Key takeaways:
- Technology enhances engagement: Leverage technology like chatbots and webinars to engage candidates effectively, streamlining processes and achieving cost-effective results.
- Texting boosts candidate interaction: Text messaging proves to be a powerful communication channel, especially for candidates who prefer it over emails, resulting in higher engagement rates.
- A/B testing drives engagement: A/B testing in social media ads enhances engagement by creating compelling content and gaining valuable insights into candidate preferences.
One key avenue talent marketing leaders are exploring to enhance their strategies is using technology to enhance the candidate experience.
In a recent Talent Marketing Board panel discussion on proving the ROI of talent marketing across the enterprise, our members shared insights on how they’re leveraging technology to engage with top talent and provide engaging content.
Recruitment marketing and employer brand leaders at Leidos, Fidelity Investments, and Harbor Freight Tools discussed how to streamline processes, boost engagement, and ultimately secure top talent in your organization.
We’ll explore their experiences and insights for leveraging technology to enhance your candidates’ experience and the impactful role technology plays in talent marketing.
Elevate the Candidate Experience Through Chatbots, Webinars, and Remote Recruitment
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos, highlighted the successful use of technology like chatbots and webinars in enhancing the candidate experience.
Steve explained that his team initially incorporated chat functionality into their website with the help of an external vendor, allowing recruiters to engage with candidates in real time.
“We engaged with a company called Brazen, and they were new at the whole thing,” Steve said. “They helped us develop a chatbot that has frequently asked questions. We allow our recruiters to go on live, and they can actually interact with candidates who are looking at jobs on the website.”
When the pandemic hit, he shared that they started using technology to conduct webinars and private conversations between candidates and recruiters or hiring managers.
“We were trying to figure out how we can recruit remotely and how we can engage with people and conduct the interview process,” Steve said.
Although they faced challenges getting recruiters to fully embrace the tool, Steve said they later outsourced chat interactions to an external company, resulting in over 1,000 candidate engagements per month.
We were trying to figure out how we can recruit remotely and how we can engage with people and conduct the interview process.
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos
This approach led to 200 hires who initiated conversations via chat and then applied for jobs, demonstrating its cost-effectiveness and success in their talent marketing efforts.
“That surprised me, and it was a pleasant surprise,” Steve added. “That’s been a tool that we found had comparatively low cost but a really good return.”
The Power of Texting and Personalized Engagement
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments, discussed their experimentation with using text messaging as a communication channel in their talent marketing strategies.
She explained that the idea stemmed from addressing the issue of candidates not checking their email and missing interview notifications.
“One of the things that happened is we contacted these people, and they basically said, ‘I don’t check my email. You emailed me telling me you were scheduling me for an interview, but I missed it,’” Jojo said.
Her team began using text messages for scheduling screens and interviews, which proved effective, as candidates preferred texts over emails. This success led them to explore using texting for marketing as well.
We found that for certain types of roles, texting on the marketing side was quite effective. We’re continuing to pilot that as we go forward.
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments
In their experiments, Jojo said they found text messaging worked well for certain job roles, while others considered it spammy. This helped them realize that the effectiveness of the communication channel may depend on the specific type of role.
“We found that for certain types of roles, texting on the marketing side was quite effective. We’re continuing to pilot that as we go forward,” Jojo said.
Steve shared the same sentiment with Jojo’s approach to using text messaging and explained how Leidos achieved nearly 100% engagement when sending texts, compared to a lower 25% engagement rate with emails.
“We spent a lot of time thinking about how to make it seem a little less spammy and give them a way to validate that I’m actually with the company,” Steve said. “We send them an email address that explains if you want to contact me directly, here’s my email address, and I actually work at the company.”
Use A/B Testing to Boost Engagement in Your Talent Marketing Efforts
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools, emphasized the importance of utilizing existing technology tools, specifically A/B testing, to enhance the candidate experience.
She explained that they regularly conduct A/B testing with their social media ads to optimize their content.
“We do a ton of A/B testing with social media ads,” Denielle said. “I think that ties to candidate experience because the more compelling ads you put out, the more likely folks are to engage.”
The more compelling ads you put out, the more likely folks are to engage.
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools
By experimenting with variables like colors, messages, call to actions, and images, Denielle said her team aims to create more compelling ads that resonate with candidates.
She added that this approach helps them better understand what attracts and engages potential candidates and ultimately improves their overall candidate experience efforts.
Benchmark your talent marketing tech stack with your peers at the world’s largest brands
Technology is key for improving the candidate experience in talent marketing. Jojo, Steve, and Denielle highlighted chatbots, text messaging, and A/B testing as effective strategies.
Embracing these advancements ensures your company stays competitive in talent acquisition and provides exceptional candidate experiences.
Apply to the Talent Marketing Board to learn from your peers and drive success with technology in recruitment marketing and insights on attracting top talent.
