What is Candidate Engagement and Why does it Matter?

Candidate engagement does not have any official definition. Hence, candidate engagement counts as how the employer or recruiter responds to the candidates. Want to know what candidate engagement is, why it matters and candidate engagement best practices?

Good candidates stay in the market only for 10 days. And the hiring process lasts only for 24 days.  Do you know these facts?? This is why candidate engagement is a crucial part of the recruitment process. Candidate engagement should be maintained from the start to the end of the process. So candidates can get a clear picture of the company environment and culture.

Candidate Engagement Definition

Candidate engagement is the procedure and estimation of continually communicating with your candidate pool by means of email, text, or face-to-face. The objective of engagement for staffing might be a job application, email opens, and text replies. It plays an indispensable role in recruitment marketing efforts to attract more talent. 

Candidate Engagement is the most significant objective of the Inbound Recruiting methodology. This kind of methodology supports Candidate Engagement through extraordinary and valuable substance to candidates.

Recruitment is not only about having competent candidates through the entryway; it is about keeping them intrigued all through the application procedure and assisting them to get a job they like. Candidate engagement is about making a connection with employment searchers.

The more they get notifications from you, the more they put resources into the job they become. Important candidate engagement for employers.

Benefits of candidate engagement for Employers

• Candidate engagement enhances the interest level of candidates.

• Candidate engagement spreads the message about your organization to other potential candidates.

• Candidate engagement decreases the developing issue of applicant dropouts.

• It enables new hires to be happier when they start work.

In this competitive era, the human resource team uses a heap of tools to attract great employees and talent. The contest to grab high-performing workers is growing too fast. Consequently, a good recruiter and hiring managers give significance to each aspect of the hiring process, including candidate experience and candidate engagement.

Candidate engagement and candidate experience are two major metrics of a successful recruitment process. People generally have confused between these two words. And for many, candidate engagement and candidate experience are the same, which is totally false.

These two words are not the same but nearby aligned with each other. Let’s see their definitions.

Candidate Experience

Candidate experience is some emotional feeling of a candidate, and that emotion forms during the overall hiring process. During the hiring process, how the recruiter and employer treat the candidate on the basis of this treatment candidate defines his/her experience. The experience might be bad or good. A report by Talent Board revealed that 81% of candidates are likely to share a positive candidate experience with their network, while 66% are likely to share a negative experience.

Candidate Engagement

Candidate engagement is the process of communication between the job seeker and the recruiter. Recruiters continuously communicate with candidates through various channels in order to provide a great experience. Thus, candidate engagement is a crucial part of a good candidate experience.

How to Improve Candidate Engagement?

Viable candidate engagement is a basic component of building the right team. You don't need to wait for an applicant to sign before you start the engagement methodology, and whenever the candidate puts in for the job, you need to connect with them. In the present competitive talent acquisition market, companies need to concentrate on candidate engagement so as to recruit the absolute best and the right talent.

If your company does not persistently engage with candidates all through the recruiting procedure, candidates might lose interest in joining your group and start searching somewhere else for their next professional move. 

Candidate Engagement Best Practices:

1. Prioritise Fast Applicant Reviews

A lot of organizations wait for certain days to just review each new job candidate. However, candidates who are reviewed and followed up on rapidly are likely to be employed. Reacting to candidates at the earliest opportunity can help guarantee good candidates remain connected with and happy about the chance of working in your company.

If you leave candidates waiting for a reply, you may lose competent applicants to other job opportunities.

2. Maintain Regular Candidate Communication

After you have reviewed candidates, your employing group should try to keep communicating with applicants throughout the entire recruiting process. If you have any interviews with them, you can communicate with them in order to know the exact date of the interview instead of keeping them waiting.

Communicate with them not only about the hiring process but also share information about your company, and invite them to different events. Connect with them every now and then. Communication is the key to smooth engagement.

3. Share a Clear Hiring Timeline and Meet It

After getting the result from the pre-employment assessment test, you will get all your potential candidates. Engage with them in order to let them know that their profile has been forwarded to the next level.

