First impressions matter, and the biggest mistake hiring managers can make is to ignore the importance of how they recruit. In today’s world of social media and company review sites, if even just one candidate has a bad experience (during any point in his or her hiring process), the world can hear about it. And just one slipup can affect your chances of hiring top talent in the future.
Candidates want an easy, fast way to apply for jobs. They want a flexible way to interview, and most of all, they want to stay informed. They want communication.
So, companies can no longer put their hiring processes on the back burner. There is a fight for talent out there, and your company needs a competitive advantage. How can you leverage technology to change the way you recruit and keep your candidates singing your company’s praises? Here are a few cost-effective ways.
1. Make Your Application Process Mobile-Friendly
In today’s increasingly mobile world, most things can be done right from your smartphone. Why should applying for a job be any different?
To accommodate the modern candidate, make sure your job postings are mobile optimized. If you don’t know what this means, try it out for yourself! Apply for an open position at your company from your own phone. Is it possible? Does it display correctly? Is it cumbersome? Is there any redundant information? Can you easily upload your résumé? The easier the process is, the more likely someone will apply.
That being said, you can take advantage of our phone-obsessed culture to better communicate with candidates. People are busy, and not everyone has the time to jump on a phone call. Encourage your recruiters and hiring managers to text candidates with status updates about their applications and to answer any one-off questions. If you are really pressed for time, some hiring managers will conduct a text interview, where candidates answer interview questions via text message.
2. Utilize Video Interviewing
Video has increasingly become more commonplace in personal and professional environments. Organizations can tap into this emerging technology in their hiring process by conducting video interviews.
There are two types of video interview techniques your company can utilize. The first is a traditional interview that is simply conducted via a video conference. This can be used in place of an in-person interview to save candidates time and money spent on traveling.
The second type of video interview you can take advantage of is to send candidates questions in advance, and ask them to record themselves answering the questions. This saves you time and is a great way to cut down on phone interviews.
3. Help Candidates with Their Research
Gone are the days when someone would simply apply for a job blindly without looking into the company first. Thanks to sites like Glassdoor and social media, potential candidates can (and do) research company reviews, salary data, and reach out to their connections who work at your company—all before ever submitting an application. Why not help them with their research?
List your company on all review sites, and encourage your employees to leave real, honest reviews. Additionally, keep your company’s social media presence up to date with regular posts, especially ones that showcase your company culture and employees.
If you recruit outside of your company’s location, it’s also a great idea to provide candidates who are farther down the hiring process with education about the city they may be moving to. Things like the cost of living, neighborhood guides, and how current employees get to work are a few examples of things they may want to know. You’ll provide an even better experience when candidates can access this information through your applicant tracking software, website, or another online portal.
4. Technology and Candidate Experience
We live in a modern world, and you want your candidates to experience a modern hiring process. Your recruiting practices cannot be left up to chance. A seamless candidate experience is essential to the success of your hiring efforts.
Leveraging technology doesn’t mean implementing expensive recruiting software. There are many low-cost options that can upgrade your hiring process. From utilizing text messaging, online forums, and video interviewing, there are a number of different ways to leverage technology without spending money and time implementing new software. At the end of the day, you need more quality candidates. Leveraging technology is one way to give the candidates that you want the information candidates need to accept a job offer.
| Michael Krasman is a serial entrepreneur who has cofounded five high-growth businesses over his 15-year career. He is currently the CEO and Cofounder of UrbanBound, a cloud-based relocation management software company that is reshaping the way employers offer and administer relocation benefits to their employees. |