How to Effectively Message Candidates
As we often say, great recruitment is a conversation, not a transaction. And this is particularly the case when reaching out to candidates or responding to applicants. It’s key to nail your communication if you want to secure positions in a competitive market – and here’s how to do it.
The ability to directly message and auto-respond to candidates is a powerful tool for employers using the Placed app. It provides the means to easily follow up, quickly schedule interviews and remain in good contact with your applicants, which is important if you want to secure your positions and fill your roles faster.
However, with candidates applying for many roles within the same industry, it’s essential that your messages capture their attention, are clear, and ultimately provoke a swift and positive response.
Here, we lay out exactly how to communicate with candidates through messages to secure the positions you need in a timely manner.
Auto-respond to all applicants
We understand that employers often receive a large number of applications and this can make it difficult to reply to each and every applicant. To help out those hiring on our platform, we introduced the ability to create automatically generated responses. But why use it at all?
According to a study, 70 percent of applicants never hear back from employers after applying for a job, and 60 percent never hear back from employers after an interview.
Importantly, 60 percent of candidates outlined a bad interview experience as “the Employer never bothered to let me know the decision after the interview”.
All applicants have shown an interest in your organisation and the job you have on offer. By not responding to a candidate this could jeopardise your business’ reputation. With a competitive market, this is something you don’t want to happen if you want to keep your talent pool high.
It’s worth also noting that while the candidate you are not replying to may not be right for you now, they could be in the future. They may also have some great recommendations for more suitable candidates for the role. So, don’t skimp on responding to all applicants!
Here are some examples of auto-responses you can write:
Hey,
Thank you for applying for our role!
We get a huge amount of interest in our positions so we are only able to reach out to those who have been successful.
If you don’t hear from us in the next 2 weeks, don’t worry. We have loads more jobs coming up over the next few weeks that we would welcome you to apply for!
Thank you for applying for a job with XXXX
We thank you for taking the time to complete your application. If you are successful, we shall be in touch within the next 7 days.
If you are not successful at this stage, be sure to follow our page to get priority alerts for when we are hiring again.
Wishing you the best of luck!
For those who have been successful and who you’d like to invite to the next stage, it’s important to be prompt and clear about the next steps and use an encouraging and friendly tone of voice. Unclear or late responses can be off-putting to the candidate and could lose you a great employee.
For example, you can set a response such as:
Thank you for your application.
We are impressed with your profile and would like to invite you to the next stage:
- Our team will call you this week to discuss your availability and experience in a bit more detail.
- You will be invited on site for a one hour trial.
All it takes is a total of 60 minutes doing the above to complete the full application process.
We will be in touch soon and look forward to speaking to you!
Reach out to matches
Placed instantly searches through candidates and matches you with the best talent for your job. It’s just like a CV Database but without having to do the legwork!
This means your matches are the top candidates for your role based on your preferences. Whilst they are aware of this, they may not apply immediately, especially if they are also matched to other roles – so they may need a little nudge.
Make use of this tool by reaching out swiftly to your matches. This will show that you’re keen and will put you above employers who take a while to reach out or don’t reach out at all. Consider how you can sell the role to this candidate within your message – you could reiterate your benefits.
If there is a deadline to fill the position, it’s worth mentioning this – this will create a sense of urgency, helping you fill the role quicker.
Always write with a positive tone of voice that will help encourage the candidate to apply!
Examples of ways you can reach out:
Hey,
We have reviewed your profile and you look like you would be a great fit for a job with us as a XXX !
– You will earn x per hour
– X bonus/ tips
– Weekly pay
– X holiday allowance
– Team events
– Health benefits
– Set hours / flexible hours
– Etc
We would be really keen to speak to you and invite you down for an interview.
When are you free for a call?
Thanks!
Alternatively:
Hi,
We are recruiting for an experienced XXXX and after reviewing your profile, you look like you would be a great match for the role.
Would you be available for a call to discuss how we can offer you:
– X per hour paid weekly
– Tips
– Progressions and development
– Training
– Health benefits
– Team events
– Etc
We are keen to have someone start within the next month.
Are you free today to discuss more?
Thanks
Leave A Comment