Conversations = Conversions: Why Live Chat Efficiency Is Essential In A Candidate-Driven Market

While ATS is vital for recruiters, live chat software is the essential efficiency tool for candidates

Applicant tracking systems have long been used for their efficiency and praised for how they can help to speedup recruitment. Research has shown that around three-quarters of recruiters use some form of applicant tracking software with overwhelming success as 94% of HR professionals believe that ATS improves the hiring process.
 

While the benefits of ATS are undeniable for recruiters, it does not solve the solution of securing top talent. Perhaps, somewhat cynically, it just speeds up the rate in which you can lose top talent. For ATS to have the profound effect on recruiting that is expected, the focus needs to switch. Instead of concentrating on the efficiency for recruiters, we need to look at the efficiency required by candidates.

Since the financial crisis of 2007-2009, there has been a seismic shift in recruitment. Instead of an abundance of applications to screen, recruiters now have to deal with the reality that top talent is harder to find and secure.In fact, 90% of recruiters believe it is a candidate-driven market. This is thanks to the abundance of opportunities and offers available to top talent. Understandably good news for careers but harder for those in talent acquisition roles.

While applicant tracking solutions are making life easier for recruiters and organisations, they are not addressing the most critical need that recruiters are facing today: how to attract and convert top talent in a candidate-driven market.

One of the most prevalent tools being usedby businesses with an online presence is live chat software. For e-commerce and lead conversions, live chat is no longer a nice to have but an essential website tool. Research has found that 77% of customers will not make a purchase if live chat isn’t available on a website. While candidates are not buying from you, they are certainly buying into your service for securing an excellent role in a top organisation.

Regarding conversions, live chat leads the way again. Studies show that 35% more people will buy after using a web chat service. Following this, 63% of consumers say they are more likely to return to a website if it has a live chat function. When you put these statistics in terms of recruiting, you may be able to obtain 35% more applications from relevant candidates through live chat while 63% of job seekers are more likely to return to your website for future applications and opportunities.

For all businesses and individuals, live chat services the growing need for instant results and 24/7 engagement. The job hunting market, much like e-commerce, is moving towards the requirements for instant availability and immediacy of information.

Recruitment is no longer a nine-to-five job. Prospective candidates are scrolling through recruitment websites and company website 24 hours day. By only being available eight hours a day, you may be missing out on up to two-thirds of leads. Of course, it may not be cost-effective to staff your recruitment office 24-hours a day purely on the potential of securing leads.

However, live chat can help to maintain engagement and ensure conversions even when you are not in the office. You can outsource your live chat function to a third-party provider. Furthermore, even if your live chat function is offline during the evenings, the fact that it is present (and candidates can leave a message), the engagement remains 24 hours a day.

Some of the big-name recruiters such as the UK Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and PwC all use live chat on their website to tempt web users to convert into applicants. Similarly, many top universities deploy live chat software into securing student enrolments.

However, take up in all areas of recruitment is slow. When you consider that top talent and recruiters are incredibly busy, live chat software could be saving time and reducing hiring time; something that recruiters, businesses and individuals all want.

In daily life, candidates expect immediate responses and live chat capabilities. We have now entered an age where two-thirds of customers do not believe any on-hold phone time is acceptable while 42% of consumers think they should not have to wait more than an hour for a social media response. Seventy nine percent of individuals like live chat because of its immediacy.

Taking the time to add live chat in your recruitment process could seem like an additional burden which you are trying to streamline with ATS. However, it can actually save time. From removing the nuisance of playing phone-tag to pre-screening candidates; your live chat can be an integrated function for your ATS. Ultimately, both aspects can work together to drive efficiency from both the sides of the candidates and recruiters.

Sixty percent of candidates claim they have been unable to complete an application due to technical issues. With live chat in place, you can talk candidates through the process and help with any technical hurdles they face, before they give up and you lose applicants.

2. Check-in

Delays in the recruitment process are commonplace. However, live chat provides a quick and casual way to check in with candidates. Checking the timings on the ATS can ensure you stay in the loop with candidates and can resolve issues and concerns before they become more significant problems such as candidate withdrawing from the process.
 

Many candidates freeze in an interview situation. However, the informal nature of a live chat can help to reduce the nerves and provide an initial screening level. Live chat is less time consuming than arranging phone interviews as recruiters can manage multiple screenings at the same time.

Make your applicant tracking system work harder for you with the immediacy of live chat. See conversions increase, speed up job placements and make sure you secure top talent in the ways they want, as quickly as possible.
 
Additional resource
The Ultimate Guide To Live Chat Software

Stephanie Benfield is Director and Writer at Contently Consulting Ltd. She is passionate about driving efficiencies and helping businesses to continually improve.  Connect Stephanie Benfield