There may be times when your business receives more applicants than they have positions for. Some of them may even be the type of high-quality talent that would make a great addition to your team. Even though they may not be needed today, they may be needed in the near future, so you don’t just let these talented professionals slip through your fingers. Enter the candidate database.
But in the world of recruiting, if you don’t manage your candidate database correctly, it could do you more harm than good. If your database is cluttered with outdated candidate information, it can create an unwieldy snarl of bad information that can slow down recruiting team’s efforts. On the other hand, a well-managed database of quality candidates can be utilized as a recruiter’s top source of placements. So, with that in mind, here are Work4’s top 6 tips for managing your candidate database.
The Benefits of a Well Maintained Candidate Database
If your database is stocked with accurate information about high-quality candidates, you’ll be well-positioned to make better placements more efficiently. However, the ripple effect of a well-maintained database goes far beyond making placements, It enables your team to better communicate with candidates, spend less time on tasks and more time on relationships. As a result, you’ll have happier candidates, more satisfied clients, and more effective recruiters.
Start With a Plan
The database should be prepared before starting your next big hiring push so new data can be entered right away instead of piling on the data and struggling to make data entries and maintain the database. Managing a candidate database is not an effortless task. Therefore, if you want a manageable candidate database, you’re going to need a plan. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What needs to be done?
Why should it be done?
Who should help to do it?
How should it be done?
When should it be done by?
Once you’ve performed an evaluation of objectives, it becomes easier for you to put the project into motion.
Use an ATS
Technically speaking, your candidate database could be stored anywhere from a piece of paper to a Gmail contact list or even a spreadsheet. However, none of these options integrate with other tools, and they take a considerable amount of effort to keep maintained. If you want to scale your business, with a database capable of growing with your company, you need a long-term solution. The simplest answer is utilizing an applicant tracking system or ATS. An ATS is vital in providing a data-centered approach to the recruitment process so that there is a greater outreach to more candidates. Depending on the Applicant tracking system you get, it can help not only manage your database but streamline many other recruiting processes. From candidate tracking and email marketing to job posting and interview scheduling and ATS can ease the workload on recruiters exponentially.
Integration is Key
Once your ATS is set up the next step is to integrate your ATS with the job boards, career pages, and social media your firm uses. Having a unified database that integrates all these sources makes managing your candidate database easier and helps recruiters locate the best prospect among a range of sources streamlining the entire application process for the job seeker and automating manual tasks for your recruiters. According to ATS company, Bullhorn , “clients who integrate their job boards with their ATS see an 85 percent reduction in candidates who drop off after the application process.” When seeking new partners, make sure that like Work4, they can integrate with your existing ATS.
Avoid Duplication
A look at nearly any candidate database is going to turn up at least some quantity of duplicates. duplicates. Creating a process for duplicate removal will help to ensure that you don’t accidentally clear out relevant data. When you do come across a duplicate, take the time to merge or purge the outdated data. Moving forward, to avoid a duplicate backlog be sure to add a component to your database that automatically detects duplicated information. Some system glitches are inevitable, but if you allow duplicates to flow freely into your system, it could get messy in a hurry. Be sure to ask your ATS provider how duplicates are handled in their system. Most top applicant tracking systems will have functionality built-in to alert you about possible duplicates by matching emails or first and last names.
Clean Your Candidate Database Whenever Necessary
A few stats to keep in mind, according to ATS and CRM provider iSmart Recruit, 40% of email users change their email address at least once every 2 years. Additionally, 15% change it one or more times per year. When time quite literally equals money, irrelevant content such as out-of-date emails can significantly slow the recruiting process down. Database maintenance is its own reward, remember to stay on top of it.
Proactive Sourcing
To increase the flow of skilled candidates to your candidate database, proactive sourcing is needed. At Work4 we offer a complete lineup of candidate lead sourcing and marketing tools to help you reach your staffing goals. From job board management to candidate nurturing we have the solution you’ve been looking for. Contact us today to learn more.
Final Thoughts
A top-notch candidate database isn’t built in a day and it doesn’t have to be. But if you want to save yourself time, effort, and money, old systems for managing candidate databases such as paper/files or spreadsheets will need to be left in the past. In today’s tech-savvy world, advanced and innovative systems specially designed for human resources are abundant. Applicant tracking systems (ATS), candidate relationship management (CRM) software, and application programming interface (API) systems will make it easier for you to track and pick the right candidates for your job openings. Pair these technologies and Work4 with the tips enumerated above and you’ll find that you can quickly and easily improve the quality of hire as well as reduce time to hire.
