Recruiting Hacks That Instantly Boost Candidate Engagement

Why don’t candidates I reach out to respond?”

It is frustrating when people apply for your jobs only to never respond to an interview request, or in the case of LinkedIn, you send an InMail about a job opening that yield zero responses.

When candidate engagement is low you may start to question your recruiting methods. Don’t upend your process. Instead, refine it by putting yourself in the candidate’s chair. Here are techniques my team has seen do wonders for boosting job applicant engagement.

Personalized Messages That Get to the Point

Meaningful content is crucial. Staying within the 500-character suggested limit for InMail is less important than loading the message with an intro about who you are, a statement as to why you’ve specifically contacted them, a link to the job posting (so you’re not mistaken for a spammer), and your contact info including a link to your company’s website.

Reply to Qualified Applicants Within 24-Hours and 48-Hours for All Other Communication

Not hearing back from companies is the most common complaint from job seekers. Commit to timely communication to ensure candidates remain invested in your process. Notice I say “qualified” applicants because there’s going to be a lot of resumes in your inbox after a long weekend that are worthless. Get comfortable using the delete button so your time is dedicated to contacting the right people. If a 24-hour turnaround isn’t feasible then it might be time to add someone to your hiring team.

Be mindful that each positive interaction increases the candidate’s excitement, which makes long delays in communication devastating. A week feels like a lifetime, so feedback within 48 hours of each juncture (i.e., scheduling interviews, providing interview feedback, discussing compensation, preparing/receiving offers, and status updates on background checks) is crucial.

Profile Assessments Shouldn’t Be Your First Step

My motto is simple. Talk First. Test Second. Imagine how it feels to an insurance professional solicited about a new career opportunity. You create excitement about the job and your company. They want to learn more, but you don’t want to schedule an interview unless they complete an assessment. Some people will be immediately turned off. Those who take the test still want personal interaction. Should you not do that based on their results, you destroy any chance to engage them in the future.

Invite Everyone to Connect on LinkedIn

This is super easy. Click of a button. Now candidates see your posts — everything you like and what’s happening within your company. Take it a step further; invite them to follow your company’s social media. Have this invitation as a part of every template you use to correspond with candidates. You’ll connect with more job seekers than you hire, and these followers will be the first to see new job posts and other career opportunities you advertise in the future.

Pick Up the Phone

Be careful not to assume how you prefer to communicate is the same for candidates. Email isn’t always the best way to get reach a job seeker. Call people who send their resumes to you. Even a voice message stands out from the autogenerated email responses they receive from other companies. Text to schedule an introductory call. Candidates may not send personal emails during the workday, but they will respond to text messages.