Recruiters are the voice of your company. They are connecting and communicating with candidates, employees, clients and other recruiters, they are posting job vacancies with company descriptions, they are using and posting on social media, they are attending job fairs and industry events and they are welcoming new employees into the company and the community.
So how well do you know your recruiter? How are they representing the company?
I am well past the point where I can count the number of jobs I've applied to on both hands but what I can count on them is the number of recruiters who have actually gotten back to me about the position (including automated responses).
And I know how many applications and emails they get every day, I've been there. And you can't reply to every single person. But you can send an automated response. A professional yet somewhat personal response that shows you have received their application. This closes the application process for the applicant.
This basic form of communication may seem trivial to the recruiter but as an applicant it is important.
Recruiters in the visual effects and animation industries are often posting a lot of jobs and the artists and candidates that are applying for them are applying to a lot of jobs. As a recruiter you need to make your company and your job post stand out.
http://cdn.jobmob.co.il/images/articles/funny/boss-on-phone-job-applications-cartoon.jpg
- Create a 'jobs' section on the company website and make it user friendly. Make it easy to find where the jobs are posted and make the application obvious and clear.
- Update the company description, including company values. The applicant needs to know about the company and including it on the job post is beneficial to the company and applicant.
- Make the qualifications and job responsibilities clear and concise while still being descriptive and creative. Include a 'perks' section that doesn't just have medical benefits but says 'opportunity to contribute at weekly company meetings, challenge your co-workers at Friday ping pong or spacious desks to display your reference material and Iron Man figures.
- Include links to city tourism, accommodation, dining, attractions, immigration and travel. This provides applicants which information that you have sourced and approved. This communicates that you care for your applicants and want to give them all the information you can before they apply.
- Dates are important on the job posting. State when the job was posted, when applications close and when the position would start. Update the dates as required. Remove the post as soon as the position is filled.
- Advertise the position internally. There may be someone already within the company who is qualified for the position or one of your employees may know a great candidate who is available. Send out a company wide email with details of the position.
More information on how to 'pimp your job description' here, http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/creative-ways-to-pimp-your-job
For an applicant this first step is exciting. They are applying for a new job at your company. They are filled with the excitement at the possibility of being offered the position. So continue their excitement by having an automated response ready for them.
What to include in your automated response:
- Thank them for applying. Confirm for them that they have made a great decision.
- Tell them how their application will be handled. Use description and be creative.
- Give them additional information, keep them excited about this position at your company and finish on a positive note. Include a link to the website, perhaps the company reel or filmography.
- Sign off the email with a signature, include a picture or company logo.
This first interaction between applicant and company is important as it has created a professional relationship. You have their details, they want to work for you and you hold the power to employ them. The simple notion of an automated response is caring and professional.
Look forward to my next post, 'Recruitment Communication: Interview Communication'.
