According to a comprehensive study conducted by LinkedIn, 70% of highly sought-after candidates fall under the category of passive candidates, meaning they are not actively engaged in job hunting.
To reach these candidates, you must go beyond traditional methods such as job boards, and instead embrace proactive strategies like active candidate sourcing through personalized outreach.
Technology has revolutionized the way recruiters connect with potential candidates. Leveraging the power of recruiting chatbots and emails, recruiters can not only cast a wider net, but also engage and nurture relationships with potential candidates on a personal level.
This blog post will guide you through the process of improving your candidate funnel using chat and email communication.
Active sourcing refers to proactively seeking out potential candidates even if they’re not looking for an employment opportunity. This approach empowers talent acquisition leaders to tap into an expansive candidate pool beyond those who exclusively apply to your company. Active sourcing offers several benefits, such as:
To effectively engage with potential candidates, it's crucial to understand the candidate journey—the series of steps a candidate goes through during their job search. Mapping out the candidate journey helps you identify touchpoints where you can interact and communicate with candidates. Creating a candidate journey map involves identifying the various stages a candidate goes through, from awareness of your organization to application and onboarding.
Identifying candidate journey touchpoints also allows you to determine the most effective channels for engagement. Using chatbots and email, you can set up triggered communications at key psychological moments throughout a candidate’s employment journey.
For example, reach out to:
1. Candidates who have recently expressed interest or engaged with your organization
2. Candidates or ‘silver medalists’ who have previously applied or interviewed for positions
Intentional and timed outreaches like these enhance your chances of getting a positive response.
Chatbots act like 24/7 recruiting assistants that can interact with candidates in real-time, providing instant responses and information — making them an excellent sourcing tool.
Talent acquisition teams have achieved increased response rates, faster candidate engagement, and a superior candidate experience with recruiting chatbots. Here are some real-world examples of how you can use chatbots for active sourcing:
Recruiting chatbots can automatically reach out to passive candidates in your database, collect their latest contact information and updated skills, and ask them if they’re interested in applying for an open position with you, saving talent acquisition teams thousands of hours and enriching candidate profiles at scale.
Chatbots can be programmed to ask pre-screening questions to potential candidates, helping recruiters quickly assess their qualifications, experience, and fit for specific roles. This saves time by filtering out candidates who may not meet the basic requirements, allowing talent acquisition teams to focus their efforts on more promising prospects.
Chatbots are available 24/7 to provide candidates with instant support and remove the burden on recruiters by answering frequently asked questions.
Email remains a powerful tool for sourcing candidates, especially for sourcing passive candidates who may not be actively searching for new opportunities. Here’s how you can leverage recruiting email automation for candidate sourcing:
Passive candidates, who are currently employed and not actively seeking new jobs, can be a valuable way to source candidates. Email allows you to directly reach these candidates, presenting them with compelling opportunities that could persuade them to consider a career change.
Email automation tools provide the ability to craft personalized messages tailored to each candidate's skills, experience, and interests. Personalization enhances the chances of capturing the candidate's attention and prompting them to engage further.
Recruiting email automation platforms enable you to set up automated follow-up workflows that ensure timely and consistent communication with candidates. These workflows can be designed to send targeted follow-up messages based on specific triggers, such as a candidate's response or their engagement with previous emails. Automated follow-ups help maintain candidate interest, nurture relationships, and increase the likelihood of a positive response.
Here’s a snapshot of best practices to succeed at active candidate sourcing using chatbots and emails:
1. Personalize your outreach: Tailor chatbot and email messages to match candidates' interests, job titles, and qualifications.
2. Use chatbot automation: Set up automated workflows for screenings, scheduling, and directing candidates.
3. Integrate the sourcing tool with your Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Seamlessly transfer candidate information between the chatbot and ATS.
4. Create compelling subject lines: Craft attention-grabbing subject lines to increase email open rates.
5. Ensure compliance with regulations: Adhere to GDPR and CAN-SPAM regulations for data protection and privacy.
6. Create a candidate journey map: Identify touchpoints for effective chat and email interactions throughout the candidate journey.
In the ever-evolving landscape of candidate sourcing, it is crucial to leverage multiple channels effectively. Chatbots and email are powerful tools for active sourcing and candidate engagement.
Sense’s Talent Engagement Platform offers cutting-edge sourcing tools for chatbot and email automation to enable you to stay ahead in the competitive talent market and build a strong pipeline of qualified candidates. Want to see it in action? Request a demo now.
