Part 2 – How to create an effective communication strategy
As companies navigate a candidate-driven market, an effective communication strategy has become essential when leveraging a company brand and attracting top talent.
When polled, 81% of candidates said consistent communication improved the candidate experience, while in a different poll, 89% of applicants admitted to accepting a job faster when contacted by their curator.
In part 2 of our 3-part branding series, we explore how to efficiently communicate with both candidates and curators, as well as the importance of understanding aligning your messaging with your audience.
Getting on the same page: Communicating with curators and hiring managers
While candidate communication is key, curators and hiring managers should also have an effective strategy.
To start, it’s important to set up recurring meetings and touchpoints, where hiring managers can share what they’re looking for and curators can give updates on the hiring process. Open, transparent communication is best, as this helps build trust and strengthen the relationship.
It’s also helpful to remain realistic and prioritize 3 must-have qualifications and 3-5 nice-to-have skills.
Like candidate communication, talent acquisition software can help simplify the communication process. TalentNet’s latest platform, TalentConnect, allows hiring managers to view a curator’s best candidates per open position and provide input in real time. The curator can then review feedback and have a better understanding of whether they’re on the right track. This type of communication increases productivity and time-to-fill.
Tone matters: Creating an effective candidate communication strategy
The days of impersonal emails and ghosting candidates are long past. Applicants have high standards for how they’re treated in the hiring process and usually don’t hesitate to reject an offer after a negative experience. Ideally, candidates should be treated with the same respect customers are.
When building an efficient communication strategy, it’s important to understand how to engage with candidates. Using talent acquisition software can improve the process and help busy curators effectively communicate even when dealing with high-volume positions.
Every industry, position and company will have its own unique brand voice and tone. When emailing candidates about the role, it’s important to understand your audience and use the correct language to describe the position. Communication for a marketing position, for example, may focus more on soft skills and include expressive, creative language while an engineering position would likely prioritize hard skills and include clear, concise language. When reaching out to either position, keep the following in mind:
Marketing communication language:
Example: “We are seeking a talented and creative marketing professional to join our dynamic team. As a Marketing Specialist at [Company Name], you will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing innovative marketing strategies to drive brand awareness, generate leads, and contribute to our overall growth objectives.”
Notes: Here, we focused on creativity, collaboration (through the ues of “dynamic”), brand awareness and growth objectives.
Engineering communication language:
Example: “We are currently seeking a skilled engineer to join our specialized team. As an Engineer at [Company Name], you will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing cutting-edge solutions that will have a significant impact on our products and services.”
Notes: With this position, we focused on skills and technical responsibilities, using words like “designing” and “implementing.” We also included innovation (“cutting-edge solutions”), as that is an essential consideration for many engineering firms.
To effectively engage applicants, keep the following in mind:
- Be concise. Applicants are just as busy as you are. Get to the point quickly and clearly.
- Candidates know when you’re being fake. Stay professional and authentic. It’s also essential your emails don’t sound robotic or formulaic. If possible, research the candidate and include personal details in the communications.
- Words matter. While jargon often clutters up emails or texts, messaging will change based on the industry. For example, an oil and gas company will require different messaging than a bank or esports startup.
- Stay connected. The goal of any communication strategy is to funnel top talent into your talent pool. Even if the candidate rejects your offer – or isn’t successful – encourage them to keep in touch and follow up with other job opportunities.
AI-supported talent acquisition platforms can support companies’ communication strategies. TalentNet’s recent integration of GPT-3.5 in its job description optimization feature, for example, allows curators to quickly create well-written, effective descriptions.
Making use of your internal network
Communicating with current employees and those already in your network can help fill talent pools with interested, skilled applicants. Newsletters are an excellent tool when trying to connect with those already in your network. A notable pharmaceutical company, for example, created a newsletter for its Talent Community as part of the company’s communication strategy. This, along with other Direct Sourcing efforts, led to half of applications coming from Direct Sourcing.
When writing recruitment newsletters, it’s important to:
- Decide on your message
- Write a concise, engaging subject line that’s no more than 3-4 words long
- Include a call to action like an Apply Now button
- Stay consistent with your branding. Include your logo, company colors and fonts.
A seamless communication strategy
TalentNet’s Direct Sourcing software allows companies to perfect their communication strategies through its intuitive platform. To book a demo, click here.
For more on important communication touch points and messaging tips, download your messaging timeline here.