CHAPTER 6
Stop the Neglect: Steps to Improve the Hourly Candidate Experience
Communication counts. In this final chapter, we'll first look at the critical role communication plays throughout all steps of the talent acquisition journey and the steps organizations can take to better meet the needs of their candidates.
Now, it's time to turn insight into action. You've followed us through chapters 1-5, and now you're wondering - what I can do to make progress and overcome some of the challenges and low satisfaction rates that are inhibiting my ability to attract and hire the hourly workers my business needs?
Scroll down for Madeline Laurano's recommendations on how to better understand what job seekers crave and start thinking like a candidate to improve the experience you deliver.
The Role of Communication in the Candidate Journey
Communication is an essential element of a good candidate experience. When asked what candidates want:
- Notified when they are screened out of the process (52%)
- Receive information on the company (52%)
- Know who their reliable, single point of communication is (50%)
The most important lesson in communicating with hourly workers is to give them options. When asked what the primary form of communication with candidates would be, companies identified very typical forms of in-person meetings, email, and phone. The challenge with these traditional forms of communication is that they can slow the process down. If a retailer receives 500 applications for a job, the likelihood that they will call or meet with 499 of those applicants is unrealistic. Companies in hourly-dependent industries are still relying primarily on these outdated forms of communication (see Figure 9). To be effective (and, fast), candidate communication needs to happen through multiple channels - including text, video, chatbots, and social media.
Overall, companies that have a systematic approach to communicating with every candidate in a way that is frequent and meaningful see results.
Key Strategies for Boosting Candidate Communication
Too often, employers try to paint some picture-perfect scenario of what life is like at their company. The reality is, some jobs are not fun - working for a company might not be ideal for everybody. The more companies can be transparent about the company and the job upfront, the better. Not only can they find better-fit candidates, they might stick around longer when expectations are clear from the beginning.
Where do you start? Think about how you can you guide candidates to the roles or locations that they're best-suited for. Be authentic and create meaningful and candid content on career sites and in employer branding efforts. Consider job or location previews as a way to show candidates a more accurate depiction of what they can expect.
The primary reason that companies fall behind in improving the candidate experience is that they do not have a mechanism to engage with candidates before they even apply. Recruitment marketing is where the candidate experience begins - before they're even an actual candidate.
Where do you start? Communication with job seekers should be early and often - you're competing for talent in an era of low unemployment and people have options! Companies need targeted strategies to think holistically about how they will attract, nurture, and engage with candidates - communication is a critical thread that pulls across all of these levers.
As we noted from the research, companies still tend to rely on traditional forms of communication like email as their primary mode of communication with candidates. I know somebody that applied for an hourly job and received an email stating 'if you don't hear from us about your application within 45 days, please apply again' - how would you rate that candidate experience? More importantly, what would you think of that brand? Most hourly job seekers don't have 45 days to wait for a job.
Where do you start? If you want to engage your candidates - which today span more generations than ever before - consider a variety of communication methods including chat, video, SMS, and phone calls. You're competing for people with your competitors and across industries - how will you stand out?
Communication Throughout the Candidate Journey
Let's take a closer look at how communication can be personalized and consistent through the entire candidate journey - from recruitment marketing to onboarding (and, everything in between):
Research Reminder: Only 24% of hourly job seekers are very satisfied with how they learn about and engage with the company.
- Limited information on the company or the brand
- Limited knowledge of the employee experience, benefits packages or hours and shifts
- Generic messaging that is not always relevant
- Personalized communication
- Detailed information on the company and employee benefits and hours/shifts
- Variety of ways to connect with the employer
- Clear messaging on the employer brand
Research Reminder: Only 27% are very satisfied with how they can apply for a job (mobile, PC or in person).
- Standard application with little instructions, too many steps or not mobile-friendly
- Simple apply-process that only captures the information that is relevant, when it is needed
- Mobile-first and provides the candidate with a clear understanding and information of the next steps
Research Reminder: Only 23% of job seekers are very satisfied with how they met with a hiring manager or hiring team.
- Lack of structure on scheduling the interview and delayed communication
- Limited information on interviewers and next steps
- Limited information on what to expect during the interview
- Digital interview scheduling that puts the candidate in control
- Clear understanding of interviewers and team
- Understanding of the next steps in theprocess.
- Proactive nudges and communication ensure you know where to be, when - and even receive tips for interviewing well
Research Reminder: Only 22% of your candidates are very satisfied with the assessment used to determine fit for the job.
- Complete a lengthy assessment during the application that takes one hour or longer
- Receive limited information on how that assessment is being used or when to expect the results.
