Online customer and candidate journeys are not that different
Recently, we introduced Google Data Studio and Salesforce Reporting and Dashboarding Delivery to our valued customer Sligro Food Group NL. This allowed us to provide Sligro with a full insight in how candidates interact with their career site and recruitment process. With that knowledge Sligro can create the best candidate journey possible. After having successfully completed this project, we were struck by an interesting analogy.
E-commerce is just like e-recruitment
In e-commerce, a lot of research and proven tooling is available to optimize the conversion of an online visit into an actual purchase. We think the same principles that count for a customer journey, also apply to a candidate journey. Let’s dive into this a bit deeper. The chance of someone actually purchasing something on an e-commerce website depends on many variables. How attractive is the product? Does the website offer a good user experience? Is it mobile friendly? Is the company reliable? Are there many positive reviews? Does the website support popular payment options, etcetera, etcetera.
Conversion from career site visit to application
It is clear that there are many key success factors in turning a visitor into a buyer. The same goes for convincing a candidate to apply for a job! Step into the shoes of a candidate and ask yourself the following questions. How easy can a candidate find suitable job offers on your website? Do you present yourself as an attractive and reliable employer? How quickly can one navigate on the site? How many clicks does a candidate need to find the application form? Are the criteria clear what makes a candidate match the job description? How much time does it take to fill out in the application form?
Still an alarming amount of companies miss out on the best candidates because they do not offer a mobile friendly application form.
Create a smooth application process
There are many variables that determine if a person decides to apply for a job. Did you know that every minute it takes longer to fill out an application form, you’ll lose at least 4% of your candidates? Some application forms consist of more than 8 pages! Be sure to present a lean and mean application process.
Only ask candidates for the data you really need at the moment they apply for the job.
You have enough time to complete the details in due course of the application process. If you require specific personal details once you are actually hiring, ask those later. Do everything you can to make applying for your jobs as easy as possible. A simple feature like ‘Apply-with-LinkedIn’ or ‘Upload resume from Google Drive/Dropbox’ can make a huge difference in your conversion rates.
Also with your content, be as relevant as you can and be sure you time your communication well. Offer the candidate the information he is interested in during this specific touch point of his candidate journey.
Work with the right metrics
E-commerce businesses track how many website visits convert into actual purchases. As a recruiter, you too can measure how many people visit your career site and what content they have seen. You can also see how many people start to fill out an application form and how many of them are really following through. And what about mobile applicants? Did you already tailor your application form to the different devices a candidate could be using to visit your career site? Still an alarming amount of companies miss out on the best candidates because they do not offer a mobile friendly application form.
Use event tracking in Google Analytics and Tag manager
Recruiters often say: “I’m sure my application form has exactly the right length and functionalities!” Are you? How can you be sure? Let us tell you how. By making use of the extensive tooling Google is offering to a widespread crowd. The handy features ‘event tracking’ and ‘goal conversions’ in Google Analytics/Google Tag Manager allow you to accurately identify how many visitors start applying for a position and how many actually convert into applicants.
Eager to hear how you can set this up? Get in touch! We’d love to explore the opportunities online recruitment marketing has in store for your organization.
“Thanks to Talent Peaks, we succeeded in optimizing our recruitment analytics by implementing Google Data Studio and powerful dashboards in our ATS. It is stimulating to work with experts as committed as the Talent Peaks team.”
Daphne Noordhoff – Head of Recruiting Sligro Food Group
