Out of 100 visitors to your work-at-home website, only one applies. And that while those other 99 visitors have shown interest in you as an employer. That's where lead generation can play a vital role, allowing you to leverage all those potential candidates (aka leads). For these potential candidates, maintaining contact is an ideal way to keep them warm and informed. But yes, how do you do this - keep leads warm?
Since the product launch of MrWork Leads in September, the potential leads have been pouring in for our clients. Especially the effect of contact via WhatsApp is immediately visible. Potential candidates can ask questions to recruiters and/or already offer more insight into who they are and what motivates them. It requires some rethinking here and there among employers, as they are mostly still used to thinking in terms of a CV and a motivation letter. Below, we share our 5 tips for following up and keeping your leads warm.
1. Approachable pays off
More and more candidates see the traditional application process with a CV and cover letter as a huge barrier. Getting in touch via tools such as WhatsApp is (thankfully) becoming increasingly normal and also fits better within the perception of today's young adults and 30-plussers. Does someone contact you via chat? Then gather the basic details you need and invite the candidate for a cup of coffee to get acquainted, for example. Above all, stay away from requesting CVs and motivations, as 9 out of 10 applicants do not have these on their mobile phones. And that mobile phone in particular is the main source of traffic, according to our data. Don't send them to your job listing either, because they know how to find it themselves.
2. Keep it light-hearted
Let your identity as an employer shine through in your tone of voice. Try to include a personal touch in your responses, even in your automatic replies. Make clever use of a touch of humour and/or emojis. This will give you a foretaste of the atmosphere on the work floor. More importantly, it also gives you the chance to build a bond with your potential candidate. That personal touch often makes a lead feel seen and heard. And that forms the basis for more trust, making a lead more likely to ask questions or proceed to a cup of coffee to get acquainted.
3. Go easy on automated replies
Just because a message arrived a minute ago doesn't mean you have to respond immediately. That may feel crooked, as speed is mostly appreciated. But many organisations confuse speed with deploying automatic replies. And that's a shame. Because a response that takes a little longer, but does come with a personal touch, is so much more effective. Therefore, try to get the rush out of your own system. You can do this, for instance, by making it clear in advance that you will usually respond within a certain number of hours. Your potential candidate will rarely, if ever, find this a problem. After all, we are talking about someone who is considering switching employers. That is a life-changing event that is/will be well considered. Then those few hours of waiting time make little difference. But it does give you a chance to send a personal response.
4. Think along with your target group
We talked earlier about feeling seen and heard. Does a valuable lead indicate sensitivity to the work culture? Then invite them for a coffee, for instance, to sample the atmosphere. Is someone applying for a position but another position is a better match? Be proactive and put this forward. But also make sure you are honest the moment a person does not (yet) match what you are looking for. For instance, explain why someone is rejected or how this person can still be considered. In the latter case, make sure you follow up and agree with each other. By showing benevolence and thinking along, you increase trust in you as an employer.
5. Stay visible on the right platforms
Especially with latent jobseekers, many contact moments are needed to get them to switch employers. After all, this is a target group that is not actively looking for a job, but one that really needs to be enticed. An employer branding campaign is an effective way to remind your candidate several times about the existence of your organisation. With a conversational strategy - in other words, using tools like WhatsApp - you then give the candidate the opportunity to contact you in an approachable way. This way, you ensure that your employer brand becomes and remains increasingly top of mind with the candidate.
So the secret behind following up leads is, above all, the human touch. Of course, this works differently for each target group. Some appreciate humour, others prefer direct information. So the most important thing is really building trust with the target group so that both parties get the right feeling and can ask the right questions for a good match.
Want to know more?
Curious to find out how you can put lead generation into practice? We’d be happy to help you get started! Get in touch with us. We’d love to discuss your current situation with you and, in 30 minutes, tell you where the opportunities lie for your organisation. We’ll reply within a few hours, so you can be sure it’s a personalised response. 😉
