As recruiters, we are constantly sourcing candidates. Some of us might send emails or texts, individually or in batches, but there is always another human being we are trying to reach on the other end. Life is busy, and the candidates we are sourcing are in the thick of it. The intricacies of their daily life will undoubtedly play a factor in our efforts to connect with them.
It is crucial to understand that a first outreach is simply an unsolicited introduction, and some may not be too fond of that gesture. In a world of technological automation and spam, I have found candidates to be hesitant about the first email outreach, uneasy about the “why?” or “how?’ of it all. From that initial email or text, the motions you proceed with after could alter the candidate’s experience. Laying the foundation to a kinder, gentler, more humanistic approach is imperative in harnessing the full potential of your recruiting efforts.
Now, let me paint a picture of one of our ideal prospects. It is 3 pm, they are at their current place of employment, and they receive an email notification from an account they don’t recognize claiming a “Great Job Opportunity!” or something of those sort. Depending on their level of curiosity, they may open that email, but since they are currently working, the notification is quickly swiped away from the phone screen. They return to work and make a mental note to check it out later. Spoiler alert: later arrives, but that mental note they left does not tag along.
From your perspective, it has been a week since you sent out an initial email campaign to a litany of candidates deemed fit for the position you are recruiting for. There were a few who inquired from the email, some who even booked a phone interview, but that number paled in comparison to the amount you contacted. What to do next? My preferred method is texting the candidates, especially if you can personalize it. I have found that including their first name in a text will result favorably compared to a simple “Hello.” The truth is, during high-volume recruiting, it’s important to maintain a sense of compassion and personalization as best we can. While it may be unattainable to make every single interaction feel as if you are speaking directly to that individual, it is vital to curate the experience to feel as “human” as possible. I have found that nurturing a pipeline of candidates for a month at a time while also connecting with candidates who have directly applied leads to a steady flow of interviews and hires.
While math was never my strong suit, an equation I’ve found to be beneficial during high-volume recruiting has been: Repetition + Compassion = A Better Candidate Experience….and more Candidate Interviews
There are times when no number of attempts to connect or kindly worded messages will translate to a successful sourcing result. Numerous factors bleed into our daily recruiting efforts and the rate of “sourced to interview” can fluctuate accordingly. However, taking the time and steps to ensure a humanistic approach to sourcing will only enhance the recruiting process for not only our candidates but for ourselves.