“We’ll keep your details on file and be in touch….”
We’ve all at one stage or another been on the receiving end of the phrase that is dreaded by candidates universally.
Is it simply a way of letting down candidates gently or does it genuinely imply that the recruiter will actually get in touch when another suitable opportunity arises. Without question, I would lean towards the former.
My personal opinion of this phrase is that firstly it is completely out of date. Probably coined when CV’s were stored in unsightly filing cabinets in the office and that in itself is a reason to finally retire this phrase to the history books!
Secondly, what does “keeping details on file” actually entail? As far as I’m aware, there is no definition whatsoever of what the recruiter needs to do in order to meet this promise they’ve made to the candidate. If anyone can shed any light on what actions they take when “keeping details on file”, I’d love to know!
Now I’m aware that this promise can’t be fulfilled in absolutely every instance, but what if through the power of technology, your recruitment team could take huge strides forward in this area. In fact, much of this can be done through existing technology too, so no major outlay needed here either!
My advice on how you can enhance the candidate experience via your CRM is this:
▶️Use the workflow within your CRM to ensure that candidates who are submitted and interviewed, but not successful at either of these stages, are assigned a “tag”.
▶️Use this tag to identify such candidates and introduce a process which extracts these records directly out to your marketing platform.
▶️Reach out to these candidates with some relevant content. Be that some job seeking tips, latest roles or expert advice on a specific topic. Essentially anything that will support the candidate in their search for work.
The beauty of automation and even RPA (Robotic Process Automation) also becomes a real possibility due to the “triggers” involved in the steps above. Which can mean that the process becomes completely seamless – all from a simple tagging exercise at the start of the process.
✅ Most CRM’s will be capable of the above without too much effort. If yours is not, then the argument to upgrade becomes even more compelling….
From what I see on LinkedIn at the moment, there are an awful lot of job seekers who are desperate to receive some tangible feedback that will support them in their search for work.
By improving the quality of communication at this phase of the process, surely an opportunity exists here for recruiters to stand out from the crowd by delivering a premium Candidate Experience?