The essential candidate communication tools you didn’t know you needed

From texts to internal newsletters, here are the candidate communication tools you need to keep your applicants engaged.

SMS technology

Never thought you’d text a candidate? It may be time to think again.

When you’re confirming assessment day attendance, do you phone each candidate? When you’re managing high volumes of recruitment, do you rely on bulk emails? Texting candidates could be more effective.

Studies have shown the open rate of a text message is far higher than that of an email (98%).* What’s more, the instant nature of a text means you’re more likely to get a quick response from your candidates.

So how can you use texts in recruitment? One way might be to send a text message reminder of an upcoming interview, and if your technology allows for 2-way communication, your candidates can confirm their attendance with a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ reply. You could also send your interview attendees some handy information, like the address of your office or who to ask for when they arrive.

This type of communication can significantly improve your interview attendance rates, and reduce both you and your hiring managers’ time wasted on surprise no-shows. And if you’re recruiting in high volumes, it could save you hours going back and forth over email.

Find out more about how you can use SMS technology in your recruitment.

Branded comms

If you use an ATS you’ve probably set up a range of email templates, but are you using them to their full potential?

Having an authentic employer brand is vital in building a level of trust and rapport with your candidates. Use your email templates to reflect your brand through tone of voice, images, and general look and feel; this will provide candidates with a consistent and professional experience.

You also want to provide candidates with a feel of what your working culture is really like. Perhaps it’s a relaxed and creative environment (which might call for a more informal tone in your emails), or maybe your organisation is more fast-paced and focussed (this might come across better through a sleeker look and feel).

Discover the 5 things you should be including in your interview email templates.

Social media

Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Maybe you’re already using social channels – but are you using them in the right way?

We all know that regular communications from your social accounts can help keep candidates engaged, and that the social element of these platforms (which allows candidates to share your posts to friends and family) can help drive more traffic to vacancies.

For the best results, consider how each individual platform may be best used. LinkedIn, for example, is great for promoting leadership roles and attracting senior hires. Facebook on the other hand is more suitable for sharing posts about company ethos and working life, as is Instagram. Twitter is useful for improving reach, so think about sharing your other job vacancies here.

Be mindful of the tone you’re using on each profile. A chattier tone of voice will be more appropriate on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, while LinkedIn will require a more formal presence. Be ready to adapt your style to different platforms, but always remember to be consistent with your employer brand.

Use our checklist to find out if your ATS is ready for social recruiting.

Passive candidates

If you’re using talent pools, you’re probably storing a lot of data in your ATS. Use this to maintain communication with passive candidates by asking them to update their profile via their candidate portals.

This not only allows you to keep your brand fresh in your candidates’ minds and shows them that you value their data, but it also keeps the information in your talent pools up to date. And this means your passive candidates are more likely to receive the most relevant alerts for new vacancies.

Also consider sending your applicants an ‘internal’ newsletter, in which you can share company news and any relevant vacancies. This can be especially useful for senior or niche roles, as it can help to strengthen your applicants’ knowledge of your organisation and company culture and maintain engagement and trust in your brand.

Read more on how to keep your passive candidates engaged.

So, it might be time to add some new candidate communication tools to your arsenal.

Our parting advice: be authentic, use each platform appropriately and view every touchpoint with a candidate as an opportunity to reflect your employer brand.

*Techipedia

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