Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction.
Think about the last application that came across your desk. Where did it come from? How did the candidate first discover the opportunity? How much research did they do before applying? What finally convinced them to apply?
If you're like many of us, you know where that application came from. But very little else. And while source of application is an important metric, it paints an incomplete and often misleading picture.
The Problem
Earning a qualified application is always the goal, but it isn't enough. If you don't understand where that applicant came from and what influenced their decision-making process, there's no way to repeat the result in the future.
Once we truly understand the candidate journey, we can build sustainable recruitment programs that consistently meet and exceed hiring objectives without leaving our destiny in the hands of luck.
Section 1
The hiring funnel.
Recruitment is now marketing. Candidates seek out employers the way they purchase products, book vacations, or make restaurant reservations. The journey is not linear, and it is different for every single person.
With the proliferation of social media and influencers, candidates now research employers across multiple channels before ever clicking apply. This requires talent leaders to shift their hiring mindset completely:
1
Candidates must know you exist as an employer, which requires you to be where they are.
2
Candidates want to know about your culture, benefits and values before they even consider applying.
3
The journey for how candidates apply to your roles will look different for each candidate.
The four stages of the hiring funnel.
1
Awareness
Candidates must know your company exists as an employer
▼
2
Interest
They want to know about your culture, values and benefits
▼
3
Evaluate
Candidates decide whether to apply for your open role
▼
4
Commit
The candidate submits their application
Talent leaders must strategically invest in every aspect of the hiring funnel to attract and convert the qualified candidates needed to grow their company.
Section 2
Build awareness.
It's impossible for candidates to apply for your roles if they don't know you exist. Building awareness is the most important step to hiring the qualified talent you need.
We asked 1,000+ leaders what strategies are working to hire tech talent. The answer? Online tech-specific platforms and employer branding, with sourcing ranked last on the list.
We then surveyed 1,300+ technologists to get a candidate perspective. The findings are clear: awareness as an employer is everything.
70%
use LinkedIn to source jobs
56%
go directly to company websites to find jobs
55%
find jobs through Google Search
40%
use other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter
Key Insight
All aspects of hiring become difficult without awareness of you as an employer. Being where your ideal candidates are is a foundational element of a successful hiring process.
Voice from the Field
"The benefit of online platforms like Built In is it allows your company to be always-on, which compared to sourcing and referrals that are very dependent on a recruiter's time and a candidate being receptive. Investing in employer branding allows you to be proactive and really impact the perception of your company at all moments of the candidate journey."
Katherine Keenan — Talent Brand Program Manager, Dropbox
Section 3
Gain interest.
Creating awareness is not enough. Once you've gotten in front of your ideal audience, you have to generate interest. Candidates want to work for employers that align with their own values.
In our recent survey of 1,300 tech professionals, we asked how often they respond to recruiters. The results highlight the importance of having an employer brand that speaks to who you are: if you don't, your sourcing team will struggle to get responses.
Section 3 Survey Data
Q: How do you typically respond to recruiters who reach out to you?
Respond after some consideration
43.1%
Respond immediately if interested
35.8%
What candidates look for when researching employers.
To generate genuine interest, ensure candidates can find the information they care most about: your careers page, social profiles, job descriptions, employee testimonials, and content.
Section 3 Survey Data
Q: What information do you look for when researching potential employers?
Job responsibilities and expectations
57.7%
Financial stability
50.2%
Employee reviews and testimonials
46.2%
Career development opportunities
45.1%
Company location and commute
44.4%
Company mission and values
34.7%
Industry reputation and market position
33.2%
Team structure and leadership
28.2%
Diversity and inclusion initiatives
22.6%
The more transparent and vocal you are about what it's like to work for you, the more likely you'll be to draw interest from talent.
Where employers are losing candidates.
41%
of employers struggle to compete on flexible work arrangements
39%
are challenged by total compensation offerings
34%
lose out due to lengthy hiring processes
Section 4
Prepare for evaluation.
Now that candidates know who you are and what you stand for, it's decision time. Will they or won't they apply? This is a critical stage that can attract or detract your ideal candidates.
When we asked candidates what traits or qualities they found most compelling in an employer, compensation, high retention, and excellent culture ranked the highest. Showcase these attributes throughout your job descriptions and careers page to increase your chances of candidates hitting apply.
Section 4 Survey Data
Q: Which traits or qualities do you find most compelling in an employer?
High employee satisfaction and retention rates
67.3%
Excellent workplace environment and culture
66.6%
Transparent communication and leadership
54.9%
Remote or hybrid work environment
54.1%
Strong financial performance and growth
51.8%
Tech forward and innovative
48.3%
Long history and stability
47.5%
Sustainable and environmentally conscious practices
35.7%
Industry of employer
34.9%
Strong social viewpoints and activism
28.2%
What keeps candidates at their current employer.
At this stage, you're competing against the candidate's existing employer. They're deciding whether your company or this new role would be more lucrative for them. Here's what would keep a technology professional in place, even if they received an enticing offer.
Section 4 Survey Data
Q: What would keep you with an employer even if a more lucrative offer came about?
Have good work-life balance
61.8%
Current job security
59.0%
Better perk & benefit offerings
52.5%
Great company culture
47.1%
Relationships with peers / coworkers
42.5%
Relationship with direct supervisor
38.5%
A counteroffer from my current employer
35.7%
Projected upward mobility
29.9%
Fear of the unknown
22.5%
Section 5
Ensure commitment.
You've made it to the final stage: candidates applying to your role. How, where and why they apply is going to be very different for each individual.
3
different channels the average tech candidate uses to apply for roles in a given year
∞
unique paths a candidate can take from first discovering your brand to submitting an application
The evaluation of whether or not to apply for a role can end at different points. One candidate could decide to apply after reviewing a company's careers page and apply directly. Another could have seen a current employee's social post and apply through that channel.
Talent Leader Tip
Instead of reporting on simply where a candidate applies, account for all of the places candidates are researching your company. All of this information they're gathering is a part of their "why" for making the commitment to apply.
Section 6
Key takeaways.
We covered a lot of data and insights. If you're going to take anything away from this guide, let it be this.
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1
The Candidate Journey Is Not Linear
The journey to submitting an application is not straightforward. Candidates discover opportunities through social media, company websites and search engines. Their decision to apply is influenced by multiple touchpoints: employer branding, social media presence and job content. This complexity highlights the need for recruiters to strategically engage candidates across different channels.
-
2
Recruitment Is Becoming More Like Marketing
In today's competitive landscape for tech talent, recruitment strategies must mirror marketing tactics. Building awareness of your employer brand is crucial, akin to how consumer brands attract customers. This involves maintaining an "always-on" presence, leveraging SEO for visibility, and ensuring your careers page effectively communicates your employer value proposition.
-
3
Candidate Interest and Evaluation Are Critical
Beyond awareness, generating interest involves showcasing your company culture, values and benefits transparently. Candidates evaluate potential employers based on compensation, culture and retention rates. To convert interest into applications, recruiters must align job descriptions and company messaging with what candidates prioritize in their job search.
To be successful, talent leaders must shift their recruitment strategies towards proactive, multi-channel engagement that addresses candidates' varied needs and preferences throughout their decision-making process.
