Indeed is the top job site in the United States, with 250 million unique monthly visitors. The company’s mission is to help people get jobs. ApplicantStack, a top-rated and award-winning applicant-tracking system, teamed up with Indeed to provide a helpful integration that allows hiring managers and business owners to get open positions in front of the right audience. Vanessa Pierre, a partner manager at Indeed, and Brandon Peterson, an account manager at ApplicantStack, co-hosted a webinar to cover this integration, along with details around Indeed’s search engine and algorithm.
Understanding Indeed’s Search Engine
Pierre kicked off the webinar with insights into Indeed’s history and success among jobseekers, with over 16 years of providing hiring insights and resources to help recruiters get their positions in front of top candidates. According to recent data, roughly 70 percent of Indeed’s users are on mobile, which emphasizes the importance of optimizing job ads for those browsing on their phones and tablets.
Recruiters must engage with talent continuously in three main ways:
Relevance: Including the right keywords in titles and making strategic investments into sponsored jobs
Meaningful: Sharing content that draws talent, performs well in searches, and uses outbound tools
Authentic: Actively curating the employer brand on the company page and maintaining consistency throughout all interactions with jobseekers
The Indeed Algorithm
Some of the key factors that impact a job posting’s relevance through the Indeed algorithm include:
The length of time a job has been posted
The quality of the content within the ad
The strength of employer brand
The physical location of the job
Reviews (from past and current employees)
The historical clickthrough rate
It’s critical for employers to incorporate quality keywords in job postings to get in front of those looking for related jobs. All Indeed employer accounts have access to helpful hiring insights on keyword performance data and trending analytics. This data is highly useful in creating engaging and relevant postings.
The quality of the title also factors into the visibility of each posting. Word count matters: The suggested title length is 60 characters (10 words) or less for desktop users and 35 characters (five words) or less for those on mobile.
Details matter to jobseekers, so it’s important to think about what to include as it relates to each position. For example, a retail staff member might look for details around the pay, including the rate and frequency, as well as the shift, location, and available perks. But a retail management candidate may look for things like growth opportunities and bonus structure. Include the right details as they pertain to the person who would look at the ad.
Indeed Sponsored Job Integration
Sponsoring a job increases visibility substantially, making it a worthwhile investment into your hiring and recruiting strategy. According to Indeed, sponsored jobs get 80 percent more applicants than non-sponsored jobs. Recruiters can also sponsor jobs, manage applicants, and view analytics, all from one place.
The Indeed integration built into ApplicantStack makes it easier than ever to create and update sponsored jobs. You can edit, stop, or pause your listings from the applicant-tracking platform and develop intelligent campaigns that optimize continuously to boost the return on investment. You only pay for results, or when a candidate clicks on the listing. Indeed doesn’t charge flat posting fees.
All you need to get started is access to ApplicantStack (plus a payment method) and a job that you posted organically on Indeed. Once the listing has been live for 48 hours, you can then sponsor it to boost awareness and get it in front of more candidates. Then you can sit back and watch as applications start to flow in, helping you to find the right candidate for the job.
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Recruitment is the lifeblood of any organization, as it’s crucial to attracting, hiring and retaining the best people that will help your company grow and thrive. However, it can be challenging to generate a wider recruiting funnel and attract the best candidates. To successfully hire the right people, companies need to focus on creating more compelling job ads that stand out from the competition.
In this blog, we’ll explore best practices and trends in job ads, such as focusing on specific job requirements, highlighting strong employer branding and using video to captivate potential candidates. We’ll also look at optimizing technology solutions to automate the recruitment process and enhance the overall hiring experience even further.
What is the Recruitment Funnel?
The recruitment funnel is a process used by recruiters to attract, engage and ultimately hire top talent. Composed of a series of steps — each designed to move prospects through the hiring process and towards the final goal of making a job offer — the funnel is a strategic tool that helps organizations build a strong talent pool and ensure that they’re hiring the best candidates for their open positions.
The purpose and benefits of the recruitment funnel are numerous. One of the primary advantages is that it allows recruiters to create a consistent and structured hiring process. By defining each step of the funnel and ensuring that each candidate goes through the same procedure, recruiters can guarantee that they’re making fair and objective hiring decisions. In addition, the recruitment funnel can help organizations build their employer brand and attract the best people to their establishment. When candidates have a positive experience throughout the recruitment journey, they’re more likely to view the organization as a desirable employer and recommend it to others.
