The Importance of Re-Engaging Past Placements

One of the best aspects of using an applicant tracking system is having the ability to store all past candidates in the database for future placement opportunities. Having access to previously vetted talent with just a few clicks, whether they were ultimately placed or not, can immediately speed up the hiring process for upcoming roles. If a candidate made it near the end of the placements pipeline in the past, it means they could still be great fit for a future job order. Alternatively, if a candidate was placed successfully in a previous position, why not hire them once they are back on the job market?

Candidate engagement is key for every step of the hiring process, while candidate  provides additional benefits to a hiring strategy and process. For example, the ability to quickly reconnect with candidates for a second or third time after the initial interaction allows the recruiter to save resources and establish a deeper professional network, all without leaving the comfort of their agency’s existing database. 

Keep reading for more insight into the importance of re-engaging with past placements, and how Mindscope can continue to support by making this task more effective. 

Re-engagement saves recruiters time and energy

While sourcing candidates is one of the most important aspects of recruiting, it can be very time consuming: the average recruiter spends one third of their week sourcing candidates. Re-engaging past candidates allows recruiters to pull from their established connections, resulting in a quicker, and more personalized placement.

When a recruiter can effectively use their database to find matches based on nuanced criteria – such as the end of a contract in a similar role – it allows for a more efficient recruiting workflow. This empowers recruiters and candidates alike to skip steps, such as sourcing, prescreening and some document collection. Knowing that the time-to-hire can be lengthy, ranging from a few days to several weeks, using an internal database to the best of its ability can support and streamline the overall hiring process, leading to increased productivity. 

Following up with past placements once a temporary role or contract has expired, or even when a permanent position has come to an end, is crucial to improving future interactions. 

Working with past candidates cuts costs

Continuing to be as efficient as possible with budgets is always a top initiative for staffing agencies. Saving job board advertising spend often used in the sourcing stage of the hiring process by re-engaging with past placements or dormant candidates is a great way to remain cost effective. 

The average cost-per-hire currently sits at approximately $4,000 USD. For temporary employees, this cost racks up with skills testing, references, payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation, which is guaranteed to accompany every new candidate in the database. 

These expenses are equally as time-consuming as they are budget-draining. By eliminating tedious tasks such as re-testing employees, or calling their references, the cost-per-hire figure will decrease. 

Re-placing candidates benefits an employers’ brand

Re-engaging with past candidates has immediate benefits for the candidates themselves – getting two or three placements out of one interaction with a recruiter is a clear win! In addition to practical benefits, this approach can also have a positive impact for the overall image of a staffing agency. 

Hiring temporary employees more than once is likely to positively affect the online employer brand. When candidates are satisfied with their experience, they are more likely to share this with their networks and even leave positive online reviews, which can quickly attract new business. According to recent figures, 78% of people trust online reviews almost as much as they trust a recommendation from a friend, and up to 90% of people use online reviews to make their consumer decisions. 

A staffing agency with a reputation of  helping past candidates find new positions, by providing them with continued opportunities for employment and advancement has a leg up when it comes to differentiating themselves an increasingly competitive job market. 

How Mindscope can help

Re-engaging with past candidates helps recruiters make timely, more effective hiring decisions. To facilitate this, Mindscope is excited to announce the upcoming arrival of its Placements Module!

This module, in conjunction with the suite of Mindscope placement features such as hot lists and the resume quick-viewer, will allow recruiters to review and categorize all of their previous placements. Recruiters will be able to easily search candidates with relevant information, including where and when the candidate was last assigned, their skill sets, experiences, their contact information and more. Most importantly, recruiters will be notified when a key placement is coming to an end and a new position that they may be well suited for. Mindscope users are then empowered deploy the system’s advanced unified communication features that make re-engagement more efficient than ever. 

The Placements module will be launching this fall, so stay tuned.

Mindscope is committed to providing our customers with solutions that help them soar above the competition. Want to learn more about our immense selection of innovative staffing and recruiting features? Contact us today to schedule a demo or start a 7-day free trial.