Talent acquisition teams are constantly looking for ways to streamline processes, save time, and maximize efficiency. That’s even more true under challenging conditions like the current job market, where employers are competing for top talent and candidates have become increasingly selective.
For smart talent teams, automation can help alleviate some of the pressure to fill open roles. Start by taking steps to automate your sourcing process, which will provide you with a robust talent pool and help you identify candidates with the right skills and experience for each open position.
Of course, the next challenge is enticing job-seekers to submit an application — and then screening those applicants to narrow down your slate of candidates. The good news is, automation can help with these tasks, too!
While you may be reluctant to embrace automation because of concern that it could negatively impact the candidate experience, it can actually create a better, more personalized experience for your candidates. At the same time, automation helps recruiters save effort on manual, repetitive tasks so they can focus on more critical human interactions within the talent acquisition process.
Here are a few ideas to help you understand how automation can be used to improve the application process, candidate screening, and overall candidate experience.
1. Add mobile and text capabilities
When candidates are in short supply, it’s critical for employers to remove barriers that might deter job seekers from applying. In fact, the 2021 Job Seeker Nation Report found that a complicated application process is among the top factors in a negative candidate experience. These days most people keep their mobile phones within reach at all times, so an optimized mobile apply process is a smart way to attract a higher volume of high-quality applicants.
Jobvite’s mobile application process with text-to-apply offers a quick, intuitive experience for candidates on the go. Applicants can simply text your number and Jobvite’s chatbot will guide the candidate through a simple mobile application process. Automated audience segmentation functionality allows recruiters to reach many candidates simultaneously, with personalized texts sent directly to their phones.
Our research shows that 69% of candidates prefer texting versus email or phone calls for job-related communications. And while text messages have a 98% read rate, less than 5% of Fortune 500 companies currently offer text-to-apply options – so, adopting this technology can put your company ahead of the curve and set you apart from competing employers.
2. Leverage chatbots to streamline candidate screening
The average recruiter spends 16 hours each week screening candidates. Imagine what you could accomplish if that number were reduced to just five hours per week. It’s possible with automated web- and text-based chatbots.
Jobvite’s AI-powered chatbots can help pre-qualify (or disqualify) candidates using customized screening questions to evaluate their skills and qualifications. Unlike human recruiters, chatbots can effectively conduct multiple conversations at once – and they can continue the screening process even when human recruiters are off the clock.
Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular in recruiting, with 32% of organizations using them for candidate screening in 2021 (up from 24% in 2020). That’s because automating the pre-screening process does more than just saving time; it empowers recruiters to focus on the most qualified candidates and move on quickly from those who aren’t a good fit.
3. Improve the candidate experience with intelligent messaging
According to the 2021 Job Seeker Nation Report, great communication from a potential employer is the number one factor in a positive candidate experience. So why not take advantage of technology to make sure candidate communications are managed quickly, easily, and efficiently?
Jobvite’s Intelligent Messaging solution lets you engage with candidates via text, wherever and whenever it’s most convenient for them. Automated messaging can be used to invite candidates to apply for a job, answer common questions, schedule interviews, share information and links, and so much more. And the more your intelligent messaging system is used, the smarter it gets.
Automated messaging is managed directly through your ATS, so there’s no longer a need to use personal cell phones for candidate communications. Recruiters can view every text thread in one place, so conversations won’t get dropped. And text conversations are automatically logged to create an easily accessible audit trail.
Let Jobvite help
Whatever challenges you’re facing, the right tools and technology can help you streamline workflows, increase efficiency, and improve the candidate experience. To learn more about all of Jobvite’s automation capabilities, download our new e-book, How to Improve Recruiter Efficiency with Automation.
You can also visit jobvite.com and schedule a demo to see our automated solutions in action!
