You write your job description, define your requirements, and post it on a job board. Now, you wait for the applications to roll in. You think your company and the job are pretty great, so it’s only a matter of time before you start receiving applications from the best candidates on the market. Right?
Not exactly.
While job applications can bring in a large quantity of applicants, new data from RippleMatch shows the advantages of direct outreach to candidates, including an increase in interested and engaged applicants and a broader reach to candidates that weren’t previously familiar with your company.
The finding comes from data compiled through our Candidate Experience Survey, which measures the awareness, interest, and experiences of candidates on our platform as they move through the hiring processes of our company partners.
One compelling finding is the increased interest level in a company when a candidate receives a match from that company on our platform. A match occurs when a qualified candidate is identified, provided with more information about the role and the company, and then asked to apply for a position.
The direct outreach makes a big impact on the interest level of candidates overall. When surveyed later on in the hiring process about their interest toward a company before and after receiving a match, the share of candidates expressing significant interest in a company rises 2.8x, with 53% of candidates expressing significant interest in a company after receiving a match, compared to 19% before. The share of candidates that expressed some or significant interest after receiving a match increased by nearly 2x.
Part of this increase in interest is due to an increase in familiarity. Before being matched with a company on RippleMatch, 75% of candidates were either not at all familiar or slightly familiar with a company. Unless your company is a household name, the lack of familiarity with your company could harm your chances of receiving applications from interested candidates. With direct outreach, you’re not only empowering candidates to apply for your role, but also marketing your company to candidates with little familiarity of what you do. However, a well-known name shouldn’t stop you from reaching out – even candidates who are familiar with a company are significantly more interested after receiving outreach about a relevant position.
With job boards overcrowded with opportunities, it can be hard for your company’s posting to stand out. Our data shows the power in initiating contact with qualified candidates, either through sourcing or a recruitment tool like RippleMatch. Now you can choose quality over quantity: engage candidates that were unaware of your company’s existence and bring in a set of candidates with higher levels of interest in your company.
What else can increase the interest levels of applicants? Download our report on what entry-level candidates want at work for an in-depth look.
