prospects. Rapport is established through ongoing engagement and proven legitimacy. Oftentimes, it is the subtleties of interpersonal interactions that determine whether rapport is established. Recognize the importance of establishing a trustworthy relationship that proves mutually beneficial and target candidates will reciprocate by giving serious consideration to an offer of employment. 

Above all, keep candidates in the loop as the hiring process takes shape. Provide ongoing updates about interviews, skills tests, reference checks, and other components of the hiring process to heighten engagement.  Focus on how the candidate perceives you and the hiring company, continue to view the hiring process from the lens of the candidate and tailor your communication accordingly.

7. Partially Pivot to Social Media

Nowadays, nearly everyone in search of employment is on LinkedIn and/or several other social media platforms. Some job-seekers restrict their communication with recruiters and hiring managers to the internet, opting to maximize the efficiency of communication through formally documented web-based interactions. 

Recognize there has been a seismic shift away from face-to-face interactions that occur offline to online interactions, adjust accordingly and you’ll make meaningful inroads. In particular, a focus on the strategic use of social media to connect with target candidates is especially important for establishing relationships with millennial and Gen Z job seekers. Young adults favor online communication through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, employment message boards, and other web-based social platforms.

Recap

• Successful recruiting requires more than the right fit, a lucrative salary, and benefits
• The best recruiters proactively maximize prospect engagement
• Engaged prospects are that much more likely to give serious consideration to an employment offer·   Candidate engagement throughout the recruiting  process spills over into engagement as an employee

PandoLogic Engages Candidates

The challenge of candidate engagement is made easier with the strategic use of AI recruiting software and tools including pandoSELECT. Our high-tech recruiting tools facilitate candidate engagement to the point that prospects enjoy the recruitment period. We’re here to help you streamline the hiring process to connect with the top talent for mutual benefit.

Take full advantage of PandoLogic’s tools for recruiting and you’ll make invaluable inroads with target candidates. Expedite the candidate engagement process with PandoLogic recruiting software, additional high-tech tools, and ongoing guidance. You can request a demo here.