By Jessica Miller-Merrell
One of the first
obstacles we come across when we’re ready to reach out to a candidate is simply
contacting them at a time and place where they’ll respond. It’s easy to forget
that a recruiter’s call email or InMail may not be their first priority during the
workday. After all, the types of candidates you aim to reach likely have very
full days, so it’s essential to know how they’re spending this time and most importantly, how they want to be reached.
Last year, Pew
Research Center conducted an online survey about workers’ use of technology and
revealed some surprising findings about what tools are essential. Email came in
as the number one essential technology with 79 percent saying it was important
at work. Next in line was Internet, followed by landline phone, cell phone and
finally social networking sites, with only 18 percent saying these sites are
important at work.
How to Win at Candidate Communication & Engagement
The reason this
survey is so important to recruiters is because it shows where and how
employees communicate, and allows us to factor that into developing recruiting
and candidate engagement strategies. While I think these results aren’t
necessarily representative of all candidates, it gives recruiters a place to
start. I would recommend using these findings as a launching pad and discovering
through experience how your candidates prefer to interact and engage with your
recruiting and talent acquisition team. Talk with them to understand when, why
and how they want to communicate.
No matter which
method you use, ask yourself whether or not it’s a communication you would
read/listen and respond to. Start these four categories to help guide your
strategy.
Is Your Communication Welcomed?
Is your
communication welcome in their email, voicemail or LinkedIn inbox? Is it
something that will annoy them or peak their interest? Not all communication
has to be solicited, but it should always be relevant and clear.
Customized
Many candidates,
such as engineers in Silicon Valley, get multiple emails from recruiters each
day. At the very least, all candidates likely deal with an enormous influx of
communication day to day. Make sure yours are noticed with customized, unique
messages that are targeted, focused and relevant.
Flexible
When
communicating with a candidate, meet them where they are and avoid making
demands or assumptions without their input. Plan phone calls around their schedule
before considering your own and always be more accommodating than you are
asking them to be. This is the reason I have been known to do phone and video interviews evenings, weekends and holidays. Sometimes the best way to engage them is to be flexible to their needs.
Responsive
Often the most
welcome communication is one that comes after a door has already been opened,
such as responding to a tweet or email, or asking them to engage while also
discussing a mutual friend or a project you know they were involved in. One-way
conversations between candidate and recruiter are so 2014.
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist
specializing in social media. She’s is the Chief Blogger & Founder
of Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @jmillermerrell.
