How To Eliminate Robotic Recruitment

robot-1635794_640The rapid technology growth is causing significant waves in talent acquisition with many recruitment professionals questioning how long it is until they’re replaced by robots. Rather than viewing technology as a replacement, we like to see it as a complement to many of the repetitive functions in the talent acquisition process. One additional truth: you can’t eliminate the personal touch only human recruiters provide the experience.

When we think of staffing agencies, we often picture a Wall Street-styled open office with hundreds of recruiters on the phone (just without the yelling). You might think it’s basically just a glorified hiring factory, but in reality… great staffing agencies can bring personalization to even the most standardized processes.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways staffing agencies are working to humanize the recruiting process.

Personalized Communication is Key

Did you know personalized emails improve click-through rates by 14%? We’re not just talking about changing the name in Hi ________, on a LinkedIn InMail. We’re talking about connecting with candidates socially and getting to know them before shooting off a regurgitated message.  Some quick and easy ways to personalize your message are to:

  • Find a mutual connection
  • Find an interesting similarity
  • Give them personalized praise or a compliment
  • Google them and see if any material comes up you can use (article they wrote, photography website, etc.)
  • Use email, not LinkedIn (sorry LinkedIn)

Take it a step further: Provide specific, local examples that resonate with candidates. For example, if you were reaching out to a marketing professional in the Baltimore metro area, you may want to research other local marketing agencies and share an experience of how you helped someone similar to them in another role. Using names and phrases of familiar things and places will not only grab their attention but help earn trust through association.

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Individualize the Application Process

Make candidates feel welcome to apply for open positions with open and consistent communication about the process. Once a sourced candidate shows interest in applying, provide them with the steps to do so and a link to your fun careers page, Instagram account, or a video from the rest of your team showing them what it’s like to work there! If they haven’t completed the application, make sure to follow up with a call or personalized email to see why they’ve dropped out.

Take it a step further: Certain email extensions, like MixMax, allow you to include fun/visual surveys right within the email so you can find out if they’ve stopped because they need to gather more information, if the process is too arduous, or if they’re simply not interested anymore.

Keep Them in Mind Throughout the Entire Recruitment Process

Maintain regular contact with candidates through email, but don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. You may be surprised to find that 67% of candidates expect a call from employers at some point after they apply. Phone calls can be a huge time-waster, so save them for the candidates you really have your eye on. With interview schedulers integrated into applicant tracking systems, you can leave it up to good ol HR tech to handle the job. But every once in awhile that special applicant comes along that deserves a phone call… so make it!

Take it a step further: Identify specific characteristics and competencies applicants must meet to determine if the phone call is an appropriate action or not.

62% of candidates expect more personalized communication than they’ve typically received in the hiring process. They want to know that the company doesn’t just see them as a number because just another applicant turns into just another employee which turns into just another 40 hours a week wasted on a company that doesn’t care about your quality of life. While that’s a little drastic, it’s not when you consider the fact that employees rank respectful treatment of all employees (72%) as the number one factor in whether they’re happy in their job or not, according to SHRM.

Staffing agencies don’t have to fall victim to robotic recruiting methodologies. How is your agency balancing technology and humanity?

Marc Berman

Marc Berman
Marc Berman is president of Vector Technical Resources, an IT and staff augmentation company servicing the private, federal and state sectors.

Marc Berman

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