With the jobless rate in Australia now at the highest it has been since 2015, the recruitment industry needs to prepare for more candidates competing for fewer jobs. So, with the number of candidates expected to soar, it will be a challenging time for all. Recruiters will be trying to secure as many job listings as possible, while candidates will be trying to connect with recruiters, so they are top of mind for any relevant job opportunities.
In this now client-driven market, with fewer job listings and a larger pool of candidates, how do recruiters stay on top of managing their information, finding and keeping the top talent, and winning the job listing for clients?
In this environment, technology is a recruiter’s best friend. If the bulk of your time needs to be focused on working with clients to secure job listings and filling roles, how do you continue to attract top talent and maintain strong relationships with your current pool of candidates?
Keep your data up-to-date
The first step is to ensure your candidate database is up to date. There is no doubt that as a recruiter you will experience an influx in candidates actively contacting you to update their information, many of whom you may not have heard from in years. This is great, in terms of having a bigger talent pool to choose from, but it can cause a headache when it comes to inputting details into your Application Tracking System (ATS) so you easily search and find the right candidates quickly. Whether it is ensuring you have their latest CV or up-to-date contact details, this all takes time to input, and recruiters just don’t have it.
On the flip side, with so many people actively searching for work, candidates now have the time and the drive to update their resumes, and actively chase recruiters to pursue jobs. The best way to take advantage of this, and not waste your time inputting data, is to set up a self-service portal for candidates. This enables a candidate to directly update their CV, contact details, skills, experience, photos and references, directly into your ATS. This ensures the ATS is up to date, the candidate knows you have their current information and you are able to identify the best candidates for a role quickly.
Give candidates access to your resources
Not only are recruiters taking advantage of self-service portals, they are also utilising them as knowledge hubs for their candidates. These portals allow candidates to simply log in from your website and access guides, training materials and tips for the job application process. You can include anything from tips and techniques for mastering interviews, to resume writing services. The best thing is that it helps support your candidates in their search for a new role without using too much of your time.
Automate your communication
As always, communication is key to providing a positive candidate experience. This can be challenging at the best of times, but when there is an overwhelming number of candidates it becomes even harder to keep everyone updated on their progress.
This is where your ATS can help. Keeping applicants updated doesn’t always have to be a phone call or personal email from you, you can utilise your ATS to send automated emails at each stage of the process to keep applicants informed.
In this kind of client-driven market, with a large amount of people actively searching for work, it is easy for us to forget, or get too busy, to support all our candidates. Now is the perfect time to utilise the technology available to recruiters to make your job easier, so you can find and keep top talent, provide a positive candidate experience and spend time with clients to secure all-important job listings.