HR and recruitment agencies have seen some major shifts in the past few years with the adoption of helpful tools and communication platforms to improve their recruiting efforts. Something as simple as texting a candidate can improve your recruiting process.
Also, employing AI (artificial intelligence), Augmented Reality, social recruiting, open interviewing and focusing on transparency can help make sure you’re hiring the right candidates while enhancing retention rates.
These tools can help improve the screening process and increase the chance of hiring the right candidate who fits in with your company culture and the position you’re going to fill.
Doing this in as little time as possible can also save the company a significant amount of money with almost half of CEOs saying that inefficient recruiting processes have cost their company money.
Recruiters have a variety of new strategies to try and communication platforms to use. Here are some best practices for recruiting in 2018:
Use Artificial Intelligence
This technology has contributed to significant evolution in many different fields, including HR. Talent mapping and algorithms help recruiters select the best candidate for the job while reducing the time it takes to choose candidates for screening.
52 percent of recruiters say the most challenging part of recruiting is identifying potential matches from a large applicant pool. And the average amount of time it takes to screen a candidate is 23 hours. AI reduces the cost of screening and screen time and produces “blind matches” that eliminate unconscious bias, focusing only on the candidate’s skills and potential match for the position and improving diversity in the workplace.
However, keep in mind: AI algorithms need significant amounts of data to learn from. So you’d need to have the available databases of hundreds applications at least.
Enable applying via mobile
The world has gone mobile and your recruiting process should too. Candidates are engaging with recruiters on mobile via text and social media (94 percent of smartphone users have used their smartphone to research jobs) so it makes sense to allow them to complete an application through the same device they’re already using to engage with your company.
A full half of smartphone owning candidates used their smartphone to fill out and send a job application. By enabling mobile applications, you make it easier for top talent to respond to you quickly.
Social media are here to stay
Social media is a prominent part of most candidates’ lives. From LinkedIn to Facebook to Instagram, social media can be used for a variety of recruiting goals:
- Inviting candidates to apply. LinkedIn is the professional social network and allows recruiters to reach out to potential matches with keyword searches.
- Familiarizing potential candidates with your brand. Instagram Stories is a great platform for companies to express their brand’s mission and company culture.
- Courting passive candidates. A passive candidate is a candidate who is currently employed but open to talking about a new opportunity with another company. The lion’s share (70-75 percent of the workforce is classified as passive) making social media engagement an effective resource at recruiting passive candidates.
Texting can be a lifesaver
Texts are an easy and efficient way to connect with candidates. Everyone texts and many job seekers are already employed, so a phone call may not be the ideal way to reach them.
A text message allows them to be discreet. Texts are also fast, giving both recruiters and candidates an immediate way to reach each other. Enabling two-way text empowers the candidates to ask questions and get fast responses. Text can be used to:
- Share current vacancies with your candidate list (candidates who opted in – agreed
- Remind candidates of an upcoming interview
- Follow-up after the interview
Don’t leave dead time
Communication platforms such as social media and text are immediate and millennials and Gen Z are raised on immediate gratification. That carries over into the job search experience too.
Taking too long to respond to a candidate can produce “black hole syndrome”, leaving a bad impression and alienating potential top talent (as Meghan M. Biro told Forbes Magazine).
It’s essential to reach out to candidates throughout the entire hiring process, from confirming the receipt of an application or resume to checking in throughout the decision-making process.
Confirming an interview, thanking them for coming in for the interview and other simple forms of communication also enhance the candidate’s connection with your company.
Inform your candidates about your company
Today’s candidates are straight out of the Information Age, meaning they’re used to being able to research and gather information about any decision from the food and products they consume, the car they drive and, of course, the company they work for.
Learn which factors are most important for your target candidates and provide the answers to their questions on your website or company literature before they can ask. Transparency can make a big difference to attracting quality candidates.
Candidates that are well-informed are 35 percent more likely to have a satisfying experience which ultimately improves your company’s ability to retain your hires.
Interview remote workers with AR
As more and more companies are hiring remotely, the interview process should also reflect how you will communicate with your employee once they are hired. 87 percent of remote workers say that video conferencing makes them feel more connected.
Augmented Reality technology is the new kid on the block when it comes to visual communication. It can simulate your office setting in real time, providing candidates with a feel for your company from afar.
This type of technology can enhance a remote candidate’s sense that they are working for an actual office and not an anonymous business.
Bonus: Hold an open interview
Washington D.C. based recruiting solutions company Brazen holds live interviewing events where anyone who works at the company can interview a potential candidate through their online networking platform. This is a tool currently being employed by The Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit talent.
This allows candidates a chance to meet more of their potential co-workers and get a clearer picture of company culture so they can assess their own ability to fit in.
Recruiters have a diverse set of tools and strategies to help them find the right candidate for job openings. From engaging through text and social media to making sure your company embraces transparency to using AI for more accurate candidate matches, each of these tools can ensure successful recruiting in 2018.
