How to Scare Off Candidates With Recruiting Technology

Recruiters are getting mixed messages from job seekers. A 2016 Jobvite survey found that 74 percent of employees are open to new jobs. However, the 2016 Global Recruiting Trends report from LinkedIn found that 46 percent of recruiters are having trouble finding candidates in the labor market.

If so many people are willing to think about new employment opportunities, why can’t recruiters seem to reach them?

Part of the issue is recruiting technology. While there is a wide variety of tech tools designed to make finding talent easier, from the candidate end, these same tools can actually make things more complicated – especially when recruiters aren’t using their tech properly.

In order to truly make talent acquisition easier, tech needs to make the hiring process less difficult for everyone involved. Here are three ways recruiting technology is pushing job seekers away – and how recruiters can use their recruiting tech the right way:

1. Email as a Communication Tool

Email revolutionized communication when it first became a part of the way we do business. There’s no denying that. But then came the overwhelming amount of spam and the confusing email threads. Soon thereafter, email lost its appeal as a form of daily communication.

Now, most people rely on texting. A 2015 survey from Deloitte  found that for 31 percent of smartphone users, their text messages are the first thing they check everyday. If you want to start reaching more candidates, use texting. Unlike emails that end up in spam folders or remain unopened, text messages have remarkably high open and response rates.

Not to mention that text messages are a more direct way to communicate with candidates. As soon as they see the notification for the text, they have a clear idea about what the message pertains to. And after reading the text, they have an actual person to contact throughout the recruiting process.

2. Complicated Online Applications

Think about all the steps involved in completing an online job application. Depending on the website where you found the opening, you might have to sign up and fill out a profile. Then you have to type out your contact information and your work history. Next, you upload a resume and cover letter. Often, you also have to answer multiple questions about why you’d be right for the job.

It’s a lengthy process, and when you’re already employed, it can be hard to find the time to complete such unnecessarily long applications. Many passive job seekers might see all the steps involved and rethink the opportunity.

If you want to attract passive job seekers, the application needs to be simple. Respect the candidate’s time by only asking for their resume. All the information you’ll need is in that document.

3. Too Many Assessments

One of the great things about recruiting technology is it has created new ways to assess candidates. Online skills assessments, personality tests, and video interviews allow us to see if someone is a good fit before ever bringing them into the office.

However, they also drag out the hiring process.

A 2015 Glassdoor report found that the average length of the hiring process is 22.9 days. That’s up from 12.6 days in 2010, mostly because of the additional screens candidates are now facing. A lot can happen in those extra 10.3 days.

While you’re waiting for the perfect candidate to jump through all those hoops, other companies might be offering them jobs. If you don’t want to lose out on great talent, strike the right balance when it comes to assessments. It’s better to have a few that reliably select the right candidates than a dozen that make the process too long.

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Recruiting technology is a great thing. It can keep you organized and help you find the candidates you need. But if the tech is actually driving candidates away, it’s not really making your process any easier.

Erik Kostelnik is the CEO and cofounder of TextRecruit.