There has been a seismic shift in the relationship between candidates and recruiters. In the past, the “power balance” between talent and companies has shifted based on hiring trends. When jobs are plentiful, candidates tend to have the upper hand. When they are less available, companies tend to be favored.
That paradigm has shifted.
Leading into COVID, candidates were thriving off a strong job market. They demanded more of employers, better candidate experience, better communication, better cultures (and more). Then the early days of the pandemic hit. Shutdowns, layoffs, and some very tough times for a lot of people.
It looked like the old pattern was set into motion, and for awhile, it seemed to be going that way. Then, the tide shifted. Candidates realized that whether jobs were plenty or scarce, they wanted more from employers.
The tide had shifted. And this time, it seems like it could be permanent.
Perhaps surprisingly, website UX has emerged as a critical component for successful candidate engagement strategies today among top-performing recruiting teams.
When asked what they value most during the application process, 93.5% of candidates stated “the ability to find information on culture and benefits.”
Other elements talent is seeking before they decide to apply include employee testimonials, video content, and clear instructions on how to get help.
And 24.8% of job seekers said they search for jobs on company websites – just barely edging out job boards. Talent is coming to your site to look for jobs, and without a strong website user experience, they are unlikely to find what they need. If they don’t find it, they will go elsewhere.
Short of building an entirely-new website (which can cost you $100,000 or more), there are some simple-yet-powerful changes you can make:
The simplest thing you can do is to rewrite your Careers page to highlight only the information that is most important to candidates. Eliminate the fluff, and focus on what matters most. Ensure that a link to your Careers page is featured in your website’s main navigation (and not “hidden” in the footer), and include some sort of button, image, or link to your Careers page on your website itself.
Similarly, include links to your Careers page on other pages of your website where job seekers could find themselves looking for information – pages like About Us, Testimonials, or even Contact Us. Make it easy for candidates to know where they should go.
Building a new website with a strong user interface and new content can cost $100,000 or more…and will likely need to be updated about every 2 years. Improving your Careers page (and how to find it) is a shortcut that can at least make some improvement, even if it’s not “perfect.”
There is another solution, though, that is proving to be a real game changer.
Unsurprisingly, this option gets all of us here at Sense extremely excited. A sourcing chatbot (like Sense Chatbot Suite) deployed on your website helps answer questions, find relevant jobs, and even schedule interviews on your recruiters’ schedules – 24/7/365.
No chasing voicemails or endless email strings trying to schedule interviews (which can take so long that candidates end up interviewing and getting hired by your competition). No getting lost on your website or straining to find relevant answers to their questions.
And no need to drop $100k or more on a new website.
There are a range of chatbot options out there right now, so it’s important to find the right one. That means one that actually improves candidate experience, and doesn’t just…exist…on your website.
Many chatbots today can offer frustrating experiences. They don’t have all the information candidates are looking for, they only answer “yes or no” questions, they don’t integrate with your ATS to show relevant job postings…to name a few.
If you’ll pardon me for just a moment, it just feels like the time is right to talk a bit about our Sense Sourcing Chatbot.
Sense Sourcing Chatbot was designed to deliver a frictionless candidate experience by doing all of the above, and more.
How well can Sense Sourcing Chatbot work for you? One of our clients saw an increase of 33,000 candidates in just one quarter! It provides the frictionless candidate experience talent expects, while simultaneously freeing your recruiters to spend more time on those interviews and less time on follow ups and chasing down candidates. It also works on your website, via text-to-apply, and in QR code-based job listings.
Our team breaks down six pieces of actionable advice in this eBook, Driving Candidate Engagement at Scale. It’s some of our best candidate engagement advice, compiled to serve as your strategic guide.
Fill out this form and a member of our team will reach out to schedule some time to learn about your company and its goals.
