How to empower your candidates with effective HR tech

November 28, 2023

 

Rachel Findlay

5 min read

Sustained for more than 2 and a half years, the global job market continues to hold strong. Unlike in the past, employers no longer hold all the power – and candidates know their worth. Empowering your candidates has never been more important in engaging them to apply for your roles.

In this post, you’ll learn how effective HR tech can help you empower your candidates’ voices throughout the talent journey and provide them with an experience they will resonate with.

Giving candidates control over communication

Texting candidates has become the norm – and it’s no wonder. Texting is a low-pressure interaction. It’s quick to respond to (averaging 90 seconds) and less formal than a phone call or email. But how do you feel about it in the recruiting process?

According to a recent study, 75% of millennials say they prefer to receive a text over a phone call, finding it less disruptive and more convenient. And according to iCIMS data, 89% of Gen Z U.S. college seniors feel comfortable texting with potential employers as part of the job interview process.

With text recruiting, you can meet your candidates where they’re at, connecting with them anytime, anywhere – on the platform of their choice. Communicating through text gives control back to candidates and empowers them to connect with you in the means they feel most comfortable. Recruiters can take advantage of text messaging to communicate with candidates in a way that is familiar and accessible to them.

Making processes easier and faster for talent

Looking for a new job takes time and energy. It can be tough for candidates to juggle the job hunt alongside the responsibilities of everyday life.

So much so that job seekers are looking for HR tech that removes the burden of long processes and empowers them to apply for roles that are best suited to them. Forty-four percent of U.S. candidates appreciate recommendations for relevant opportunities, and 43% said they would even provide their resume to a potential employer to receive relevant job recommendations based on their skills and experience.

Recruiting chatbots like iCIMS Digital Assistant automate job-matching so that candidates can find relevant open roles fast as well as guiding job seekers through your culture and the application process to make it easier for them to apply. The last thing you want is candidates feeling overwhelmed with your processes and giving up. HR tech like this makes sure your candidates are supported and empowered throughout the recruiting journey.

Personalizing the recruiting process

Creating tailored recruiting journeys for your candidates can take time – which many recruiters don’t have spare. Data from our European talent experience report shows that nearly 60% of companies fail to follow up with candidates after they apply for a role, and of the corporations who do send feedback, the average time it takes is 8.7 days.

It’s no surprise that recruiting teams struggle to send personalized responses to candidates. Every day, they are being asked to do more with less. But candidates do expect a certain level of personalization in the recruiting journey. That’s where automation can help.

Using tracking and scoring, iCIMS Marketing Automation lets recruiters automate actions based on candidate intent. Tracking engagement across your company’s digital footprint means recruiters have access to extensive candidate information and can understand exactly how their candidates interact. For instance, recruiters can set up a tailored recruitment campaign so that when a candidate clicks on a social media post about your company culture, they will automatically receive an email on your values and employer brand.

Not only this, recruiters can set up a series of email templates for candidates letting them know why they have been unsuccessful in the role. This allows recruiters to hyper-personalize recruitment journeys at scale without the manual admin work.

Showcasing what it’s really like to work with you

Have you ever joined a company and felt blindsided by the role or culture? Gen Z candidates are no stranger to this with nearly a quarter (23%) of the UK Class of 2023 citing that they would leave a job without another opportunity in place if it didn’t match up to their expectations.

Showing candidates what it’s really like to work at your organization is so important in empowering them to make the right choice. And often, all candidates really need is a glimpse into your culture. iCIMS Video Studio seamlessly walks users through the process of creating videos, helping employers create effective recruiting videos without the need for production teams and huge budgets. Video is a great way for candidates to see the person they will be working with and get a better sense of who they will be working for.

Empowering candidates with high-quality low-lift video content is the first step in showing them what it’s really like to work with you.

Transparency throughout the talent lifecycle

Providing candidates information about the type of role they are applying for seems like the bare minimum, right? Well, our data shows otherwise. Only 21% of job descriptions in Europe mention if a job is remote, hybrid or in the office. Without as little information as where a role is based, it’s hard to expect candidates to engage in your roles and feel positive about applying. By being transparent you empower candidates to apply for the roles that suit their lifestyle, skillset and experience best.

And according to our Class of 2023 Report, transparency is even more important when hiring the new generation of talent entering the workforce. Forty-six percent of final-year university students in the UK, 45% in France and 43% of U.S. college seniors say they wouldn’t apply for a role if the salary wasn’t included in the job posting. To stay ahead of the competition, recruiters must make use of effective HR tech to get the information candidates want in front of them in the format that’s most accessible to them.

Does your HR tech empower your candidates?

Candidates have more power than ever. To stay ahead, employers must take account of candidates’ voices. Effective HR tech is the first step in empowering your candidates to apply for your roles.

Learn how you can power up your talent acquisition strategy with texting in our blog post.