We’ve all had that moment where, if we could, we’d push the pause button until we completed everything on our list. In the staffing and recruiting world, your people would likely spend their extra minutes and hours sending out messages to engage candidates, build their talent funnel, and stay front of mind with business leaders.
Automation helps to offload some of the routine messaging, but not every task can or should be automated. Like any resource, you need to know the ins and outs of a tool so it can enhance your work, not create more of it. As you kick off the new year, I’ve put together a list of five dos and don’ts for recruiting email automation.
Do: Create transactional emails that update your audience
There’s so much information you need to pass along with urgency to as many people as possible. For example, notifications about timesheet due dates are best automated. Associates would be sorely disappointed if they received zero reminders and missed a paycheck for the week.
Also, updating client companies on changes to labor laws—if they are unaware of the update—will leave them grateful as you help them avoid noncompliance fees. If they are already in the know, they will appreciate your attention to such time-sensitive news.
And last (but certainly not least, make regular check-ins with both clients and candidates about how they are feeling about your services. This communication is always worth the time because you want to ensure people are happy with their current work engagements or consultant care.
Don’t: Spam uninterested people with optional messages
Don’t you hate it when people can’t take a hint? Job seekers and client prospects do too. Overdoing email automation can leave an unpleasant and frankly annoying impression. As a result, candidates might ignore your relevant job opportunities and clients might look elsewhere when they need talent. Nobody wants that.
Do: Regularly send emails to keep leads warm
These messages can keep connections engaged for future partnerships, whether they are for job requisitions or submittals. Nurture campaigns created with the right cadence can keep your brand familiar to your audience. As soon as they want to change careers or add to their workforce, your firm should be at the top of their list.
Don’t: Message candidates you haven’t approached in multiple years blindly
If your company is a ghost of a memory to a recipient, you want to limit the amount of messaging that you’re sending to them. When reactivating a huge database (or even a small one), you want to avoid spamming your candidates or client contacts ad nauseum.
Once a contact has cycled through the campaign with zero responses, you can take a different action. Typically, we recommend that you mark the candidate as unreachable or delete them from your ATS, thus keeping your data updated and clean.
For those exceptional resources who are at the top of your list, your staffing firm may want to consider doing more personal outreach than putting those individuals into the automation campaign. Using a more human touch can restore your bonds and can go a long way.
Do: Define your audience and how your campaign fits them
Who specifically are you trying to reach? Software engineers with five to seven years of experience? Human resource managers for distribution centers? Be as detailed as possible about who you are trying to reach, otherwise your automations won’t gain any useful traction.
Next, create campaigns with those exact profile and skillset specifications. More than telling your audience what you want, spell out the next steps they should take with a clear call to action (CTA). Think “apply for your job,” “submit your job requisition,” or “connect with our recruiter.” Anything to quickly usher them through your funnel.
Don’t: Blast everybody for the sake of blasting
Nothing screams disorganization like a registered nurse receiving updates on your latest forklift driver opening – the candidate will disregard you as soon as they glance at the email! And be sure not to include people whom you recently engaged (unless there’s information that is mandatory for them to see).
Do: Hire an individual or a firm to refine your recruiting email automation
Automations need relatable stories or resources. Build content that captivates your desired audience. Create infographics that show the statistical success of your services. Write a case study about one of your most tenured client relationships. Showcase an eBook that highlights your expertise of your target industry. In short, give them something of tangible value that meets their needs.
Don’t: Copy ideas for marketing campaigns and content blindly
Don’t be a copycat. If marketing materials truly don’t align with your business, you will come off as disingenuous or too sales-y. And as a rule of thumb (and for the organizational sanity of your business), don’t let anyone and everyone write your content. Pick one or two individuals who are skilled at communicating and know your business and brand like the back of their hand.
Do: Leveragejob boards and signaling to optimize staffing message automation
Timing matters. Job boards are increasingly sophisticated when it comes to “signaling,” providing valuable insight into candidate behaviors. For example, Monster can provide updates when a candidate has touched their profile, signaling to your business they are once again active job seekers. From there, your staffing firm can create a trigger that automatically sends timely information or job opportunities to the relevant candidate. Sending these types of messages out at just the right time can be the difference between your next placement or a closed, unfilled order.
Don’t: Give your entire team access to the automation tools
You wouldn’t drive with everyone’s hands on the wheel, and the same applies to email marketing automation. When all your recruiters and salespeople can access your automation tool, they can accidentally email an entire database with one click! Have an administrator for all automated emails so communication remains clear and overlapping messages aren’t sent out to your entire database.
Bonus Do: Identify and unlock the power of recruitment automation tools
You don’t know the full potency of the tools in your recruiting tech stack until you’ve had hours and hours to test drive each tool. However, staffing firms can’t wait until a superuser’s wisdom develops naturally. Sometimes, you need to find a guide that can point out some shortcuts and lead the way to faster placements.
For example, here are a few recruitment email automation practices that we suggest staffing firms implement as soon as possible:
- Sending automated birthday messages to people
- Running/sending a thank you note to hiring managers in your system
- Requesting referrals after successful placements
- Asking candidates to provide feedback on their new assignment
- Providing positive Glassdoor or GreatRecruiters reviews after a positive experience
- Marketing your differentiators to promote your brand
With all these extra features, you don’t need a pause button. You just need to implement an automation tool that anticipates your clients’ and candidates’ needs while streamlining each engagement.
Ready to maximize your recruiting email automation? Cubex Group can implement your email marketing and simplify your communications. Contact us today.
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