- Visual or game-based assessments that are fun and easy to complete in 15 minutes or less.
- Detailed communication about the status of the assessment and what to expect on the next steps
- Personalized results candidates can derive value from
Research Reminder: Among the lowest satisfaction rates, only 20% were very satisfied with the screening process (drug testing, criminal background or DMV testing).
- Receive information asking for screening consent
- Inconvenient process
- Automated screening in a shorter timeframe
- Detailed communication about when to expect the results of the screening process and next steps
Research Reminder: It's surprising, but only 20% were very satisfied when and how they received an offer for the job. And, coming in at the lowest level of satisfaction - only 13% were satisfied with the process when they did not get the job.
- Wait - then, wait some more - to hear back from an employer
- Go silent, candidates are left waiting and 62% never hear back at all after applying
- Receive continuous communication about your application via text
- Text alerts tell you there is an offer waiting without waiting days and days - or, accepting a competing offer firs
- Review things like pay, benefits, start date and hours and accept right from your mobile phone
Final Thoughts for Improving the Hourly Experience
As we have established, the hourly population is a critical segment of today’s workforce. Companies need a new approach to attracting, engaging, and recruiting these workers. Better communication, a more personalized experience, and digital technology should be at the center of this change.
For organizations to improve the way they engage hourly workers, they must first understand what candidates expect.
Simplicity: Candidates for hourly work do not have a lot of time to spend applying for a job or navigating a complex application – they may be applying for several at once, and they may not have a lot of relevant experience to share. Give them a simple, straightforward apply process.
Feedback: Hourly job seekers are often in need of a job fast, and they want to know where they stand. They want to know if anyone is reviewing their application, how long before they might receive feedback, how good of a fit they are, and how likely they are to move along in the process. To rise above your competition, be straightforward with candidates along every step of the process.
Convenience: We live in a consumer-driven world, and in our ‘always on’ world, candidates want the convenience of exploring opportunities, asking questions, and applying for a job on their own time. Don't make applying for a job with your company a burden on the candidate - think mobile-first and embrace new ways of keeping in touch.
Once employers begin to understand what candidates want from the apply process, companies should consider the following strategies to make the process more candidate-friendly:
Shorten the apply process: Have you ever tried applying for an hourly role at your own company? It is surprising how many companies still create lengthy applications (over an hour), even in industries like retail and hospitality, where an applicant may not have a resume or lengthy applicable experience. If you want to get quality talent, and hire them fast, applications must be shorter and allow candidates to apply quickly before they move on to the next opportunity.
Keep candidates informed: Although most companies send an automated immediate “thank you,” nearly half of candidates never received an indication of the status of the application, a response to inquiries regarding why gender, race, and ethnicity questions were asked, or the option to save their application for a later date. And a majority of your candidates go into the notorious 'black hole' after they apply. Now, consider these candidates are also your customers - what are you doing to the brand loyalty you've worked so hard to build? Your candidates have options - lots of them - keep them informed so you remain at the top of their list.
Rethink rejection: Hourly workers are tremendously unhappy with all stages of the talent acquisition process, and 86% of hourly workers are dissatisfied with the rejection process (Aptitude Research). If companies only hire 3% of those who apply, then they must also focus on the 97% that applied and are also customers, or they stand to damage critical brand reputation. In many cases, improving rejection is as simple as improving communication.
Embrace digital: Organizations that recruit hourly workers face a unique set of challenges, including high turnover, the need for greater efficiencies, and brand reputation. Digital technology can help organizations with each of these areas by providing a more engaging experience for candidates, speeding up hiring times, and taking the burden off of over-tasked hiring managers.
Reduce age bias: While studies from the past focus on younger generations moving into hourly roles, this study shows that the largest age group in hourly positions are individuals 50 years old and higher. Yet, in chapter 4 we uncovered rising levels of age discrimination in the workplace. Many older workers no longer have the means to retire and want to continue to work - for pay, benefits and even socialization.
Go mobile: Organizations recruiting hourly workers will fall behind if they don't adopt a mobile-first strategy. Studies indicate that almost every American has a mobile phone, and many spend up to 5 hours a day on a mobile device. Yet, only 41% of hourly job seekers in this study had the option to apply for a job through a mobile device (Aptitude Research). A mobile-first strategy can help hourly candidates feel more connected to employers throughout the entire journey, even beyond the convenience of applying.
Thank you for reading 'The Forgotten Workforce', a six-part digital series examining the challenges facing organizations dependent on the hourly workforce - based on extensive research by Madeline Laurano, Aptitude Research. If you missed (or, skipped) a chapter, direct links to the digital content can be found below.