Thanksgiving is just over 100 days away, which means that the holiday season will be upon us quickly. For many of us, this upcoming season means shopping, family time, pretty lights, festive traditions, and the mixed emotions that come with the hustle and bustle.

For those of us involved in the retail industry, we’re gearing up for the event of the year. Many of us are starting to hire, onboard, and train seasonal staff so our stores, warehouses, and support centers are ready to meet the increase in demand needed to make this holiday season a memorable one.

Even if you aren’t heavily involved in hiring in the retail or seasonal space, with the economic climate, the need for high-volume hiring could come at any time! Let’s talk about when the need for high-volume hiring arises.

Your TA team is often tasked with high-volume hiring when you experience: extreme growth, seasonal peaks, or when you open a new office, warehouse, and/or support center.

Most commonly, people think of high-volume hiring as hiring a large number of candidates in a short period of time. This is a great example of high-volume hiring, but it’s not the only source of pain for some of our TA teams.

 

When we think about high-volume hiring, we include:

• Hiring a large number of candidates in a short window of time
• Any job requisition that gets a large number of applications
• Positions with a high req count

When TA teams fill positions that meet this criteria, they are normally working to support and fill hourly positions. So, if high-volume hiring is impacting over 50% of our workforce, how in the world do we make it quick, painless, and maybe even effortless?!

And no, we’re not just talking about easing the burden for the candidates. We’re talking about improving processes for everyone involved. We want high-volume hiring to feel less like herding cats and more like watching a well-orchestrated circus act.

We believe high-volume hiring can be a fun, inviting, and human process for both the candidates and the recruiters.

 

Let’s make high-volume hiring human again.✨

High-volume hiring gets painful because we’re asking recruiters to handle way too much. We expect them to screen, interview, and onboard hundreds and sometimes thousands of candidates.

Without the proper tools, one person simply can’t manage req loads that large. You may be asking, “Is it even possible to accomplish high-volume hiring in a way that isn’t draining, detached, and rushed?”

If you’re wondering, “How in the world do we provide a classy candidate experience at scale in our high-volume hiring process?”

I have some good news for you.

While it sounds contradictory, in high-volume hiring, you can rely on technology to create a relationship-forward, human-first experience for your candidates.

Our customers have taught us a few things when it comes to maintaining the balance of human connection and process-enhancing technology.

 

Here’s how they do it… 👇

 

Use Technology to Fill the Pipeline

Our customers use programs like Text-for-Jobs to help increase the number of potential applications they are receiving for a job posting. Features like this can help increase your leads by 50%, driving up to 20% more applications in the door to help you find the right candidates for every role.

Text-for-Jobs allows interested job-seekers to text a word (like “jobs”) to a shortcode (like 876543) and be directed to the most interesting job openings for them. that they are most interested in.

Not only can you get contact information from them, but you can also set up your Text-for-Jobs campaign to send them a link to the application so they can apply right from their phones.

 

Stay in Touch Proactively

When a candidate submits an application, the clock starts ticking. The sooner you can follow up with them, the more likely they are to make it to the next phase, potentially becoming a great hire. While following up in a timely manner is reasonable for roles with smaller application numbers, in the context of high-volume hiring, it feels a lot like you are Hercules battling the hydra.

For every text or email you send out, you have two more added to your to-do list! Performing this task manually becomes overwhelming and frustrating.

We recommend setting up an automation to send a welcome text to each candidate from the recruiter they will be working with for the foreseeable future. Something simple, but sticky. The goal is to use this first touchpoint to be professional and personable.

Luckily, you don’t have to abandon technology after the first interaction. With enhanced automations, nudges, and scheduled messages at your disposal, you can automate intelligently to optimize your candidate journeys at scale.

 

 

Re-engage Lost Talent

There are two groups of lost talent you can re-engage in your pipelines.

You can use bulk texts to spread the word about hiring events, job fairs, open interviews, etc., to those who ghosted in the pipeline or didn’t engage with you initially.

Or, you can use bulk texts to revisit the process with your old silver medalists when you’re looking for your next great hire.

Using technology to re-engage and cultivate your talent pool can help fast-track hiring and allow you to stay on pace with your requisition goals.

High-volume hiring can be a daunting process to be involved in, but hopefully, with the help of the hiring tech stack, you can develop a hiring strategy to engage talent, keep your TA teams sane, and increase both your candidate engagement and your recruiter efficiency.