Hiring During Economic Uncertainty
Economic uncertainty can lead to a challenging hiring process, but it’s also an opportunity to attract top talent that may not have been available in more stable times. According to the Department of Labor, job loss during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was comparable to the Great Depression, and in 2021, only 60% of jobs lost had recovered.
One key difference in the recruitment funnel during periods of economic tension is the increase in passive candidates. This term refers to candidates who are not actively seeking new job opportunities but may be open to considering them. Randstad reports that passive candidates make up 75% of the workforce. This statistic means that companies need to focus on recruitment marketing to attract these candidates, rather than relying solely on job postings and active job seekers.
To successfully get the right person at each step of the recruitment funnel, businesses need to focus on several key areas. Firstly, hiring managers need to identify where to look for candidates. This may involve leveraging their existing networks, using job boards and social media or partnering with recruitment agencies. Company leaders should also focus on employer branding, highlighting the company culture, mission and values to attract candidates who align with these aspects.
Additionally, businesses need to adapt recruitment process to be more efficient and streamlined. Doing so may involve using technology to automate certain aspects of the funnel, such as resume screening, interview scheduling and sending follow-up emails. It’s also important to provide a positive candidate experience, communicating transparently and promptly throughout every stage.
Don’t forget to focus on developing your current employees and upskilling them to meet the changing needs of the business. This can help to reduce the need for external hiring and ensure that the company has a strong internal talent pool.
Creating More Compelling Job Ads
In a competitive job market, employers need to create job ads that stand out. To widen the recruiting funnel and generate more interest from potential candidates, there are several best practices and trends that hiring managers should follow to improve the effectiveness of their job ads.
Be specific about the job requirements and qualifications
Job postings with clear and concise language on qualifications and job responsibilities receive more applications than those without. This fact demonstrates the importance of being transparent about what the job entails and what qualifications are required. Are you tempted to use words like “team player” and “self-starter” in your descriptions? If so, then you may be unintentionally alienating qualified candidates who don’t feel compelled by the term ”dynamic” to apply. Canva, an online graphic design platform, completed a massive analysis and found that 38% of job postings contained confusing jargon.
Focus on strong employer branding
A strong employer brand can attract candidates who are passionate about the company’s mission and values. Today’s applicants are less likely to consider working for a brand with a bad reputation, even if the pay was incredible. This fact indicates that potential candidates are more likely to apply if they’re attracted to the company’s culture and values. So, add the right information regarding in-house culture and perks, include relevant press and provide helpful details to help capture the attention of qualified prospects.
Don’t underestimate social media
Social media has become the go-to platform for companies looking to find top-quality candidates. According to Zippia, 57% of job applicants use social media to actively find employment. But it’s also a feasible way to find talented individuals who may not realize they’re qualified for certain positions. It’s possible to reach an audience of millions with just a few well-placed posts.
Social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook have millions of active users, making them ideal for employers to advertise job vacancies and connect with potential candidates. In fact, LinkedIn alone has over 875 million members, many of whom are actively looking for job opportunities. With the ability to target specific audiences and demographics, social media recruitment allows companies to reach a wider pool of contenders and find the perfect fit for their team.
Video can be a powerful tool
If you’re wondering if you should consider using videos in your job ads, the answer is yes. Video is an extremely effective means to captivate and recruit a job seeker, providing them with a better understanding of the company’s culture and working environment. In fact, CareerBuilder found that job postings with videos receive 34% more applications than those without. Make sure your videos are under 90 seconds long and explain job duties, qualifications and benefits in an entertaining way.
Stay on top of new trends
Using new trends in job ads, such as emojis, interactive content and virtual reality, can help job ads stand out in a crowded job market. Attracting potential candidates, especially Gen X and even younger millennials, who are looking for something different means offering something different. Some emojis mean distinct things to job seekers. For example, the purple unicorn, “🦄,” often indicates a search for potential candidate with unique abilities and skills.