Moreover, give them detailed information about the hiring stages because not every company has the same hiring process. Also, the time duration of the whole process. And after declaring the time period stick to it.

4. Boost Engagement with SMS Updates

Candidate engagement can be enhanced by texting the candidate throughout the recruiting procedure. Text messages are read immediately after delivery on their phone, which means candidates will see the interview reminders, plan changes, and other significant information immediately.

Text messaging is an effective way to communicate with both job searchers and employers and can streamline your applicant and new contract communication.

5. Collect and Act on Candidate Feedback

Regardless of whether or you did not hire an applicant, it would help if you attempted to gather candidate feedback so you can keep improving your recruiting procedure and candidate experience. While few organizations gather candidate feedback, this can enable your company to entice greater quality candidates. Another advantage of gathering feedback is you can make a connection with applicants.

Your company can not employ each incredible candidate that strolls through your entryway. However, asking good candidates who you couldn't employ for their opinion on the job candidate experience will tell every candidate that their opinion is valued.

Common Issues of Candidate Engagement

The issue is in terms of problems and inconvenient things that candidates usually face. These issues are the primary reason for the lack of candidate engagement.

• Black holes:- Candidate black hole is an issue where candidates become invisible after applying for the position.

• The long application form discouraged the candidates, and they left the application process in the middle. 

• Repetitive questions. No one likes to fill in the same thing again and again from the resume, which is a really time-consuming and irritating thing. 

• Inconvenient time for communication. Especially for the passive candidates, who are already doing work the working hour. So they don’t have time to communicate with recruiters.

• Inconvenient communication resource. Like some of recruiters use email as a source to communicate with candidates; on the other hand, there are candidates who hardly check their emails and inbox.

• One-way communication. In this way of communication, candidates always hold half a knowledge about the recruiting process because they are unable to communicate with recruiters. 

How Can Technology Help in Candidate Engagement?

Technology can significantly enhance candidate engagement, making the entire recruitment process smoother and more efficient. 

Let’s break down how it works based on what I've seen over the years.

First off, automation is a game-changer. Tools like applicant tracking systems (ATS) can automate routine tasks like sending acknowledgement emails or scheduling interviews. This means candidates get timely responses, which keeps them engaged and informed without us recruiters having to manually track every step.

Then, there are communication platforms. Chatbots and AI-driven messaging can provide instant answers to candidate queries, even outside of office hours. This ensures that candidates feel supported and valued throughout the process, and it’s all about meeting them where they are—whether that’s via email, text, or social media.

Personalisation is another big win. With the data these tools gather, we can tailor our communications and outreach efforts. For instance, by analysing a candidate’s profile and past interactions, we can send them relevant job openings or updates. This makes the engagement feel more personal and less like they’re just another number in the system.

Lastly, feedback loops are crucial. Tech tools can gather and analyse candidate feedback at different stages of the hiring process, helping us refine our approach. Whether it’s through quick surveys or more detailed follow-ups, we can learn what’s working and what’s not, ensuring a better experience for future candidates.

In a nutshell, technology helps us stay connected with candidates, makes our communication more efficient, and allows you to personalise the experience, all of which are key to keeping candidates engaged and excited about the opportunities we’re offering.

Final Thought about Candidate Engagement

Alright, let's share the final thoughts on candidate engagement. You know how when you're trying to hire someone, It's also about keeping them interested and excited about the opportunity with your company. 

That's what candidate engagement is all about.

You have to build a relationship, make them feel valued, and keep them in the loop throughout the hiring process.

Why does it matter?

 Well, a few reasons. First, it helps you attract and keep the best talent. Top candidates have options, and if they feel neglected or unsure about your company, they'll move on. 

Second, it reflects on your employer's brand. Word gets around, and you want candidates talking about how great your company is, not how they never heard back from you.

Lastly, it just makes the hiring process smoother. Engaged candidates are more responsive, more open, and more likely to accept your offer. And that's what we want, right? 

So, keep those lines of communication open, be genuine, and treat candidates like people, not just resumes.