Global Vice President, Technology & Transformation
Talent Recruitment
Virtual Hiring: Top Tips for Optimizing the Candidate Journey
Using AI in the hiring process can help to boost candidate engagement—and deliver a better overall experience.
Virtual hiring is transforming the recruitment process for talent acquisition (TA) leaders.
Tasks like screening candidates and communicating with applicants can be done via automated assessments and AI-powered chatbots—making it faster and more efficient for both job seekers and hiring managers.
But it needs to be implemented carefully, with a strong focus on candidate experience. If not, the process can feel impersonal, robotic, and potentially put people off the role—and your organization.
Over half of applicants are unlikely to accept a job offer after a poor candidate experience, Korn Ferry research indicates. What’s more, if they share their negative feedback with peers, it could hamper your chances of attracting top talent in the future.
Want virtual hiring to help, not hinder, your recruitment process? Here are some top tips for TA leaders to stay ahead.
Tailor Your Candidate Journey Touchpoints to the Role
Consider where virtual hiring fits best in your talent acquisition process—and where it might not.
For high-volume roles that need filling quickly, virtual recruiting works well. Applicants typically prefer the efficiency of an automated process. Plus, it reduces the admin burden for hiring managers.
Here’s what that could look like:
- Candidates fill out their details via a chatbot
- They answer screening questions through the chatbot
- They’re automatically directed to an assessment
- They receive immediate results from the assessment
- If successful, candidates get their interview scheduled automatically
If you’re recruiting for a highly skilled role, you might want to automate the very beginning of the process only. Conversely, for some roles, you might not need the fifth step, and the hiring could be done after the assessment stage without the need for an interview.
“With highly skilled individuals, you need to get much more in-depth in terms of the information you need from them,” says Korn Ferry’s Vivienne Barclay. “So perhaps the first step can be automated, but the rest of the process involves more human interaction.”
For executive or C-suite roles, however, virtual hiring is rarely preferred and could even put candidates off—they expect a more personalized approach.
“At this level of hiring, you’d expect a more human-led ‘white glove’ experience, as it’s more about reputation and evidence than simply asking, ‘Can you apply for this job?’” says Barclay.
Design Your Chatbot with the Candidate in Mind
AI-powered chatbots play a key role in keeping candidates engaged. They can handle tasks, such as answering questions about the role or company, as well as providing updates on application status.
The aim is to try to make your chatbot feel as natural as possible and to replicate a human-led experience. One way to do this is to make the tone and language conversational. After all, you want the user to feel as though they’re talking to a real person.
Try to avoid long, complex sentences and too much industry jargon. If you wouldn’t say something in real life, neither should the chatbot.
Some other ideas include:
- Personalizing responses based on the user’s previous answers
- Avoiding rigid scripts
- Using small talk, such as “How’s your day going?”
Another way to make the chatbot experience feel more human is by adding videos from hiring managers. A simple welcome video or “thank you for applying” video can significantly improve the candidate experience.
You could also let candidates upload video responses to the chatbot, making the conversation feel more interactive and personal. This creates a two-way dialogue, improving overall engagement.
Give Applicants the Choice to Speak to a Human
While automation can make hiring easier and more efficient for both candidates and hiring managers, it’s important to offer applicants the option to speak to a real person from the start of the process.
"AI-driven chatbots are incredibly efficient and can help speed up screening and assessment, but giving candidates the opportunity to speak to a human reinforces a positive candidate experience," says Korn Ferry's Tanyth Lloyd.
If, for example, a candidate has accessibility requirements that make using a chatbot difficult, they should have an alternative avenue to apply.
“Don’t worry. Providing a telephone number won’t open the floodgates because, the truth is, most people don’t want to talk to someone," says Barclay.
Offering both automated and human communication options ensures a fairer, more inclusive process that gives everyone an equal opportunity.
Make Digital Content Easy to Digest and Mobile-Friendly
As with any digital interaction, user experience matters. If the content is visually appealing and easily digestible, it will make the candidate feel more at ease.
If they find the content difficult to read, confusing, or dull, they could become frustrated or, even worse, give up altogether.
Consider including the following:
- Large, clear fonts
- Video or animation
- No long, complex sentences
- Bullet points
- Plenty of white space
“First impressions count,” says Lloyd. “Well-presented content reflects positively on the organization and leaves candidates with a good perception of the company, whether their application is successful or not.”
It’s also important to make sure your content is mobile-friendly. Many candidates prefer applying via their phones, so it’s important to ensure they can complete all steps directly from their devices.
Also, allow them to save their progress and return to any point in the application if needed. This flexibility can significantly improve the candidate experience.
Always Provide Feedback to Applicants
One of the most frustrating experiences for candidates is applying for a role and hearing nothing back.
When virtual hiring, it's important to offer feedback to all applicants. Automate the process to keep it efficient, if necessary. When candidates receive feedback—whether they’re hired or not—they’re more likely to share that experience with others.
But if they hear nothing, you risk your brand being bad-mouthed on social media, which could harm your ability to attract top talent in the future and even affect the morale of your existing workforce.
Transform Your Talent Acquisition with Virtual Hiring
By leveraging the right hiring tools, you can attract top talent, boost efficiency in your teams, and create a positive candidate experience–but only when done well.
Are you ready to make an impact? Explore how technology and AI can elevate your recruitment process today.
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