From a talent drought to a potential talent flood – but how to sort the great from the good?

Lisa Proctor, Director of Changeworknow, explains how online and 'might as well' applications have swelled the talent pool's banks fit to burst – and how to handle it well.

What a difference a year makes. Only one year ago the challenge facing many organisations was where can we find the talent we need for our business and how can we encourage people to apply to us? Today that challenge is still there but there is a different twist. How do we find the talent we need amongst the reams of applications we now receive? With unemployment at a 14-year high the landscape has changed and the current economic climate has meant for every organisation a significant increase in people applying as more people find themselves without employment.

There is evidence that the motivation of the jobseeker has changed. In normal times people look for a career move when they are ready. In other words, they are in control and have a choice. Today, that choice element has disappeared for many and we are seeing an increase in the ‘serial’ job hunters as people apply for roles that under normal circumstances they would not consider. In fact, new research from Changeworknow, Online Recruitment – its all about the candidate, reveals 70% of applicants would consider taking a job even if it wasn’t the ideal job for them.

This means that organisations are dealing not only with quantity issues but also with quality issues as many applicants will apply for just ‘anything’. Many are unsuitable for the positions that they are applying for. As a result, lots of organisations now face an increase in workload to deal with this and recruitment has become a time-consuming process of sorting, sifting and dealing with applications.

The ability to apply for jobs online is compounding these issues. It’s a popular route for candidates because it makes job hunting a lot easier. However, it also offers huge benefits to organisations and those who are using this access to market wisely and intelligently are able to effectively deal with the increase in job seekers as they have the technology in place to handle the volumes they are experiencing.

A major criticism from job seekers is that they apply and don’t hear anything. It seems that is times of economic hardship organisations forget the importance of candidate care and the overall candidate experience. Research from Changeworknow has highlighted the importance of the candidate experience. An important element was candidate feedback and 98% of applicants indicated that this was important or very important. The reality is that today, in most situations, this is not happening with 25% of respondents saying they have never had immediate feedback to an online application.

One organisation that knows a thing or two about volume recruitment and handling this effectively is River Island. Their seasonal recruitment kicked in at the beginning of September and with last years’ campaign attracting 100,000 candidates in just four months, the expectation is for greater numbers this year in line with the current job market. In the last seven days there have been 9000 applications and all candidates are receiving a good candidate experience.

River Island has put in place technology that screens and sifts all applications as they apply. An important element is immediate candidate feedback on the suitability as they progress through the process. Every candidate receives communication from the organisation regardless of the outcome. Extensive use is made of technology to deal with the huge volumes received and this can in the form of email, text or a phone call. As a result, the resourcing team at River Island are confident that their recruitment experience is ensuring that all candidates have a good impression of the company.
 
Some organisations inundated with applications are not responding and communicating with their candidates. Is this important? It is if you view your candidates as potential or even existing customers. A negative recruitment experience can and will have serious consequences for your employer and consumer brands.

Lisa Proctor is Director at Changeworknow