In the dynamic landscape of today’s workforce, organizations continually seek ways to engage and attract younger generations through early-career engagement strategies. Gen Z workers are different from previous generations when it comes to joining the workforce. The old methods of engaging employees don’t work well with them.

Recruiters must use new methods and systems to automate hiring and communicate better with tech-savvy and diverse workers.
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Two essential tools that have emerged as game-changers in this endeavor are Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and Candidate Relationship Management Systems (CRM).  By utilizing these tools, recruiting professionals can transform their approach and create meaningful connections with early-career stage employees.

This article will discuss how the right ATS and CRM systems can improve early-career engagement. It does so by enhancing recruitment events, personalized messaging, and communication.

Transforming your recruitment events

Career Fairs and recruitment events help organizations connect with potential candidates, either online or in person. With candidates who are early in their careers, digital communication takes center stage.  It’s imperative to enhance traditional recruiting events with technology allowing these potential candidates to quickly gain and provide information about what they are looking for in their career and preferred methods for future contact.

An effective ATS and CRM system can help users achieve this digital presence by facilitating pre-event engagement, a seamless registration process, post-event follow-ups, and future career center engagement.

The right ATS platforms enable recruiters to identify and prioritize candidates by analyzing applicant profiles and resumes before the event.  This information then empowers recruiters to ensure they target and personalize their conversations during the event, thus making a stronger impression on these early-career attendees.  Additionally, using a CRM that is made for recruiting professionals enables real-time updates on candidates’ interests and interactions, helping recruiters tailor their marketing efforts effectively.

Personalize Your Messaging

Recruiters need to change their communication methods to suit younger generations who prefer instant messaging and texting. Messages should be personalized and fast.

While these concepts may seem juxtaposed, great ATS & CRM solutions allow recruiters to leverage this preference to establish a more personalized and genuine connection with early-career candidates.  CRM systems with texting enable recruiters to go further using the preferred communication channel of younger generations.

The key to effective automated communication is to deploy swift and direct contact using information obtained during your interaction with the candidate.    In these messages, recruiters can provide insights on open positions that align with the candidate’s current career goals or go so far as to suggest skills that the candidate should nurture to make them more marketable for future positions.  This fosters a sense of intimacy and openness with potential candidates establishing trust with the recruiter and the company.

Establish Expectations

Customizing your messages can help establish trust with candidates. However, the recruiter’s clear expectations for their services and the candidate’s role are the most crucial factors.
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When recruiters don’t set clear timelines for hiring, it can make people feel unimportant and create animosity towards them. To avoid this, a recruiting professional should ensure that the proper number of follow-ups are delivered during the process.

Automated messages can send personalized emails for various purposes. These include interview tips, congratulations for milestones, feedback after assessments, and encouragement notes in the event of delays.  Such thoughtful gestures showcase the organization’s commitment to candidate experience, enhancing early-career engagement.

Recruitment can be overwhelming for candidates and recruiters due to many interactions. ATS and CRM systems can help by automating routine communications, allowing recruiters to focus on tasks that need a personal touch.

Create Smart Engagements

Engaging with Gen Z employees requires adapting recruitment strategies to align with their preferences and behaviors.  Integrating SmartSearch’s systems revolutionizes recruitment, allowing professionals to build better connections with early-career candidates.  By leveraging the SmartSearch platform, recruiters can optimize recruiting events, establish genuine relationships using automated messaging, and streamline their processes.

Organizations are changing their recruitment methods. They are using technology to engage with the future workforce. This is important for attracting and keeping a diverse group of digitally skilled employees. If you’d like to implement smarter recruitment practices today, CLICK HERE.

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