Using Technology to Build an Employment Brand

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

There is no doubt that the technology we have seen introduced in the recruiting space in the last several years has changed us for the better. Today’s applicant tracking systems and candidate relationship management systems make our excel spreadsheets of yesteryear look like cave drawings. We’re able to track, connect with, screen and keep up with candidates like never before, but many companies are still faced with a major problem. They‘re not able to do all these things in one place, and not in ways that support their employment brand.

While CRM and ATS technologies were game changers when they were introduced, they’re just not cutting it for those who want to be efficient and competitive in their recruiting. It's time to welcome a new technology that not only works on the back end but also presents your employment brand to the world.

The key to using these technologies like Talent Circles to build an employment brand is to incorporate these three essential elements. But first, your network or community starts with engagement, conversation and relationships not just a database. 

Provide a unified platform

The most vital part of a recruiting technology is that it provides a unified platform for you to manage all your recruiting activities and interactions with candidates. This means that both you and candidates have one central place to go for all recruiting activities. This can include applying, interviewing via video or phone, completing screening activities and connecting with recruiters and others.

Without a unified platform, your employment brand can become segmented as you send your candidates on a virtual scavenger hunt, gathering information about your company from LinkedIn, connecting with recruiters on Facebook, applying on your website, etc. Imagine if all these resources were in one place, and then consequently, all the information you could possibly need about a candidate is in one place. That’s what a unified platform does.

Foster a community

For all that technology can do for recruiting, it can’t make a candidate feel connected and desired. There will always be an element of human interaction and networking in recruiting and building your pipeline, so it’s important not to neglect that as part of your technology. Within your unified platform, you can create a community that allows candidates to connect with recruiters, other candidates and current employees. This can help them get their questions and learn more about the company, all under your watchful eye.

Make tasks easier and more efficient

The back-end features of your technology are just as important as what candidates see. It can make the difference between you being able to effectively recruit and being bogged down by endless details and ineffective data management. When choosing or developing a technology, you’ll want to make sure that it has the features and functions that you need as well. Essentially, it should be a hybrid of technologies that allow you to plan, engage and manage all from one place, making your job easier and tasks more efficient.

Technologies that do all this, such as the Talent Circles’ system, allow recruiters to present a consistent employment brand, meet candidates’ needs and streamline their duties like a CRM or ATS never could. 

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media.  She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @blogging4jobs. 

3 Ways to Engage & Build the Candidate Relationship

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

Your candidate recruitment strategy can no longer be set it and forget it when it comes to applicant tracking and job postings.  As increased competition grows for qualified job seekers, companies must learn how to foster and build a long-term relationship with a job seeker.

Candidate Relationship is a New Approach for Employers

This long-term relationship called candidate relationship management is one of the most misunderstood and under-utilized strategies today in my opinion.  A 2012 Aberdeen research study called TheFuture of Candidate Relationships found that on 2% of companies surveyed are focused on a long-term approach to this initiative.   Instead of being a half glass full kind of girl, I see opportunity and the fact that the market for creating and build a strong candidate relationship is wide open in that nearly 98% of companies are not focusing on an area that is one of the solutions to fulfilling a company’s long term talent acquisition goals. 

But the question remains, how does one actually focus on candidate and job seeker relationships, here are 5 ways to get you started on building and engaging the passive as well as active job seeker. 

How to Drive Engagement and Relationships in Candidate Recruitment

•       Provide Feedback.  The job search process can be a long and frustrating process.  Job seekers are often left with unanswered questions which lead to anger and aggressive behaviors.  Take Taylor Grey Meyer who after being rejected 30 times by the San Diego Padres wrote a counter offer where she asked the prospective employer to “Suck Her Dick.”  The story went viral with many criticizing the Padres organization and their recruitment process.  Imagine how frustrating a job seeker like Taylor must be to send this message.  Taylor’s milking her 15 minutes of fame her story appearing on national television and in most publications. 

•       Personalize Your Message. Thirty-three percent of companies fail to provide any type of response to the job seeker according to the 2011 Candidate Experience Report.  Those that do take the time to personalize the message can stand out from the crowd.  Companies who put in the effort build their employment brand positively.  I recommend providing the job seeker with recommended tips or suggestions in the form of an e-book or blog post. 

•       Build a Collaborative Network.  Relationships are like gardens and are only as good as the time and effort spent cultivating them.  Truth is that your prospective workforce has options, which makes developing a candidate relationship of the utmost importance. Build a talent network that goes beyond an email distribution list and create a conversation that is sure to make you stand out from the rest. 

Grow Relationships through a Talent Pipeline

Like any consumer relationship, job seekers want to be recognized, rewarded, and engaged.  And with only 2% of companies creating a meaningful dialogue with their prospective talent pool, the bar is set very low.  But for employers who are looking to build talent pipelines and networks for the long haul, this is a chance for you to really shine. 

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media.  She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @blogging4jobs. 

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