Like flash floods taking rivers and streams by surprise, the modern talent acquisition terrain is on the constant lookout for the out-of-the-blue trends emerging from technological advancements and workforce transformations. While the descendance of such trends will certainly spur the competition for top talent, the coming decade will see organizations placing candidate engagement at the forefront of their recruitment strategies.
Analyzing the talent reports of Manpower group, 77% of employers around the world report difficulty in finding skilled talent. A decade ago, this figure was 35%, emphasizing the growing challenge talent leaders face and will continue to face. Candidate engagement is more crucial now than ever as it is pivotal in attracting and retaining talent in a largely candidate-centric job market.
What is Candidate engagement?
Candidate Engagement refers to the relationship you build with candidates by making every touch point in their recruiting journey bright with engaging interactions or communication. This is not limited to one-on-one communication; a simple mail or a feedback form can also be considered as engagement. Directly or indirectly, candidate engagement is correlated with many factors in talent acquisition including candidate retention, candidate drop-off, candidate experience, employer brand, and quality of hire. When candidate engagement soars, all these metrics flourish in unison, paving the way for a winning talent acquisition strategy. Hence, recruiters and talent leaders must stay updated with the dynamic trends associated with candidate engagement to succeed in their recruitment endeavors.
According to LinkedIn, candidates remain in the tight labor market for only a short duration—approximately 10 days—while the hiring process can last 24 days. For organizations aiming to secure top talent, these 10 days, or even less, are critical for capturing the attention of ideal job seekers and standing out from competitors. Effective candidate engagement is indispensable for achieving this, and keeping track of emerging trends is essential for gaining that competitive edge.
Let’s look at the top 5 candidate engagement trends that will shape the future of work in the coming decade.
#1 AI and Automation
Unquestionably, we are spectators to how AI and automation have been revolutionizing recruitment for quite some time. However, the statistics by LinkedIn affirm that this revolution will continue for a while. These technologies are efficient in streamlining hiring processes, especially screening and interview scheduling. As per the SHRM survey, 64% of HR-related activities including recruitment, interviewing, and hiring are supported by AI. However, 13% of them use chatbots to engage applicants throughout the recruiting process.
AI chatbot fosters candidate engagement through 24/7 interactions, answering basic queries, and being a reliable support system for candidates throughout recruitment. By 2030, AI and automation will be taking over the recruitment and engagement part entirely, providing personalized candidate interactions requiring minimal manual intervention.
#2 Personalized Candidate Experience
We’re now at a stage where it is almost impossible to separate candidate engagement and personalization, the union of which forms the ultimate recipe for a great candidate experience. Modern candidates expect treatment similar to that of customers, and personalization has proven to improve engagement significantly. The 2024 Candidate Experience statistics reveal that 52% of job seekers declined offers due to poor candidate experience they had with potential employers. While employers might have kept the communication channels open, they may have fallen short of creating a personal connection with candidates. This could manifest in a lack of two-way feedback or a cumbersome hiring process, both of which can lead to candidate frustration and ultimately, disengagement.
As we traverse the new decade, hyper-personalized candidate interactions become crucial in improving engagement and thereby candidate experience. Each touch point would demand customized engaging interactions based on candidate’s profiles and interests, becoming the determiner of candidate attraction and retention.
#3 Enhanced Employer Branding
Easily the best strategy to attract the top talents! Having smartphones has empowered candidates to do their own research about the employer while job search to decide whether to proceed with one. Employer brand will showcase the values, work culture, EVPs (Employee Value Propositions), and overall reputation the organization presents to the public and its employees. LinkedIn Statistics highlight that 75% of job seekers consider the employer brand before applying for a job and 52% of them search the company’s sites and social media to learn more about their potential employer. That’s where captivating brand narratives and authentic employee voices, through testimonials or videos, are taking the lead in driving candidate engagement. This approach not only fuels candidate engagement but also shapes their initial perception of your company. If that impression is stellar, you’ll cultivate a loyal pool of talent ready to join your firm.
By the next few years, we’ll be seeing employer brands taking more sophisticated forms including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to showcase the company highlights and foster better engagement with candidates.
#4 Recruitment Gamification
A streamlined hiring process definitely makes the candidates’ journey less complicated, but will it be enough to keep them hooked and engaged till the end? This is exactly why organizations are increasingly contemplating the adoption of gamification in recruitment in order to take candidate engagement to the next level. Gamification surveys have revealed that around 78% of job seekers find companies with game-like elements in the recruitment process more desirable than others. The best part is, that gamification can be extended to onboarding training or employee activities to increase engagement to 84% and productivity to 87%, as per Talent LMS Gamification Survey.
As we head into the future, gamification assessments and training activities become mainstream, creating an engaging and immersive candidate experience. Recruiters and HR leaders can also take advantage of these opportunities to check talent competencies through customized gamification tools.
Check out our blog: Gamification in Recruiting
#5 Data-driven Recruitment
Every candidate is unique. To give them a personalized experience, we need more information on their interests, perspectives, likes, and dislikes, which can be interpreted through data collected from various touch points. Understanding these crucial aspects of candidates will help talent acquisition leaders curate a hiring journey enriched with candidate engagement. Data-driven recruitment allows leaders to identify areas of improvement in their recruitment operations and get insights to optimize their talent acquisition and engagement strategies. According to LinkedIn, talent analytics are quite helpful in tracking and measuring candidate engagement rates so that necessary changes can be made to improve them promptly.
The upcoming decade will see more organizations embracing data and analytics to identify top talents and craft data-driven engagement strategies to retain them throughout the recruitment process and beyond.
Hyreo: Candidate Engagement at its finest!
Hyreo, the AI-powered recruiter co-pilot always strives to foresee the trends to keep our customers ahead of the curve. We have embraced AI, smart automation, and Advanced analytics to streamline recruitment and craft a talent journey pulsating with enhanced candidate engagement and employer brand. From hyper-personalized chatbot interactions to engaging automated nudges, we make sure that your talents receive an engaging experience like never before.
Recommended Reads:
How to Improve Candidate Engagement
8 Strategies for Effective Talent Engagement
How to Keep Candidates Engaged During The Hiring Process
Conclusion
The future of candidate engagement is as bright as it can be, fueled by new technologies and trends. Investing in these technologies will open a myriad of benefits to organizations to embrace innovation and position themselves in the competitive labor market in a remarkable way. With the recruitment landscape becoming more and more favorable to candidates, let’s join hands together to bring some refashioning to your recruitment system and create highly engaging journeys for your candidates.
FAQs
What is Candidate Engagement?
Candidate engagement refers to the process of building and maintaining a positive relationship with potential job candidates throughout the recruitment lifecycle.
How to improve candidate engagement?
Candidate engagement can be improved through personalized communication, a seamless recruiting process, regular feedback and updates, and brand storytelling.
What are the best tools for candidate engagement?
The best candidate engagement tools include AI chatbots, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), Video Interview platforms, Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) Systems, and Survey tools.
