Boosting candidate engagement in a digital market

The recruitment and retention of talent in today’s market highly depends on candidate engagement throughout your processes and the time they spend working with you. Learning about the tools that you can utilise to increase this engagement will only help to recruit more of the best and boost your brand reputation. Using the newest technology will position your business as forward-thinking and innovative, which undoubtedly will grab the attention of top procurement and supply chain talent.

So, how can new technology improve your recruitment process, and what channels should you be using?

Technology improving the recruitment process

AI is fast becoming a fundamental element for recruiters and hiring managers looking to secure the best talent for vacancies. This is because it speeds up the initial search for the most suitable candidates at the beginning of the process and significantly cuts down the time that it takes to build a great shortlist. 

With this technology supporting your recruitment process, it will be significantly more efficient to find the right people who are relevant for the roles that you are recruiting. This also enables recruiters to engage on a personal level with those few selected and relevant candidates, rather than spend a large portion of their time sifting through people that aren’t right for the role. 

Talent pooling

Technology like AI and automation helps identify the right talent and will ultimately increase the number of relevant candidates you can contact when recruiting. However, further to utilising AI and technology in your search for candidates, here are other approaches that can be implemented to improve your recruitment process:

1. Personalised content 

Your website should provide users with a personalised experience, in real-time, by tailoring the content that they see and the comms that they receive in follow up emails. In recruitment, this is key, as candidates can be directed to the job types that they are looking for and that even meet their salary expectations.

2. Matching technology

Matching technology in recruitment can drive huge value in ensuring the right candidates are applying to the right jobs. Using this technology and matching your jobs to people based on the skills that they possess which align to the requirements on the job description will ensure you are accessing the best pool of talent possible.

3. Video interviews and introductions

Video is another digital tool that helps employers stand out from the competition. Although it has been around for some time, it is becoming more utilised within the recruitment space. This technology can help highlight opportunities that are being offered by employers and can better showcase the personality and capabilities of professionals applying for a job, far beyond what you can glean from a CV 

The importance of candidate engagement

Candidate engagement is crucial for procurement and supply chain recruitment because the job market has, over the last two years, become increasingly candidate-driven. The volume of jobs significantly outnumbers the number of candidates available. As a result, businesses need to work harder to attract and retain employees, as many will be exploring options elsewhere with businesses who understand the importance of employee attraction and retention.

For example, a company may have hired a purchasing manager for £30,000 last year, but today, everyone in that salary range is in a job and not likely looking to change roles. This means that businesses either have to pay more or have something else on offer to entice candidates to move.

Benefits packages are key. While £5,000 on top of salary is attractive to top talent, but a comprehensive benefits offering is what is really going to make an employer stand out. 

The platforms that you should or shouldn’t be using to engage with candidates

Video 

As mentioned above, video technology can be really useful in recruitment. It enables you to screen candidates before meeting with them in person to see if you think they are suitable for the role and company culture. For candidates, it is much more engaging and it will set you apart from the competition in the market that is vying for the same candidates.

LinkedIn

In procurement and supply chain, LinkedIn is not the best tool to use to find the top candidates and a huge volume of candidates might apply for roles through LinkedIn, whether relevant or not. However, this is going to result in many applications that aren’t suitable for the vacancies. This is where artificial intelligence will make recruiters infinitely better at their jobs.

It is worth noting that LinkedIn may be more useful for more junior level positions but is not an appropriate tool to search for executive talent. 

What candidates are looking for in procurement and supply chain roles today?

In today’s candidate-led market, it is important to make sure you are doing everything you can to attract and retain the best people. When looking for their next opportunity the best candidates are seeking flexible benefits. This might include a car allowance, extra holiday or health insurance, but the key is that employees want to be able to select what is most relevant for them. 

Some of the leading businesses in the sector offer benefits packages as a percentage of salary. For example, a salary package might be advertised as an additional 28% of salary, the equivalent value of this might be £14,000 and can be spent however the employee likes. It can also be taken as a supplementary salary, in addition to their bonus. 

If you are interested in exploring how we can help you to attract and secure the top procurement and supply chain talent to your business, get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today. Alternatively, if you are looking for a new opportunity in this sector, why not create a MyPage account to make the most out of our Job Match tool so you can match your skills and experience with the best-suited roles in the market.

Adam Bass
Business Manager, Michael Page Procurement & Supply Chain