Optimizing Technology to Enhance Recruitment
In today’s competitive job market, companies need to lean on technology to attract and retain top talent. Countless job applications are completed on mobile devices daily, making it more important than ever for companies to have a mobile-friendly recruitment process. Additionally, companies that use recruitment technology have seen significant improvements in their hiring process and combat the 60% of applications that are abandoned before completion, according to Linkedin.
One key technology solution for enhancing recruitment is an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). An ATS can streamline the recruitment process by automating tasks like job posting, resume screening and candidate communication. This not only saves time but also ensures that no qualified candidates are overlooked.
Another important method for enhancing recruitment is a candidate relationship management platform (CRM). A CRM can help companies build and maintain relationships with candidates, even those who are not currently looking for a job. This allows organizations to build a talent pool of qualified prospects that they can reach out to when a position becomes available.
One example of a recruitment technology solution that incorporates both ATS and CRM functionality is ApplicantStack. ApplicantStack is a cloud-based platform that helps companies streamline recruitment funnels from start to finish. You can use it to create and publish job ads, screen resumes, communicate with candidates by text or email and start the onboarding process, all from a single centralized location.
Read more from the ApplicantStack blog to continue enhancing your recruitment process and start your free trial today. You can also view a demo to experience these features.
In this six-part series, we explore some of the talent acquisition trends to expect in 2023. As you explore these trends, consider how you can adjust your company’s recruiting and hiring practices to adapt.
The job market has shifted, resulting in a trend known as “boomerang employees.” This term refers to employees who changed jobs or even retired early, only to realize the grass may not be greener on the other side. A changing economy has caused retirement accounts to shrink for many, along with feelings of uncertainty about the future.
Boomerang employees are part of a rapidly growing trend in the workforce as hiring managers are faced with the decision of whether to rehire team members who left. But assuming the employee left on good terms, why not bring them back onboard?
The Benefits of Returning Employees
Losing a good team member is often frustrating for managers and recruiters. You lose the skillset and knowledge of a strong employee, which can leave the department scrambling to fill their shoes. But if that individual wants to come back, and there’s an open position that aligns with their expertise, it makes sense to welcome them with open arms.
Returning employees come with an understanding of the organization, including the expectations and culture. Even if they’re moving into a different role from the one they left, the learning curve isn’t generally as steep as it would be with a brand-new hire. Most rehired employees can transition between roles easily, thanks to their foundational understanding of the company as a whole.
How to Support Employees who Want to Return
A strong offboarding process goes hand-in-hand with the trend of boomerang employees. It’s a trend that no organization can afford to ignore. If your company has little to no offboarding processes in place, now is the time to invest in developing relationships with those who choose to leave.
When employees resign to pursue other opportunities, they typically have reasons for leaving the organization. Tapping into those former team members as resources can help your business improve its culture and give employees what they want. A positive exit interview process can uncover insights into the strengths and weaknesses of your organization. You can find out why people are leaving, and what might encourage them to come back.
Additionally, it’s worth considering technology that can track former workers and figure out who might have the experience and skills needed when a role opens up. With the right software, your business can manage data on applicants and hired employees. If a position becomes available that aligns with their skills, their information is readily available, which may simplify the process of filling that particular role.
Don’t miss out on a potentially stellar hire simply because they already worked for the company in the past. As more people boomerang back to companies where they felt comfortable, it’s worth considering how your organization could encourage former employees to return.
Check out the other posts in our 2023 Talent Acquisition Trends series:
In this six-part series, we explore some of the talent acquisition trends to expect in 2023. A shifting job market has changed the way people think about their careers and progression opportunities, putting more power in the hands of the employer. As you explore these trends, consider how you can adjust your company’s recruiting and hiring practices to adapt.
We’re all familiar with the concept of work-life balance but taking it a step further can help boost your company’s recruitment efforts. The latest trend around the link between an individual’s personal and professional life refers to integrating the two.
What is work-life integration?
Work is a key aspect of life for most people. But that doesn’t mean it has to take over their entire life. Employees need and want to devote some of their energy and time to their personal lives, including their family needs and hobbies. The idea of work-life integration creates space for both personal and professional needs without drawing clear-cut lines between the two. An employee can take care of work needs while attending to personal duties.
Here’s a scenario to help this concept make more sense: Rita is a full-time, salaried employee who manages a team of five marketing professionals. As the marketing manager, she spends a lot of her time handling administrative tasks. A large portion of her day is spent in her email inbox, where she approves time-off requests, project ideas and concepts, and final drafts.
