Three ways HR technology can boost candidate engagement

With unemployment rates at historic lows, employers must enhance their hiring strategies to attract top talent. As many as 76% of hiring managers say that attracting top talent is their biggest challenge at present. 

Failing to engage with your applicants might be your loss of great candidates and perhaps even customers. In fact, 67% of candidates are more likely to buy from a company, post-application, if they receive consistent updates throughout the recruiting process.

The good news? Modern HR technology offers tools to significantly improve candidate engagement and enhance their overall experience.

How can HR technology help you keep candidates engaged? Let’s explore three effective strategies.

1. Streamlining communication with automation

Candidates want transparency and consistency. A lack of communication can quickly lead to disengagement. Fortunately, candidate engagement tools now make it easy to maintain clear and timely updates without overburdening recruiters.

HR technology like applicant tracking systems (ATS) and candidate relationship management (CRM) software can automate communication workflows. For example:

• Triggered emails can keep candidates informed about their application status.
• Recruiting chatbots integrated into your career site or social media can respond to queries in real time, ensuring applicants never feel left in the dark.

These tools not only improve candidate experience but also save time. Imagine candidates feeling supported at every step without requiring recruiters to manage each interaction manually.

2. Creating an engaging pre-selection process

The pre-selection phase is a critical opportunity to make a positive impression. Modern HR tech enables employers to create candidate engagement strategies that go beyond traditional resumes and interviews. You might consider including a pre-employment assessment platform into your recruiting process with a dual purpose in mind: sufficient data for your selection, and improved candidate engagement.

Combining gamified assessments with videos showcasing your company culture and the day-to-day reality of the job you’re hiring for helps keep your candidates engaged throughout the pre-selection process. If you add the ability to provide feedback to a candidate about their results from the assessments, you give them something useful they can walk away with, make them feel valued and ensure they keep a positive view of your organization. 

3. Collecting feedback to improve processes

Many candidates feel ignored after applying for jobs. A staggering 65% of candidates report they have not received consistent communication throughout the recruitment process, making it one of their biggest frustrations. Furthermore, nearly half of candidates (47%) said poor communication would prompt them to withdraw from a recruitment process.

Using candidate engagement tools like CRM systems or ATS, you can gather insights on what candidates appreciated and where your process might need improvement. Not only does this demonstrate that you value their input, but it also helps refine your hiring strategy over time.

Moreover, showing that you actively listen to candidate feedback reduces the chances of negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. When candidates feel heard, they’re more likely to recommend your company, even if they didn’t get the job.

Why candidate engagement matters

While 82% of employers believe there is little or no impact of bad candidate experience on their business, the data suggests otherwise. 

Negative experiences can have far-reaching consequences. For example, Virgin Media estimated that poor candidate engagement cost them over $5 million annually in lost subscriptions.

Investing in candidate engagement strategies not only attracts better talent but also protects your brand reputation. By embracing HR technology, you can keep candidates engaged, improve their experience, and position your company as a preferred employer.