Josh TolanWe spend the majority of our days communicating. Text, emails, direct messages, video calls — we’re constantly connecting. But that doesn’t mean we’re always killing it when it comes to candidate communication.
In the fiercely competitive talent market, poor communication with candidates is a surefire way to slow down your talent acquisition strategy. Candidates want notification of their progress at each step of the hiring process. And even more so, they deserve to be given individualized attention.
Here’s a look at a few ways your candidate communication impedes a positive candidate experience and hurts your speed to hire:
1. Your technology is outdated
Technology is not critical to effective communication. Effective technology is.
Candidates want real-time interaction with employers. Clear and efficient communication simply isn’t possible with antiquated technology. Evaluate all your communication touch points and corresponding technology to discover gaps in your candidate communication.
For example, at this point, most recruiters have used text messaging to reach out to candidates in some way. While different generations have varying aptitudes for technology, switching up communication with text or social messaging can add a personal touch.
Quick tip: Text messages are a great way to speed up communication and boost candidate experience. Just be sure candidates are set up to send and receive unlimited text messages and provide an option to opt-out but still receive the same immediate attention through another method.
2. Candidate communication is too impersonal
Relationships and connections drive talent — and both require humanized communication.
According to the American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor Survey, 69% of Americans feel the job search today is too impersonal. And 80% say applying for a job feels like sending their resume into a black hole.
Candidates don’t want to feel like they’re speaking to a bot or a cold corporate email account. They want to talk to you, the real person behind the hiring.
Quick tip: Review recent emails or direct messages with candidates. What’s your tone? Even the most professional responses should avoid sounding contrived. Get personal with your communication and work in some face time by incorporating a live video interview into your process.
3. Communication is too brief, infrequent, or delayed
Unfortunately, Monster’s 2019 State of the Candidate survey revealed one in seven Americans (14%) did not feel respected during their last job search. Respondents shared these communications they would have preferred to receive in order to feel more respected:
- Being told why they weren’t moved on to the next stage (32%)
- The company acknowledging receipt of their application (28%)
- Knowing whether the application has been seen by a recruiter or hiring manager (27%)
- Having the recruiter or hiring manager send a rejection in a timely fashion (23%)
- Being told if they would be considered for future opportunities (23%)
Quick tip: Block off a specific period of time each week to make candidate correspondence a priority. Be sure to let candidates know when they can expect to hear from you again.
4. You’re not being transparent enough
Job seekers demand more transparency in the hiring process. In fact, in a Glassdoor survey, 53% of respondents said they want clear expectations laid out about the hiring process. Lack of transparency regarding work environment, pay, benefits, and even the hiring process itself will turn candidates off.
Quick tip: Create a branded video message to send to all applicants upon receiving their resume and other materials. This is an opportunity to share essential role requirements, the hiring process, starting pay scale, or even give a virtual guided tour of the office. This tool allows you to really showcase your employer brand in candidate communication.
5. You’re not offering feedback
A lot of candidate frustration comes from investing a significant amount of time in a hiring process to receive little to no feedback. In the previously mentioned Monster survey, only 31% of recruiters were reported by candidates to have followed up in a timely fashion after the interview.
Offer interview feedback as soon as possible. Speed up the collaboration process by sharing video interviews with hiring managers to collect nearly instant interview feedback.
Make your post-interview communication a priority to better connect with candidates, even the ones that don’t make the cut. This proves you care about their experience, even if they aren’t the best match for the company or role.
Quick tip: Provide detailed feedback for candidates on their strengths and weaknesses during the interview process. And let candidates know if you will be willing to consider them for another open role in the future.
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