Candidate contact How to effectively communicate with
talent
Nick ClementChannel Director
@reedcouk
Where do candidates start their job search?
What do candidates expect when applying for jobs?
What’s really important in a job ad?
When does talent want to hear from you?
1960
1995
The UK’s#1 job site
Today
Where do candidates start their job search?
50%go to a job board
first
14%recruitment
11%
consultancy company website8% 7%
All the ways you’ve looked
1. Job site2. Company website3. = rec con and search engine
All the things candidates do to find a new job
Job sit
e
Compa
ny web
site
Recruit
ment a
gency
Searc
h eng
ine
Job Cen
tre Plu
s
Newspa
per
Frien
ds, co
ntacts
Profes
siona
l netw
ork
Socia
l netw
ork
Careers
Advice
Servi
ce
Trade
mag
azine
Other
But what about social?
42%
use professional networks in their job search
25%
use othersocial networksin their search
72% 29%
Following target employersApplying for jobsImproving profileTelling your network what you wantDirect messaging employers
What do candidates expectwhen applying for jobs?
1. Things to happen…quickly
2. Our disappointment…managed
expect confirmation of application
expect confirmation within 24 hours
only91%
73%
16%always receive confirmation
12%hardly ever or neverreceive confirmation
expect to be informed of an unsuccessful application
80%
NO CONTACTin 5 days in 14 days
assume they’ve been unsuccessful
22% 85%
How long?
week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4application
83%expect to be at
interview within a fortnight
71%expect to be offered a job within three
weeks
week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4application
85%expect to be at
interview within a fortnight
Retail, Marketing
week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4application
90%expect to be at
interview within a fortnight
Accountancy
What’s really important in a job ad?
What do candidates look for?
Graduate trainee accountant says working for PwC got in the way of social life in an email to colleagues about his “relief” at losing job
Is this the ultimate millennial sign-off? Sacked graduate bows out of job at top accountancy firm PwC with email complaining that the work was boring and got in the way of his fun
Moaning millennials let down their generation
1. Convenience to you
3. Salary & benefits2. Day-to-day responsibilities4. Career progression5. Learning & development6. Reputation & culture
Change one thing
communicationenforce feedback
speed of response
contact when it’s promisedhonest feedback
clarity on progress guaranteed feedback
2,800+UK workers
We asked
When you want to hear about vacancies?
How do you want to be contacted about new opportunities?
How often you want to hear about new opportunities?
When does talent want to hear from you?
Nearly everyone is open to hearing
of workers are interested in hearing about vacancies and talking to recruiters
about relevant vacancies
86.7%
Every time there is a
relevant op-portunity
Once a week Once a month Once every three
months
57.3%20.0% 15.6% 6.5%
How often do you want to hear from recruiters?
265,46
0 CV uploads
75,974 Mobile app downloads
41.5%
46.2%12.3%
Phone
Face-to-face
How do candidates prefer to makefirst contact?
8.6% Midday
Whilst I’m on lunch
When’s the best time to make contact?
15% In the evening
When I get home from work
When’s the best time to make contact?
62.9% I’m happy to be
contacted at any time
When’s the best time to make contact?
92.4% are happy to be contacted about new opportunities on
their day off
Even at the weekend…
The interview process
When candidates expect contact
17.2%
23.2%
55.4%
Once a week
Only after each interview stage
Everyday
1. Honesty
What do candidates value in your communications?
2. Professionalism 3. Information
1. Not hearing back
The biggest candidate frustrations:
2. Not hearing about the right roles
Understand where your candidates are searching and have a broad reach
Candidates expect timely responses & expectations managed
When advertising, remember to prioritise what candidates look for
Talent always wants to hear about relevant opportunities
Thank youNick ClementChannel Director
@reedcouk