You’ve nailed the basics. You’re responsive to your candidates. You’re having genuine, transparent conversations about their goals. You’re delivering good and not-so-great news promptly.
So why isn’t your candidate pool growing? Here are a few missteps you might have overlooked.
You’re only communicating through one channel
Recruiters can get stuck in communication ruts, like only sliding into LinkedIn direct messages or strictly cold calling. To reach your brightest candidates, you need a multichannel approach that allows them to reply however is most convenient for them. This might mean:
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- Sending a text to gauge interest. Candidates aren’t taking calls anymore — or even checking their email that much. But they are texting. In fact, texts are read 95% of the time, while email is only opened — not even read! — 20% of the time.
- Using email for longer info. Once you’ve gauged a candidate’s interest over text (which might even be a simple “Yes, I’m interested!”), use email to send anything that might be too long or too formal for text.
- Calling for that warm touch. And when you’ve gotten the intro details out of the way, give your candidate a call. Your candidates still get the warm fuzzies from person-to-person contact — and you’ll be able to get more of their story.
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Remember, too, that you can interchange these communication methods throughout your journey.
You’re ignoring online reviews
Do you know what people are saying about your company and your recruiters? Candidates find staffing firms through a variety of methods — but almost all of these methods are online. Here are a few ways to stay on top of your online reputation:
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- Start with a Google search. Google your company name and all of your recruiters’ names. To really stay on top, Google anyone a candidate may come in contact with. This is call opposition research — if a candidate or even your competition searches for you, what are they finding?
- Build employer profiles on all the major career sites. Candidates can leave reviews on multiple sites, like Glassdoor and Yelp — so make sure you own your narrative on each site. Click here to get a quick primer on how to build these profiles.
- Moderate and respond to social media comments. Often an unhappy candidate may leave a one-off comment on one of your Facebook posts. Or they may tweet at you. Make sure you’re catching these comments and moderating when appropriate. (Caveat: only delete comments that are offensive or derogatory. Don’t hide constructive criticism.)
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You’re forgetting your passive talent pool
Your passive talent pool won’t be sending out resumes or talking to their friends about new work. And because of this, they’re harder to snag and take more wooing than your average active candidate.
But your passive candidates are often your best-fit, star employees – they often have the right skill set and they’re great at their jobs. Here’s how to get them in the mix.
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- Find the candidate’s carrot. Every top candidate has one element they want their employer be flexible with — whether that’s work-from-home hours or extra vacation. Do some online research to see if you can figure out what the candidate’s carrot might be.
- Focus on long-term career goals. Passive candidates aren’t looking for a quick fix. They want an opportunity that catapults them beyond their current station. Take a look at their LinkedIn profile — what’s their trajectory? What would entice them to make a move?
- Ask for referrals. Referrals count for an astonishing 40% of all hires. And your passive candidates are more likely to pay attention if the opportunity is recommended by a friend or colleague. Make sure you’re asking your team and your current and former candidate pool for their recommendations.
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Pivoting just slightly to cover these gaps might net you the candidates that are falling through the cracks. And don’t forget how important your recruiters’ reputation is for snagging candidates — here are a few ways to improve recruiter performance.
