In addition to the challenge of creating a candidate experience that keeps prospective employees engaged and connected throughout their recruitment journey, HR and recruitment consultancies face a number of other hurdles. Among them are processing large amounts of applications and scheduling interviews, while maintaining operational efficiency and saving time and resources.
As we’ll see, WhatsApp can assist in overcoming these challenges in several ways, including the creation of channels for real-time communication and feedback, improving job advertisement, candidate screening, and onboarding processes, streamlining internal processes for the consultancy itself, and the automation of repetitive tasks.
Why Using WhatsApp Can Assist HR and Recruitment Consultancies
WhatsApp currently has a user base of over 2.8 billion – which is almost 30% of the world’s population. For HR and recruitment consultancies, this global familiarity with the WhatsApp platform ensures a reduced learning curve for staff and management of the consultancy, and for the prospective workers who use its services.
For HR and recruitment consultancies looking to save money, WhatsApp offers a cost-effective communications solution. WhatsApp Business is free for small firms, while the WhatsApp Business API is an affordable option for businesses of all sizes, offering its first 1,000 conversations at no charge. Commercial subscriptions to WhatsApp are also cheaper in comparison to other popular platforms, such as Slack (starting price around $8.75 per active user per month for Pro plans) and Microsoft Teams (which starts at $4 per user per month).
For HR and recruitment professionals, the WhatsApp API provides detailed analytics and reporting tools. The insights they provide can assist consultancies in understanding employee preferences, monitoring the effectiveness of their operations, and identifying areas for improvement.
8 Ways that HR and Recruitment Consultancies Can Use WhatsApp to Enhance Candidate Support
Drilling down to specifics, here are eight ways in which HR and recruitment consultancies can use WhatsApp to enhance candidate support, and to streamline their own operations:
1. Circulate Informative Newsletters
Consultancies can create WhatsApp newsletters to circulate important announcements and updates, both internally and to prospective hires. The platform includes multimedia capabilities that enable HR and recruitment organizations to incorporate rich content such as images, videos, and documents into the newsletters.
[Image source: Wati]
For candidates, these newsletters might for example include the publication of HR, Health and Safety, and other policies from hiring organizations, as well as training materials, invitations to special events, and opportunities for feedback.
For the HR or recruitment consultancy, a WhatsApp newsletter might disseminate company and industry news, employee spotlights, feedback surveys, or wellness tips. In combination with a communications platform like IDT Express Omnichannel Messaging that features native WhatsApp integration, HR consultancies can ensure a cohesive messaging strategy across the entire organization.
2. Open Channels for Feedback
Obtaining feedback from stakeholders is essential for management and staff of an organization to get a clear picture of what they’re doing right, and what needs to improve. HR and recruitment consultancies can use WhatsApp polls, surveys, or direct messaging for this purpose.
[Image source: Wati]
For example, consultancies can issue feedback surveys to job candidates immediately after an interview or visit to the hiring organization, to get an idea of their impressions of the recruitment process, and the company itself.
Within the HR or recruitment agency, feedback surveys can provide insights on various aspects of the workplace, such as job satisfaction, training needs, or organizational culture.
3. Issue Real-time Alerts and Notifications
Using WhatsApp, HR organizations can issue real-time alerts and notifications by creating broadcast lists or groups. Consultancies can customize these messages with relevant information, such as urgent announcements, policy updates, or event reminders. These communications can incorporate images, documents, or links. WhatsApp also includes a feature for attaching read receipts to notifications, enabling consultancies to track message delivery and engagement.
By integrating WhatsApp alerts with an omnichannel messaging platform like IDT Express, organizations can ensure real-time communication across a range of channels, plus an automatic failover system that dynamically routes messages through alternative channels if any issues arise.
4. Use Chatbots to Automate Repetitive Tasks
WhatsApp chatbots are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). They enable HR teams to automate repetitive tasks, personalize interactions, and provide instant support to employees. For the organization, chatbots can also serve as a centralized hub for employees to access essential resources, updates, and information.
By fielding common queries such as expense reports, requests for time off, or access to HR policies, these chatbots free human recruitment and HR staff for more important activities.
For candidates, WhatsApp chatbots can offer personalized recommendations, training resources, and career development opportunities based on an individual’s personal profile and preferences.
5. Use WhatsApp to Advertise Job Openings
HR and recruitment consultancies can use the WhatsApp platform to publicize job openings, and to receive responses from interested candidates.
One mechanism is for the hiring company to generate a WhatsApp QR code and place it on their job advertisement. This may apply to both print and online versions of the ad. Applicants can scan the QR code, which directs them to a private chat where they can present their credentials directly to the HR team.
HR organizations can also use Click-To-WhatsApp Ads or CTWA. Here, an online job posting includes an embedded button which leads directly to a WhatsApp chat. This enables applicants to initiate instant conversations with the HR team.
In addition to these methods, HR and recruitment consultancies can use WhatsApp broadcast lists to send job notifications to a large audience, or circulate a WhatsApp newsletter containing details of new job openings.
6. Streamline Candidate Screening
Using WhatsApp chatbots with conversational AI, consultancies can automate the process of asking job candidates screening questions – a task which may typically take a human operative several minutes.
Chatbots can automatically score candidates based on their responses, efficiently filtering out qualified applicants for further interview rounds. Automation also enables HR organizations to scale up this process, and conduct hundreds of interviews in a single day.
7. Improve the Employee Onboarding Process
With WhatsApp automation, HR teams can use real-time communication tools to provide essential information directly to new hires, and instant responses to their queries. WhatsApp automation also takes the time, effort, and paperwork out of document sharing and signing.
Here, message templates can help HR organizations do all the heavy lifting. For example, consultancies can use templates for welcoming new employees, distributing first day on the job agendas, explaining operational or logistical details, and disseminating training materials.
If your WhatsApp installation is integrated with a communications platform like IDT Express Omnichannel Messaging, your team will also have access to an internal library of message templates to choose from.
8. Improve Communication and Coordination Within the Organization Itself
WhatsApp helps simplify internal communication for HR teams. For example, organizations can create groups using the WhatsApp Business API, for more effective collaboration. Staff can also share updates on candidates, interview feedback, and changes in schedules in real time.
On WhatsApp, management also has access to a range of tools for measuring the effectiveness of their operations and communication strategies. The WhatsApp Business API and third-party platforms provide utilities for calculating metrics like message open rates, response rates, engagement levels, and feedback from employees.
Enhancing Your WhatsApp Improvements
HR and recruitment consultancies can enhance on all of these gains by integrating their WhatsApp operations with a comprehensive and fully featured omnichannel communications solution.
IDT Express Omnichannel Messaging gives you the convenience of managing 15 different messaging apps all in one place – including SMS, WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and more. IDT Express gives reliable coverage across the globe, ensuring that your messages reach your audience, no matter where they are.
There are no additional costs for using multiple channels, and IDT Express provides detailed analytics and reporting tools. So you can track the performance of your messaging campaigns, monitor engagement, and gather insights to optimize your communication strategy.
To find out more about how IDT Express Omnichannel Messaging can help your HR or recruiting consultancy capitalize on its WhatsApp gains, book a demo today.
