How To Use Chatbots In Recruiting

Chatbots have already made their way into recruiting — with positive experiences and expectations. According to the Recruiting Trends study, 41 percent of job seekers say a chatbot makes their job search faster. They also expect an easier application process.

This is an opportunity that companies should not miss. Because in addition to making the application process faster, chatbots bring other benefits to recruiting. Among other things, they are available to applicants around the clock, relieve employees of repetitive tasks, and can answer questions in multiple languages immediately if necessary. 

Sounds promising? In this article, we will show you which tasks you can use chatbots in recruiting for and which tips you should consider when developing your chatbot.

 

How can chatbots support the recruiting process?

The aim is not to replace human employees, but to make their work easier and to make the process as seamless and simple as possible for applicants. A chatbot is therefore a win-win situation for both sides: Time can be saved and the user experience is improved.

A chatbot can provide support at various points throughout the recruiting process.

1. Answer questions

In the first step, a chatbot can provide support answering questions on the career page. Especially for large companies that have a huge number of jobs advertised, a chatbot can help with finding the right open position and answer questions like, “Is there a full-time junior marketing position in Vienna?”

Onlim’s chatbots are built on Knowledge Graphs and can therefore also perform job searches based on various parameters such as company division, career level, location, etc.

In addition, a chatbot can help with questions about the company or things that are not clear about the application process. The conversational way candidates can ask the chatbot questions makes the research much more comfortable than browsing FAQs on the company website.

2. Facilitate the application

The chatbot is also at hand when the application is submitted. On the one hand, it can provide information about which application documents are required, and on the other hand, it can assist with document uploads. The applicant can simply upload the required documents to the chatbot and enter his data. These are then automatically forwarded to the responsible contact person or integrated into your own systems.

3. Get an update about the application status

When an applicant has applied for a position that he finds particularly interesting, he can probably hardly wait to receive an update on his application status. Chatbots or even phone bots offer him this opportunity. 

They can be used at any time to inquire about the current status or to ask questions about the application process. Questions such as “Can you give me information about my application as a marketing manager that I sent 2 weeks ago?” no longer need to be answered by a human employee. The chatbot can take over this important, yet mundane task.

4. Support onboarding

The benefits of chatbots don’t stop with recruiting a candidate. Chatbots can also be of great help in the onboarding process. They can provide employees the most important information about common workflows and general topics, such as time tracking, vacation requests, or possible lunch options.

Additionally, they can assist with setting up company software. Another benefit is that new employees can ask chatbots the same question more than once without feeling uncomfortable. Especially when things are a bit more hectic on the first few days, this is a great relief to always have support available in case of ambiguities.

Find more use cases and benefits of HR chatbots here. 

 

Chatbots for recruiting: Tips you should consider

To ensure that your recruiting chatbot is a complete success, there are a few tips you should consider during the planning and design phase:

1. Focus on user experience

A chatbot in recruiting is your first touchpoint with potential applicants. Therefore, you must make the best impression possible and make applicants want to work at your company.

A chatbot that is interactive, works smoothly and facilitates the application process instead of complicating it, builds the basis. Therefore, place a special focus on the user-friendliness of your bot when planning it.

2. Take your corporate identity into account

User-friendliness is not the only factor that plays a decisive role. A chatbot represents your company to applicants. It, therefore, offers you the optimal opportunity to present your company’s identity and values.

This can be, for example, through the way your chatbot speaks or even how certain processes are designed. Think about what makes up your corporate identity special and how you can translate that to your chatbot.

3. Think through the entire recruiting process

For the most holistic user experience possible, it’s important to consider the entire recruiting process in your planning. Make sure you think about the steps applicants will need assistance with.

Furthermore, make a list of all the common questions that come up during the application process. Here, it is also worthwhile to collect the experience of the HR team to get the most comprehensive list possible and prepare the appropriate answers for the chatbot.

 

Want to learn more about what a chatbot can do for your business? Arrange a chatbot demo here.