Inside LinkedIn's New Report: Tapping Into Today's Candidate

In case you missed it, LinkedIn just released their latest report, Inside the Mind of Today's Candidate. Interning at a company that is extremely passionate about improving candidate experience, I thought this report was interesting. It provides thirteen critical insights from the mind of today's candidate so that recruiters can work smarter and more efficiently.

One part of the report that hit home centers on candidate communication. Communicating with candidates is extremely important, because it can make or break their interest level in your organization during the recruiting and interviewing processes.

That being said, there are a few tactics from LinkedIn's report that an organization should utilize to further engage their candidates, maximizing their interest.

Don't give TOO much information. It's important to refrain from telling candidates too much information. At first this might seem like a ridiculous strategy, but it can actually attract candidates more. By leaving some information out, it creates a sense of urgency from the candidate, luring them back to you to learn more. This strategy works because people will want to know more details that they have not been given yet. This gives organizations a better chance of people coming in to interview for the position, continuing through the process.

Keep the human in your messaging. In all your communications with candidates, messages should sound like they are coming from a human, not a computer. No one likes receiving automated messages because it makes them feel unappreciated. Every means of communication should be coming from a real person to give them a personalized experience. A computerized message isn't out of the question, but keeping it personalized is a must. Otherwise, you could discourage candidates, turning them away during the recruiting and interviewing process. Keep in mind that a human message can make candidates feel personally wanted by the organization.

Employee testimonials mean something. Testimonials from current and past employees are a great way to market your organization to candidates. There is no better and more credible source than the people who work at your organization on a regular basis. A simple 90 second testimonial video or article of a current employee explaining a day in their work life can be very reassuring and informative to a candidate applying for a job. Seeing a video or article like this eases the candidate before the interview, and makes them much more comfortable overall.

The ways in which companies communicate with their candidates in the recruiting and interviewing process can be the difference between finding the right hire or not. It might sound like just one minor piece of the recruiting cycle, but with precise detail and attention it can be perfected to avoid potential issues.