Recruiting study: diagnosis of social media sluggishness – computerwoche.de

The recruiting quality in German companies is still at a high level. The Vienna Career Institute & Verlag comes to this result in its study “Best Recruiters”. The 415 German employers tested achieved an average of 57 percent of the maximum possible 100 points. This means that they worsened slightly by three percentage points compared to the previous year (60 percent). With 59 percent, the ICT industry is just above the overall average and ranks eighth out of a total of 27 industries.

ITK recruiters, for example, are aware of the importance of the career website as a central information point and do a much better job than the overall sample. Nine out of ten of the companies involved in the study provide information about the employer culture (93 percent). For example, they refer to corporate social responsibility (CSR) or describe how the company cooperates, communicates and manages. Younger specialists in particular attach great importance to these facts when looking for a job in order to be able to better assess the cultural fit. They hope to find out whether the employer’s value system fits their own.

Mobile optimization of the career website is almost a standard in IT. All those tested in this industry fulfilled this point and not only make it easier for the “generation smartphone” to access information. However, not all employers offer a complete mobile application process, in which candidates can comfortably complete all steps using their mobile device – from searching for information on the website to accessing the online job offers and completing the application itself.

In recruiting, new formats such as chatbots, gamification or online tests appeal in particular to technology-savvy and young target groups. Here, the ICT area has a significant advantage: Every fourth employer already uses a chatbot on its career website, which can quickly answer frequently asked questions.

The current situation raises many questions among job seekers. What happens to my current application? Or: Is the advertised position still filled? Some employers reacted particularly quickly and placed information about recruiting in Corona times on their online presence for applicants. But more than ever, no matter how informative career websites and job advertisements are, job seekers are still often unclear.

Contact details of a person in the human resources department who can be contacted in this case may determine whether candidates actually apply. However, fewer and fewer websites contain such a contact person. While the study in the year 2011/12 was still 69 percent, it is currently only 42 percent in the entire sample – in the IT industry only 40 percent. Recruiting departments can stand out from the competition and present themselves as an “approachable” employer.

Social media have become an integral part of employer communication and employer branding. Hardly any other communication channel offers so many possibilities to communicate authentically and quickly with the different target groups.

In the industry comparison of the Best Recruiters Study, ICT companies are at the top in terms of the number of channels used. Every second company uses seven or more social web channels. But in social media recruiting, quality comes before quantity: only companies that give their profiles attention and time for care have success. An employer profile on the Xing and LinkedIn platforms is a matter of course for the tested ITC companies. Even if six out of ten respondents occasionally publish career-related news here, not even half of them regularly post on this topic.

Speed ​​is another important keyword in connection with social media. Users expect quick and transparent answers to questions or comments. As part of the study, all employers are asked a question via Xing and by email to check the response of the recruiting departments. For Xing requests, the entire sample was remarkably weak:

• While 38 percent of all tested employers replied to emails promptly and competently,

• only one in five employers responded to the request via Xing,

• among the otherwise very social media-savvy ITC employers, it was only 14 percent.

In direct contact, it is therefore necessary to improve so that individual inquiries do not seep away into social media mailboxes and suitable talents are not lost.

ITK recruiting is record-breaking when it comes to the processes involved in applying for vacancies. None of the (fictitious) applications for vacancies remained unanswered and a good eight out of ten were completed within ten working days, which means that job seekers received an invitation to interview or a rejection.

ITK employers, on the other hand, give away points for unsolicited applications. There was no feedback in 17 percent of the cases. However, spontaneous applications are an opportunity, and the commitment of specialists deserves an answer. Even if there is currently no suitable vacancy, recruiters should include them in the talent pool if they are generally suitable and keep in contact, for example, with job newsletters. This keeps the employer in mind. In summary, it can be said that the recruiting departments of the IT, software and telecommunications industries know how to use their strengths to convince specialists. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement:

• The employer brand enormously enhances authentic image material in job advertisements instead of stock images. Six out of ten of the ITK companies tested already work with images and graphic elements in the job offers – however, the majority have no relation to the company.

• Information on corporate values ​​and social commitment is particularly important to younger target groups. Interchangeable mission and vision statements are counterproductive. It is worth communicating authentically what values ​​the company stands for – for example with the help of examples, testimonials or career videos.

• An application is time-consuming and questions remain open for candidates. A dedicated contact person for questions should be provided on the website, which helps to reduce uncertainties and avoid application cancellations. Other activities such as (career) trade fairs, open days or other events also make it possible to get to know the company better in advance.

• Talent relation management secures specialists for the future. A well-maintained pool of talent, for example from capable interns, former employees or suitable applicants who applied at the wrong time, is worthwhile. Job alerts and newsletters are important tools to keep in touch with them.

• Careful communication across different channels ensures that no candidates are lost. This includes, for example, regular checking of email and social media mailboxes. Appreciative and, above all, timely reactions remain positive in the memory and thus strengthen the employer brand.

• A usability plus is a completely mobile optimized application process – from the career website to the online job advertisement to the application form. This means that job seekers can conveniently research open positions and suitable employers on the go and, if necessary, submit their application via smartphone.

Study information: For the eighth time, the best recruiters study questioned the recruiting activities of the 415 employers with the highest sales and employees in Germany and identified possible starting points for optimization. A total of five ITC companies are among the top 100 employers in Germany. Rohde & Schwarz is again the industry winner, followed by diva-e and Bechtle. (pg / fm)