Currently, the job market is highly competitive. So, recruiters can't sit back and wait for candidates to visit their website and careers pages. You need to meet them where they are. This usually means getting more exposure for job postings by posting them on industry job boards, professional development groups, or sites like Job\Searcher and Indeed.
But sometimes, even that isn't enough, especially if you want to reach candidates that aren't actively job searching. Email and LinkedIn are common ways to be proactive, but what about cold calling?
What is Cold Calling in Recruitment?
Cold calling is a common sales tactic where Business Development Representatives (also known as Sales Development Representatives) reach out to potential sales opportunities unprompted. The same practice applies in recruitment - you’d find candidates that fit your ideal profile and call them even if they haven’t engaged with your posting. Or, the inverse might happen where candidates cold call hiring managers to get on their radar.
Should Recruiters Still Use Cold Calling?
Cold calling is certainly a controversial approach. On the one hand, cold calling has been a great way to connect with candidates who may or may not know much about your company. On the other hand, cold calling has become a favorite method for scammers, telemarketers, and even recruiters. With all these calls coming from various sources, you have to wonder if any are effective. So, this leads us to ask the question...
Does Cold Calling Have any Benefits in 2022?
While diminishing in practice, cold calling still has some benefits.
If your candidate answers the phone, you can answer their questions, give details on the role, and gauge their interest without going back and forth over email. If they are interested, you can work to schedule the next steps. If not, you can move on without a second thought.
It humanizes the process.
Automated tools such as LinkedIn and emails make reaching out impersonal (and sometimes fake). But cold calling shows that you're a real person trying to connect, which builds trust and boosts interest.
However, the challenges of cold calling outweigh the pros. For one, it takes eight cold calls to reach a prospect. Time is valuable during recruiting and hiring, so relying on cold calling is time-consuming and potentially unproductive.
Another thing to consider is that candidates may never answer your call. If your number is not saved in the candidate's phone, caller ID will likely mark it as spam. This significantly decreases the number of people who will pick up the phone.
Three Recruiting Alternatives to Cold Calling
For many recruiting scenarios, cold calling is outdated. But luckily, proactive outreach doesn't begin and end with cold calling. There are other options to reach out to candidates and snag someone with your pitch.
Platforms, such as Linkedin, are a great place to connect with active and passive candidates. Prime potential candidates would be people who have followed, liked, or viewed your page. Their engagement shows that they are interested in your company. They may just need a little encouragement to apply to research your open roles.
Reaching out on social media is also beneficial because candidates can fact-check the DM by clicking on your profile. To stand out, consider creating an Introview video so you can use video in your outreach. Be sure to include an explanation of the role in your video description.
Optimize Your Email Newsletters
Newsletters are a valuable way to keep candidates engaged. You may have recently rejected a candidate or are attempting to keep passive candidates informed. Either way, great email content displays new roles, shares company updates, and provides other fascinating content. Be sure to measure the success of your email newsletters to ensure you are reaching engagement goals. In no time, candidates will be using your newsletters to stay connected and apply to open positions.
Create a Referral Program
Employees in your workforce tend to be the best recruiters. Who can speak on the company's culture or colleagues like they can?
Consider incentivizing employees who connect you with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances to help fill open roles. The most successful companies have a tiered system. For example, if a referred candidate meets the criteria for a first-round interview, the referrer gets an extra $25. Then, if they make it to the final interview, the referrer may receive $100, and so forth.
Workplace and technological changes have made other outreach methods more efficient than cold calling. While it is necessary to talk to candidates in other parts of the interview process, consider these alternative techniques in the sourcing and outreach stage.