Sixty percent of job seekers report having a poor candidate experience, and this is especially true for the hourly candidate. While great hourly employees are in demand today more than ever (the hourly workforce is nearly 80 million people strong), organizations are failing when it comes to engaging candidates.
Why is that? Organizations have been approaching hourly talent with the same strategies they use for salaried candidates — ultimately hurting their ability to attract the best hiring talent.
Organizations that do manage to solve for the hourly candidate experience problem understand and align their processes with the way hourly workers engage. The result? An increase in application rates, reduced time-to-hire, and a more compelling experience.
Jobalign’s statistics have shown these 5 steps of engaging hourly candidates can lead to an 80% completion rate compared to the industry average 20% completion rate, which Jobalign refers to as “flipping the spectrum of engagement.”
Here are five ways organizations can engage hourly candidates:
1: Meet Them Where They Are
When you’re considering how your application process works, accessibility should be top of mind. Hourly candidates need a process that allows them to apply anytime, anywhere, and from any device they have access to. Organizations need to start asking questions such as whether the solution is optimized for mobile and if candidates can easily apply without a login, resume, or online profile.
2: Get Them Through the Process at Lightning Speed
The two most common reasons candidates abandon an organization’s recruiting process are because they felt like their time was disrespected (19%) and the overall process took too long (17%). Reducing time in the hiring process can increase the amount of available talent, shorten the time to hire, and drive business results.
3: Speak Their Language
Three out of five job seekers say that better employer communication with candidates throughout and after the applicant process would be the best way to improve their overall experience. What’s clear is that you must specifically adapt your communication strategy to interact with the job seeker.
4: Work with Their Schedule
One of the hallmarks of the hourly workforce is their flexibility. Many of these candidates seek out this flexible work arrangement. For that reason, it’s important to make sure your hiring process embraces that flexibility, too. What might that look like? Accessibility to the information they need anytime and on any device, and pre-recorded phone interviews they can take at anytime are just two examples of how organizations can meet the needs of a flexible workforce.
5: Make the Process User-Friendly
A confusing website and application process can mean high applicant drop-off rates of up to 90%. Candidates today expect an experience similar to top online shopping websites and every candidate touchpoint and stage should be intuitive, quick, and painless.
You Can’t Afford to Wait
Approaching hourly talent with the same strategies you use for salaried candidates won’t get results. Organizations need a solution that can fully engage the hourly talent pool and make the hiring process accessible, quick, easy to understand, and easy to navigate.