At home, Rita has three children who participate in various extracurricular activities. One of those children has soccer practice three days per week at 2 p.m. If Rita took the work-life balance approach, she might work from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., then take a break to transport her child to practice. Instead, Rita uses the hour-long practice to respond to emails and approve projects. Her personal life integrates with her professional life, allowing her to decide on the best time to take care of her responsibilities on both sides.
Work-life integration vs. work-life balance
Although the idea of balancing the personal side of life with the professional needs has been sought-after for years, several factors have caused a shift among many employees. Work-life balance involves creating firm boundaries, such as setting specific work hours and only performing work-related tasks during those times. But in today’s world, the balance approach doesn’t always work, especially for those with remote or hybrid schedules.
Both models hold their own benefits, and each individual will determine what works best for them. Someone with younger children at home might need to set their schedule based on when they have child care. An employee with teens could prefer to integrate their personal and professional lives as they may spend more time transporting their children to activities. If an employee doesn’t have children to care for, their scheduling desires could be based around other needs.
Offering flexibility
What’s important to consider is how your organization can offer flexibility to employees, regardless of their lifestyle preferences or situations. The option to choose working hours isn’t always available, such as for those who respond to inquiries during a specific timeframe or interact with customers. But in roles where the schedule isn’t vital to success, it’s certainly worth considering how to provide flexibility.
If an applicant feels like your organization is willing to work around their needs, they may be more willing to accept a position. And if that particular applicant is productive and highly engaged, they can quickly become an asset, regardless of when they complete their tasks.
When a company seeks to hire, offering the option for work-life integration might set it apart from others in its industry. This year, more employees and applicants are looking for ways to integrate their lives and set their own schedules. Providing flexibility in scheduling and work hours could be a key differentiator.
Did you miss one of our other posts on 2023 talent acquisition trends? Take a look:
It’s a competitive market for top talent. Since our return to “normal” from the long-lasting effects of the pandemic response, the Great Resignation and other factors have created a hiring climate that’s more challenging than ever before. With 40% of employees still considering a move at any given time (according to McKinsey), it’s not solely about hiring top talent; it’s about retaining these staff members. It takes a lot more than an attractive salary to lure the right people to your organization. And that goes double in a downturn. The right talent acquisition strategy can help you find the best, skilled employees that will remain loyal to you for years to come.
What is Talent Acquisition?
Talent acquisition refers to the finding, recruiting and hiring of skilled individuals to fill open positions within a company. The aim is to ensure that you have the most qualified and skilled people on your team to enhance your organization’s performance and profitability. All of the activities involved in the hiring process, from sourcing and screening potential hires to onboarding and retention, are part of the talent acquisition process.How we hire talent has definitely evolved over the years, shifting from a passive hiring approach (think a hiring manager publishing a listing in the classifieds and waiting for possible candidates to walk in with resumes) to a more active one. Technology has played a big role in this evolution, and its bridge to social media, mobile apps and job boards helps you source, recruit, track and retain the best people for your company.
What’s the difference between recruitment and talent acquisition?
If you’re hoping to simply fill a position with a candidate that could do the bare minimum to get the job done, then you can refer to the process as “recruitment.” Your approach will be focused on the immediate need, with the candidate potentially being a short-term, temporary solution for a role that doesn’t require much specialization. Harvard Business Review reports that one-third of U.S. companies monitor their hiring practices to ensure they’re hiring suitable employees, with even fewer tracking metrics during the process. Talent acquisition is focused on hiring individuals with the skills and knowledge that will advance the organization and enable it to meet its goals and objectives. This includes staying abreast of hiring trends, setting up a dedicated team to oversee the acquisition process and creating a diverse pool of candidates from which to hire. In fact, diversity is a key area of focus for the best talent acquisition departments. Effective talent acquisition will also align hiring practices with market demand and economic conditions.
Does Talent Matter in an Economic Downturn?
