Within a couple of days of posting your job your talent pipeline is looking healthy – but by the time you reach the interview stages, candidates are abandoning their job application in droves (and let’s not even mention job acceptance levels).
Where did all the talent go? Probably in search of an employer who will take their application seriously.
An ATS can help you to prevent those critical candidate drop-offs in several ways. Here’s our advice.
Prioritise engagement
Don't leave talent in the dark about the next steps. Poor communication is one of the biggest turn-offs for candidates according to new research.[1] Schedule automated updates through your ATS with a timeline which details every stage in the hiring process and when they can expect to hear from you – and ensure you meet all of your selected deadlines. If delays are unavoidable notify your candidates at the earliest opportunity. Over half of jobseekers would not recommend a company as a potential employer if timely updates were not provided.
As a further engagement strategy, offer compelling reasons on why they should work for your company. Focus on career development, employee recognition and learning and development opportunities – all critical for engagement and retention.
Make it easy for talent to apply on the go
Don't expect candidates to complete an application form on their laptop or pc after first finding your job during an online search. Make it easy to apply on the go, whether that’s via a mobile device or tablet, and offer the option to use their LinkedIn profile or CV. Lengthy application forms which repeatedly ask the same questions or require a click through to a further form will increase your candidate drop-out rates. Invest in an ATS that ensures applications are mobile responsive and rapid.
Cut out the repetitive interviews
The requirement to attend multiple interviews with the same employer is yet another stumbling block for talent. Reduce your need for repetitive interviews by integrating video interviews during screening. Not only does this help to create a more objective hiring process, but responses are easily shared with all interested parties. Modern recruitment software integrates additional screening tools including personality questionnaires and asynchronous video interviews.
LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends 2018 predicts a number of emerging interview trends for 2018, including:-
- a move towards interviews taking place in a more casual setting, such as a meal.
- job auditions which observe candidates in action (in a paid work trial).
- and the use of virtual reality to evaluate skills in a standardised manner.
An ATS also enables candidates to self-schedule their interviews to prevent delays in hiring. Offer out of hours interviews and provide as much up-front information on what to expect in terms of who your candidates will meet, how long the interview will take and whether any additional testing will be required.
Reduce your time to hire (and make that job offer quickly)
It’s that simple. Delays in any part of the hiring process will lose your business the talent it needs. Automate basic processes and tag your employee referrals through your ATS.
While we’re on the topic of time to hire, if you’ve got to this stage and are convinced that you have found the right candidate, don’t wait to make your offer. High achievers are often the recipients of multiple job offers but data suggests that it can take HR up to four days to choose their successful candidates. An efficient recruitment process supported by technology which facilitates collaboration between stakeholders and gathers data on candidates at each stage should eliminate delays at this critical stage. Do your research and make it your offer a compelling one.
Handle unsuccessful candidates with care
To misquote William Shakespeare, ‘hell hath no fury like a rejected candidate’ – and understandably so when what seemed to be an encouraging interview is later met with silence. An ATS makes it easy to not only advise unsuccessful candidates of your hiring decision but also provide constructive feedback explaining why. Recruitment software takes care of the administrative, repetitive tasks, freeing up HR’s time to provide that feedback, improving your overall candidate experience and promoting a more positive employer brand.
Get to know your recruitment metrics
Regular monitoring of your recruitment metrics helps to identify the issues in your hiring process which are sending talent in search of an alternative job opportunity. Work on the areas that reveal the highest numbers of candidate drop-offs in your pipeline, for example, the job application form, the interview (including your candidate no-shows) or your job offer to acceptance ratio. Invest in an ATS which provides live reporting on your vital recruitment analytics to create a more efficient hiring process.
Hold on to the talent in your pipeline with an ATS that helps you to recruit talent faster. Contact Kallidus today to request a demo tailored to your area of interest or start your 30 day free trial.
You might also like to read:-
The Right Way To Reject Your Candidates
5 Reasons For Your Candidate No-Shows
Sources
[1] Source : https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/news-2018-01-30-candidates-turned-off-by-poor-communication
