ICMI's Customer Management Insight - April 2008 - (Page 43)

EXPERT’S ANGLE tion can come later in the application process. 4. START BROAD; END NARROW. An exciting ad starts with lofting themes, not routine information. The broad themes catch people’s eye. Version 2 starts with themes of challenge!, working with winners!, and satisfaction with success! Then it slowly narrows by the end of the ad to specifics on qualifications for the ideal candidates and how to apply for the job. This approach generates enough early interest to lure people through the narrow details to learn how to apply. 5. KEEP ALL INFORMATION FRESH. Ads annoy applicants when the information is no longer applicable. The biggest goof is allowing it to run when the job has been filled. The lack of timeliness is disrespectful to the job seekers’ time and creates a bad image of laziness or insensitivity by your center. The best ads are reliable and timely with up-to-date information. ENHANCE THE CAREERS SECTION OF YOUR CORPORATE WEB involves interest, attraction (remember, they came to your site) and trust. The possibility of working for your company can attract both active and passive job seekers. In effect, individuals who come to the employment section of your Web site are “virtual” walkin candidates — they are motivated and familiar enough with your organization to approach it. Make your employment site attractive and helpful to Web site visitors: 1. On your home page, clearly showcase a banner or click-through button advertising “Employment Opportunities with Us!” Make it conspicuous and engaging so SCREEN APPLICANTS WHILE RECRUITING Recruiting success can be a double-edged sword. Here’s an example that might be familiar to you. A call center posts a job announcement on several Internet job boards. The ad casts a wide net and a flood of electronic resumes pour in. It’s great to have all these job applicants when past recruiting generated less interest. But these resumes represent people with different levels of qualifications and talent. The arrival of these resumes means careful evaluation comes next. The burst of attraction also means assessment overload! Individuals who come to the employment section of your Web site are “virtual” walk-in candidates. You can control your recruiting flow efficiently by screening applicants during recruiting, not after the resumes have arrived. Screen for factors that represent minimum qualifications and are easy to identify. Check for: 1) red flags (e.g., gaping holes in work history chronology, pattern of job hopping, employment that doesn’t seem to match the individual’s background, etc.), and 2) meeting conditions of employment (able to work permanently in the United States; reliable transportation, shift availability and so on). This initial screening should be quick, inexpensive, and require little or no management resources. By spending a little time up front screening out applicants, you save a lot of time and money that would have been spent processing and evaluating each and every one. www.icmi.com | APRIL 2008 People spend a considerable amount of time on the Internet for entertainment, business, socializing and looking for a job. Regardless of why an individual has come to your corporate site, you can take the opportunity to recruit them. Why are Web site visitors good recruiting targets? LIMRA’s re search has consistently found that candidates who visit the employment section of corporate Web sites are higher-quality candidates than job board applicants. These individuals know something about your organization — they have purchased your products, used your services or looked for information on your site. The relationship icmi’s insight potential job seekers will easily find and act on it. 2. Make it easy to navigate to and within the employment section of your site. Clear and simple navigation is key. 3. Use the site to preview the work environment. Include “snapshots” of your call center. Have reps describe their work through text, photos and video clips. 4. If browsing individuals are interested, get them to start the application process immediately! Use prescreening assessment (see next section) to help prequalify applicants. 5. Provide quick, personal responses to applicants who take the initiative to reach out to you. 6. Capture candidate information ensuring that if there is no current opening, you can follow up when there is one. 43 http://www.icmi.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ICMI's Customer Management Insight - April 2008

ICMI's Customer Management Insight - April 2008 Operations: Small Call Centers, Big Potential Ad Index Contents Editor's Page Contact Center Spotlight People: Assessment Tools Recommended Reading Technology: Speech Recognition Special Feature: Best of Show Strategy: Service-to-Sales Success Expert's Angle - High Volume, High Stakes: A Better Strategy for Hiring Experts Angle - Secrets of Recruiting Success/Job Brands: Changing Applicant Reactions to Your Openings Experts Angle - Speech Analytics: Uncovering the Voice of the Customer

ICMI's Customer Management Insight - April 2008

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