Five Effective Ways to Maintain Job Candidate Communication

A better candidate experience and successful hiring process are possible with employee onboarding software.

Your company is growing. You need more employees who are qualified to fill your open roles. You need to know how to attract the best talent and move them through the hiring and onboarding processes without them losing interest.

In this situation, candidate communication is key. You have only one shot at making a positive first impression with applicants who may turn into long-term employees.

Following these five recommendations can help ensure you're attracting the best potential candidates and keeping them interested in your company:

1. Write a thorough, eye-catching job description
2. Acknowledge each application that comes in
3. Schedule candidate interviews as soon as possible
4. Obtain background check authorization forms quickly
5. Send job offers or rejection letters in a timely manner

Below, we'll explain how to weave each of these steps into your hiring process and keep a steady flow of candidate communication with the right employee onboarding software.

Write a Standout Job Ad

Put yourself in your candidates' shoes. If you're scrolling through countless job ads, you're going to tap on the ones that sound the most appealing.

You need to make sure your job ads are attractive to the talent you want to recruit. A few important components of an effective job ad include:

• Title - A brief, accurate description of the position
• Qualifications - What licenses, endorsements, education, and/or experience candidates must have
• Job Description - Day-to-day responsibilities and expectations of the ideal candidate

The more information you can include in a job ad (without being too wordy or forcing applicants to endlessly scroll), the more applicants you're likely to get.

Dash allows you to build custom job postings for all the positions you're looking to fill. You can save, edit, and manage each of them in the platform. 

Acknowledge All Applications

Receiving even a handful of applications for your open position(s) is worth celebrating. It shows there's a real interest in your company and what you have to offer.

No applicant wants to be left in the dark wondering if you've actually received their application. Dash automatically sends applicants "thank you" communications to the email address they provide. 

This simple step can give applicants peace of mind and show your appreciation for their interest in your company. It also puts your company in a positive light from the very beginning of your candidate communication.

Schedule Interviews Quickly

If you're impressed by what you see on an application, you need to schedule a phone interview with the candidate as soon as you can. They are likely applying to other jobs in addition to yours, so make sure you speak with them as soon as possible to avoid losing them to a competitor. 

Dash features the capability to schedule interviews with applicants directly in your platform. Simply navigate to a candidate's profile and tap Execute Phone Interview to begin. 

Having a list of applicant questions prepared before the interview can help ensure the conversation goes smoothly and allows you to get the information you need to narrow down your applicant pool.

Gather Background Check Authorization Forms Quickly

In the essence of keeping the process moving, if your phone interview with a candidate goes well, you should initiate their background screens as soon as you can; however, you can't skimp on getting the required authorizations and disclosures from your applicant.

With Dash, most of the authorizations you need to move forward with the screening process are collected from candidates during the initial application. If any additional permissions are needed, you can send a request to their email. Below is what the applicant will see once they've signed all the background check authorization forms.

Dash also offers phased background checks, which is the newest (and most cost-effective) way to screen candidates who will take on safety-sensitive job functions. This Foley article explains how stepping out your background screens with employee onboarding software can amplify your hiring process – and stretch your hiring budget.

Provide Candidates with an Official Yes/No

After you've reviewed their application, completed a successful interview, run all the required background screens, and negotiated pay and benefits, it's time to provide your candidate with an official offer!

You can simply navigate to a candidate's profile and hire them in the Dash platform. That action automatically triggers an email offer to the candidate, providing them with yet another consistent (and exciting!) communication update that officially begins your professional relationship. 

Reversely, if you decide to not move forward with a candidate, it's courteous to let them know as soon as you can. The job application process takes a lot of effort, and they may be waiting on your response to continue their job search.

Dash makes it easy to reject a candidate directly in the platform. You must provide a reason for rejecting them for your records.

Improve Your Candidate Communication with Employee Onboarding Software

Is there a lot of back-and-forth communication involved with hiring new employees? Yes. Does Dash simplify and automate the entire process? Also yes.

Recruiting software makes your job easier, and you never have to second-guess if you followed up with a promising applicant, no matter which phase of the hiring process they're in.

Request a free demo of Dash, Foley's advanced hiring, screening, and employee onboarding software now. Soon you'll see how effortless it can be to communicate with your candidates (and hopefully turn them into successful employees).