The threat of an economic downturn often persuades organizations to take a more cautious approach to new hires. But even in times of uncertainty, talent is still very much needed to ensure business continuity and ongoing success. When you have skilled talent at the forefront of your business team, they’ll be better prepared to handle any bumps in the road, weather any condition and continue to reach success regardless of what the economy might throw at them.The goal is to restructure your talent acquisition strategy to match the current economic climate, not to become so rigidly structured that it hinders your ability to adapt to changing business needs. When economic conditions are uncertain, hiring the right talent actually matters more. How so? Hiring from the top of the talent pool when times are tough will:
Save money on hiring costs and competitive salary offers
Decrease the risk of turnover
Provide access to a more specialized workforce due to highly-skilled candidates entering the job market due to layoffs
Build a more resilient team of employees that appreciate your organization for helping them out of tough times
Put your company in a position to win the war and come out on top when conditions improve
So why does hiring the right talent really matter more in times of uncertainty? Companies can lose almost $15,000 for every bad hire, according to CareerBuilder. And when your company is struggling to make ends meet, the cost of hiring the wrong person for the job is much more than just money. It’s your reputation, your relationship with customers and your overall market share that is on the line. Getting the best people into your empty chairs will open up more time spent on tasks that generate revenue, increase overall employee morale and create a more productive and profitable company.
5 Tips to Effective Talent Acquisition – No Matter The Economy!
Now that you’re committed to making smart hires, let’s talk about the best ways to find the right people. The following five tips will help you attract the best candidates and find your next star employee to help you thrive in any condition.
Don’t always post positions internally first
Posting a job opening from within first can often be expected as part of your standard hiring procedures. It can potentially save you time and money otherwise spent on advertising, recruiter fees, extensive interviewing, onboarding and more. It also promotes loyalty and gives employees a greater sense of purpose. However, it can lead to a lack of diversity and new ideas, while perpetuating bias and a stale company culture. When you want the best fish, it’s always best to cast a wide net.
Consider remote interviewing
One of the most time-consuming part of the hiring process is conducting interviews. The pandemic opened up new avenues through remote recruitment and screening that can continue to save valuable time. Whether or not you promote a work from home culture, choosing to conduct interviews remotely expands your pool of talent and eliminates some of the common barriers to hiring. It also increases efficiency by allowing for more rapid decision-making. With virtual interviews, candidates often feel more relaxed – meaning you’re more likely to get a true picture of their suitability for the job.
Metrics and analytics are key
There are a number of ways to measure the success of your talent acquisition strategy. These include:
Cost per hire
Time to fill
Offer acceptance rate
Diversity and inclusion
Vacancy cost
Tracking metrics during the recruitment process can help you identify which areas are working well and which ones need improvement. When you take the time and integrate the best tools to collect the data, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about your hiring strategy and candidate experience. While these methods may require a little extra work from your talent acquisition team, the results will help you refine your strategy and ultimately improve your hiring outcomes.
Leverage a talent acquisition specialist
While human resources (HR) departments can play a vital role in talent acquisition, there are times when a dedicated talent acquisition specialist can be more effective. An outsourced professional can focus on your strategy, offer a higher level of skill and expertise and dedicate more time to finding the best practices that will increase the number of qualified job candidates. They can even be leveraged to help train and educate your existing HR team on the latest trends and techniques in talent management.
Hire for culture fit
Skills and experience are certainly important, but building a team with a shared vision, core values, and passion for the work is crucial to a successful talent acquisition strategy. When hiring, it’s important to look for individuals who are also a good fit with the company culture. You can spend time using personality tests and other methods to see how an individual will mesh with the rest of your team. Remember, you can get the best potential candidates through the door but it’s the right company culture that will make them stay.
Add ApplicantStack to Your Arsenal
Technology has become a major player in the world of talent acquisition. Your talent acquisition manager can use software to source and screen candidates, review resumes, interview job seekers and track multiple people analytics to ensure your strategy is working. There are several different types of software that can help you optimize your talent acquisition process, including applicant tracking systems, social media management software, background check tools and more. ApplicantStack can help you streamline the hiring process and build a strategy that yields results. Our Applicant Tracking and Recruiting software becomes your talent acquisition partner, letting you find and reach qualified candidates where they are – on their phones, through text messages. Everything you need in the talent pipeline, from job creation, postings, pre-screening, scheduling and communication is all in one place. Get more time back to spend on the things that matter. The right recruit is out there; let us help you find them. Start your ApplicantStack free trial now and see how we can help you build your dream team.
