“If you build it, they will come.” Or so they say. But in reality, we all know online talent community members will flee – and fast – without engagement on your part. In fact, job seekers expect to find answers and possibly even land a job when they interact with your company through social media or other talent community platforms.
In order to keep yours growing, you must be able to answer a few common questions faster than potential candidates can click to a new page. Creating an arsenal of responses (not stock, but as a foundation) can help talent community managers respond swiftly and effectively.
While it’s important to customize each response, basic guidelines make communication efforts more efficient and consistent. Here are some possible scenarios and responses that will keep your talent community warm:
1. “I’ve applied for multiple jobs and never hear a thing!”
Whether you’re a small or large biz, encourage applicants to follow up via phone or email. If possible, ask for the requisition numbers, and let them know you’re checking on the status of the opportunities.
This might seem tough, but positive candidate/applicant experience is the key to happy hires and brand advocates. Don’t have time? Think again. Many of the Fortune 500 companies use Twitter to have one-on-one conversation with job seekers every day.
2. “I applied for Job X. Where do I stand in the interview process?”
If it’s feasible, check on the status of the position, and at least let them know if it has been filled. If so, take some time to find similar opportunities with your company they might be interested in. If they’re still in the running, let them know that someone will be reaching out to them shortly.
3. “You didn’t hire me! This talent community is worthless!”
If a recruiter is called out by name, block the user and remove the comment if necessary. None of your employees should feel harassed by a potential candidate.
If it’s just a negative comment about how your company stinks for not giving them a job or about how being part of the community hasn’t done them any good, wait for current employees, brand champions and other job seekers to stick up for you — it happens more often than you might think and is far more effective than you speaking on behalf of yourself.
4. “Do you have any marketing positions open right now?”
Some job seekers get lazy or think they’ll get the inside scoop on a not-yet-posted opportunity. Refer them to the careers section of your website by sharing a direct link. Then, remind them that all listings on your site are up to date, and provide other links where they can find you, like Twitter, YouTube, etc…
5. “I just applied to Job X!”
Don’t forget to respond to all positive comments, too. These people have an affinity for your brand and will speak positively about your organization if they’re treated right… even if they don’t get the job.
Wish applicants luck on the interview process, thank them for taking the time to apply and try to get them involved in conversation with the community. This will help them feel more comfortable with your organization, making it more likely that they’ll apply in the future. Another bonus? Other talent community members may be more apt to apply after seeing the care you’ve just given other applicants.
What comments/questions do you hear frequently in your talent community? Share some examples, and tell us how you respond.
Image: Breakfast for Dinner
Author: Aubre Andrus
Aubre Andrus is a freelance writer and official word nerd based out of Madison, Wisconsin who specializes in creative copy with a fresh and fun kick. This word warrior has championed all types of written wonders as a tech blogger, social media consultant, web copywriter, national magazine editor, and reporter. She’s acted as the voice of much-loved brands including American Girl, EXPRESS, and WIRED. Catch up with @aubreandrus on Twitter or visit aubreandrus.com.
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We see tons of status questions – something I know we will continue to see more of as applicants really learn to use social sites to engage with employers. The key for employers will be to try to alleviate these type of posts by giving the applicants access to their status thru the careers sites…not every company has adopted this yet due to concerns about how the applicants will react if they are moved into unconsidered but most applicants just want to know that someone has looked at their resume and what their status is….even if it means they didn’t get the job
Thanks for the response, Gail! I’m sure it can be time-consuming to try and respond to all questions and comments, especially with how accessible Intuit Careers is on social media.
While concerns about negative reactions from unconsidered candidates are probably not unfounded, I think you’re right that most just want some insight as to where they stand in the process. We’ve all been job seekers at one time (or a majority of people anyway), and not knowing is a worse feeling than not getting an interview or an offer. Definitely time to improve applicant/candidate experience..
[...] It’s important to have a response plan (even loosely) in place before jumping in. Obviously, you’ll want to actively engage with all of [...]