Just because the bots are taking over doesn’t mean recruiters can go on vacation… here are 10 things they can do to stay busy

Robots have enabled the automation of some of the most time-consuming recruitment activities, such as the initial screening of candidates, or the scheduling of meetings with hiring managers. Since we have freed up so much time, the question often comes up: what should my recruiters do now? Below are listed 10 smart ways modern recruiters can now spend their time intelligently.

1. Shoot video testimonials of employees

Candidates are hungry for insights. They often research websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts to learn about the life of your employees. Employee video testimonials are a great way to give them a taste of your company culture. Video content can be generated at company events, or simply by interviewing some of your employees. You can ask them questions such as “What is your typical work day like?” or “Why did you decide to join us?” If you don’t have the budget for a professional camera crew, an iPhone and some cheap video editing software will do the job, and will likely give your content a more authentic feel which tends to resonate well with younger audiences.

2. Stay on top of future hiring needs

Planning regular meetings with management to take stock of their business allows you to stay proactive and to build your talent pool more intelligently. Have regular conversations about the needs of the business, the performance of the current workforce and the new skillsets in demand. In doing so, you’ll be able to anticipate future hiring needs.

3. Start conversations in online communities

Join conversations in LinkedIn groups, online forums, Facebook groups, or shared interest groups in targeted communities. The more focused the better. Engage with high-value — sometimes even controversial — content to get the most visibility and traffic. Contributing meaningful insights and starting real conversations in those forums is the way to open doors and generate interest.

4. Training the hiring managers on best practices

As a recruiter, the dos and don’ts of hiring have become second nature to you, so it’s easy to forget the many rookie mistakes a hiring manager can make. To make hiring managers the driving force behind every hire, you will need to transfer some of your expertise to them. Let them in on the secrets of writing a good job description, teach them how to ask non-leading questions, show them what non-verbal cues they need to watch for, and insist on the importance of post-interview communication. A hiring manager without training is likely going to waste your hard-searched candidates otherwise.

5. Meet with universities and with the media

Building and maintaining relationships with universities and with the media is time-consuming. It might involve attending public lectures, networking events and long lunches. What makes it worth the investment is that these relationships can give you access to a large amount of new talent which you will not find through your typical job boards and marketplaces. Engage with universities as long-term partners in talent-creation. Talk to your media outlets about your work in the community and your ability to foster great talent.

6. Make candidates feel welcomed

First impressions last. Even before they arrive at your office, candidates start to form an impression of how much you care. You can start by sending them a quick message (e.g. “Looking forward to our meeting, please call if you have any trouble finding the office”). Once the candidate arrives, you can take the time to show them around the office and offer them a cup of coffee. This is meant to make the candidates feel relaxed, so they communicate openly in the course of their interview. Studies show this yields better interviews, where candidates are more honest and the selection is more reliable.

7. Improving the on-site experience

Some decisions are more important than others. Deciding which company to work for is one of those. Help facilitate that important moment in your candidate’s life by providing a friendly on-site experience which answers all their questions and addresses any unspoken fears. Reception areas that are spacious, welcoming, and where the achievements of your employees are celebrated can go a long way. Pictures from company events, documentation on your training plans or even handing out a few freebies can sometimes tip the decision in your favor.

8. Crafting the perfect job description

Writing a poor job description attracts the wrong type of talent, which is enough to annul all the hard work you did above. When crafting your job description, run it past the most recent hire in this position and ask them if it matches how they would describe their own job and why they joined the company. In the age of viral content, you need to stand out, so let the hiring managers speak their mind about who their dream candidate is. Don’t be afraid to call it like it is. Are you looking for “a geek with a conscience”, “a wordsmith with a smile”, or “an intern that loves excel”? Job ads with titles like these are the ones that people are more likely to share with their friends. On social media, authenticity always works.

9. Define your position on hot topics

As a recruiter, you know better than most what is on the minds of potential employees. Are they concerned about automation in the workplace? The pay gender pay gap? A recent change in workplace legislation? Talk about the hot topics and find the position that represents your values. You can also help your (busy) CEO write a blog post or a statement of intent for your company’s career website. Helping to establish the company as a thought leader and a brand that’s aware of current issues will make landing even the most coveted candidate so much easier.

10. Collect candidate feedback

Just as candidates can learn from you — you can learn from them. You might think you’ve built the world’s best recruitment process, but until you’ve asked your candidates, that’s just wishful thinking. You can run an anonymous survey with some of the candidates who have already gone through the recruitment process. If you operate in the high volume recruitment space, you could also ask an undercover friend or consultant to apply for a job as a candidate and take notes of the whole recruitment experience, evaluating your recruitment team’s friendliness, competency and the speed of the process. Those notes will be invaluable in finding new ways to upgrade yourself when the robots are stealing our jobs again ;-).

About me: I’m the CEO of Talkpush (www.talkpush.com), the leading enterprise recruitment software for volume hiring. Our chatbot currently interviews over 15,000 candidates a month, which leads to close to 1,000 hires a month. Are you ready to start engaging with talent at scale? Send me a message or write to us on Facebook .

More reading? 6 Reasons why Recruitment Email Marketing is Dead.