Not getting the best out of your recruitment activity?
Perhaps predictably, it could be for a number of reasons, some of which may be beyond your control. Lack of time and resources is an all-too-familiar challenge for many in-house recruiters, whilst some roles are simply very difficult to fill.
But there are some elements of your recruitment activity that you can take charge of. We’re going to look at three which may help you generate better results from your recruitment campaigns. Let’s go.
1. You’re not getting the best because…your relationships have broken down.
If you’re working with a technology supplier, it’s vital that you have a trusting and productive relationship. How many times have you spent valuable time labouring over a feature that doesn’t seem to work as it should? How many times have you sat on hold, listlessly shading in the lines of your notepad whilst the dulcet tones of ‘Samba Fiesta 2’ jangle in your ear? Or how many times have you felt lumbered with an out-dated system, because the upgrade you were promised is still ‘going through the approval process’? Enough times to finally tell your supplier you’re thinking of leaving – at which point you become a ‘high priority’?
You should always be a high priority, whether your supplier has two or two hundred customers. You should be confident that when you log a support ticket or give your supplier a call, there will be someone at the other end of the line who can help you.
To get the best out of your recruitment activity, you need a technology supplier who’ll have an open mind when it comes to requests and updates. Who’ll offer training to make sure you understand exactly how you can use your system more effectively. Who will share best practice and understand your unique recruitment challenges. These suppliers are out there, and they could have a positive impact on your recruitment activity.
2. You’re not getting the best because…you need to be a bit more relevant.
This point hinges on who you’re recruiting and how you reach them. Let’s say you’ve always used Facebook to attract candidates to your apprenticeship scheme. It’s a social media platform, and your target audience uses social media, don’t they? Except our future apprentices are now less likely to be on Facebook and more so on Instagram or Snapchat. University students are flocking to Yik Yak. Twitter is home to those unenthused by the endless videos and presence of parents on Facebook. Ensure you are reaching the people you’re looking for in their own digital home.
A lower volume yet more targeted social campaign is likely to produce better results than a mass effort on Facebook. Profile your ideal candidate. Where will they be? What are they interested in? What are they expecting from potential employers? Let this dictate what channel you use to reach them.
What’s more, don’t feel as though you ‘should’ be using social media for recruitment. Unless you know your candidates are using it, you may see little reward.
3. You’re not getting the best because…you’re not making sense of your candidate data.
Using the reporting function in your Applicant Tracking System should offer you a wealth of candidate data– but if you’re not able to make real sense of the facts and figures, it’s difficult to draw any valuable conclusions.
Take a look at your time to hire reports. These not only tell you that certain roles take longer to fill than others, but they can also highlight internal inefficiencies. As an example, you could choose to run the report from the point at which the job was created. If you then see significant delays between the job being created and it going live, it may be an indication that your job approval process isn’t as effective as it could be.
Your ‘Source’ reporting should prove helpful when you’re evaluating the success of a social campaign – particularly if you are trying a new platform for the first time. Or you can find out where candidates are dropping off within your recruitment process by using an ‘Application Stage’ report.
Is a particular section of the application form putting them off? Are candidate expectations matching the experience you’re providing for them?
To get the best from your reporting, talk to your ATS supplier. Can they help you to configure bespoke reports? Can they offer you training to help you understand what your data is telling you?
To get the best out of your recruitment activity…
Make use of your technology supplier. Use their expertise and understanding to help you use your software as effectively and efficiently as possible. Understand your audience. Be where your candidates are and make it easy to apply, whether that’s through their mobiles, using Dropbox or via LinkedIn. But only dedicate your efforts to this if you are sure you’re using platforms and methods that your candidates will be too.
And use data and analytics to draw meaning from your recruitment campaign outcomes. Maximise your Applicant Tracking System’s suite of reports to drill down into what type of candidates are applying, from where they’re applying, who isn’t applying and how long it’s taking to fill your roles.
There will always be challenges in in-house recruitment, and not all can be addressed as simply as the above. But with the right people, knowledge and technology, you’ll be on your way to getting the best out of your recruitment activity.
Author: Hannah Ovenden is Digital Marketing Executive for Hireserve. Established in 1997, Hireserve creates leading recruitment software with a human touch. Trusted by customers including CERN, Global Radio and Cranfield University, Hireserve’s ATS is agile, intuitive and powerful.
