How do you bridge the world of resumes, applications, fax machines, email, Excel spreadsheets, ATS and CRMS? You need to get surprisingly human.
Working in human resources can be difficult. Everybody wants a piece of your time. You spend all day in meetings. When you have five minutes, you read resumes and schedule interviews.
Just when you feel on top of your calendar, and all of your open requisitions are filled, someone calls and complains about the lack of personalisation in your hiring process.
You have one opening and 600 resumes to read. There are so many pitfalls. Who has time for strategy when the tactical needs of the organisation are so pressing?
Technology and the Candidate Experience
CareerBuilder recently published a report called How Candidate Experience is Transforming HR Technology. The findings are pretty clear:
- Whether you have 60 resumes in your ATS or 600 resumes on your desk, candidates expect a personalised response.
- Applicants would prefer a personal notification but expect an automated response at minimum.
- Job seekers feel that the entire application process is longer and more complex than employers do. This is not surprising, since about a third of employers in the survey have not even tried to go online and apply for a job with their own online application process.
It’s a no-brainer to say that technology can transform recruiting, but HR departments are under increasing pressure to adopt smarter technological solutions that are more compassionate and help you communicate with job seekers more effectively.
How do you bridge the world of resumes, applications, fax machines, email, Excel spreadsheets, ATS and CRMS? You need to get surprisingly human.
The Tactical is Strategic
CareerBuilder found that job seekers would like much more communication from potential employers during the application process — even if it is bad news. While 40 percent of applicants feel an automated status notification is impersonal, all talent advisors should know that it is still important to implement those notifications upon receipt of a resume or application. That’s Recruiting 101.
While 67 percent of job seekers expect a phone call every time they apply for a job, we know that is not possible. However, you can use those aforementioned automated status notifications to manage the expectations of job seekers and let them know if and when they should expect a phone call.
Working earnestly and partnering with your internal communications department and technology professionals can help optimise your applicant tracking system and streamline the hiring life cycle. For those of you who don’t have many resources or a big budget, CareerBuilder created a great e-book called 10 Tips to Create an A+ Candidate Experience.
It is possible to take those tactical things you do every day in recruiting and turn them into a broader strategy that supports the executive agenda. And it’s possible to enhance and improve the experience candidates have with your brand while making your life a little easier.
That is what being a smart talent advisor is all about.
Image: © Jack Frog - Shutterstock.com
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