4 Ways to Keep Candidates Engaged in a Virtual Setup

With the pandemic converting most work setups into remote ones, recruiting top talent for companies has also switched to a virtual process. Because of this, there is still a struggle to find the best candidates, despite having more job seekers than ever before.

As recruiters cannot meet candidates in person, there’s extra pressure to land the best talent before others can. It is important to think about ways to foster candidate engagement and build relationships. Here are some tips to get you started.

1. Ask the Right Questions

With a remote hiring process, you will likely be asking questions over the phone or through messages. As you interview, think about what you ask and how you ask it.

During the first few calls, ask generic questions to give you a little background information.

Here are some examples:

• What are your strengths?
• What is your biggest weakness?
• What was the most impactful project you worked on?

You can move into more targeted questions when you have gotten a good sense of their background. Always have a list of questions in your head so you can dive into any topic that you’re curious about. This is a great way to have a natural conversation while developing a deeper rapport with candidates. Candidates that are more engaged are less likely to drop off in the later stages of your hiring process.

2. Ask for Feedback

After an initial phone call or two, ask the candidate if they would be willing to share their experience with a follow-up call. This will allow you to ask for their input on the process and ask for feedback about your company.

Here are some examples of questions you can ask:

• Was there anything you were not satisfied with on your first call?
• Are there any questions that I failed to ask?
• What would you have liked to know more about?

This will give you a chance to fix any gaps in your process and get it as close to perfect. You can also use this feedback later on to improve the process.

3. Communicate Clearly, Early, and Often

When communicating with potential candidates, make sure that you’re specific and clear.

That means spelling out the next steps in your process and when candidates can expect to hear back from you. Even if you’re still in the early stages of the process, let candidates know that. This will help candidates know that they’re doing well and not just waiting in the dark.

This is especially important if you’re dealing with more than one candidate, as a not-in-the-running candidate can start to feel like you’re ignoring them.

4. Use Technology to Your Advantage

While there are many ways to improve candidate experience, the most important thing is to use the right technology. Having the right tools to manage your hiring process will help you automate as much of the process as possible.

Build an automated platform to manage the entire recruiting process. This can include a portal for candidates to fill out their applications and an assessment test software for better skills testing.

Using software can also help you manage your pipeline and keep track of candidates. You can use your software to track how long a candidate has been in the process, when they’re scheduled for their next interview, and even stay on top of your communication.

Final Thoughts 

Making the switch to a remote hiring process can be difficult. While recruiting for a remote company can be easier than a traditional one, there are still many challenges that you will need to overcome. However, there are also plenty of perks, from the large talent pool to the ability to work with a candidate’s schedule.

Improve your pre-employment hiring assessments with Kandio. With our online assessment platform, you can hire better people, especially when it comes to their technical skills. Book a demo today to learn more about how Kandio works.