What is candidate engagement and why does it matter?
Candidate engagement can be defined as the process of communication between the job seeker and the recruiter. Candidate engagement focuses on how responsive candidates are and how they feel throughout the recruitment process. Therefore, candidate engagement plays a huge role in having a good candidate experience. Overall, 65% of candidates lose interest in the job position if they had a negative experience while being recruited.
Although some recruiters think that if candidates are not engaging enough, they are probably not motivated enough to join the company, this might not always be the case. Improving candidate engagement can increase the chance of applicants:
- promoting your brand
- re-applying for future roles
- engaging with your services
This lowers the cost of talent acquisition since you will always have a pool of potential candidates. In contrast, lousy candidate engagement will negatively impact your brand image, and rejected candidates will not re-apply or recommend you to other candidates.
Not sure how you can improve your candidate engagement? Our exceptional recruitment team at GCS Malta has outlined four ways to boost your candidate engagement!
Build a social media presence
Maintaining a social media presence by creating social media employer accounts in today’s era is crucial for promoting all the positive aspects of your company’s brand and culture. Try to upload content frequently and show as much of the everyday work life and events to create excitement around your company.
Be transparent about your recruitment process and hiring timeline
The recruitment process can be quite confusing for candidates since different companies have different stages. To motivate potential hires to finish all of the steps of the recruitment process, inform all candidates about:
- How many stages there are
- What the stages entail
- The length of the recruitment process
This will help the candidates feel supported even in the recruitment process. In addition, once you provide a hiring timeline, make sure to stick to it. Changing the timeline can shed a bad light on your company and might demotivate the candidates to continue the rest of the process.
Be prompt with your communication
Since candidates apply for positions at different companies, the quicker you respond, the more likely you will hire them. Try setting up an automated email system and/or automation software that informs the candidates about their status.
In addition, do not delay informing candidates that they did not get the job. 80% of candidates will not consider another job opening at the same company that did not provide any information about their application status or send them a rejection letter.
Feedback is a two-way street
Providing feedback to rejected candidates will help improve your company’s image and create a connection with all candidates, not just the selected one/s. Offer a reason as to why they were rejected.
In turn, ask all candidates for their feedback. By collecting candidate feedback, you will gain insight into the candidates’ experience and how to improve candidate engagement.
Why GCS Malta?
At GCS Malta, our experienced recruitment team can assist you with finding the perfect candidates and all your recruiting matters. Contact us today for more information.
Article by Sarah Jane Gauci
