How reverse recruitment tools can help companies find the right talent

The pressure of attracting tech talent continues to impact business, as more than a quarter (27%) expect filling vacancies to be challenging in 2023.

In a candidate-driven market, employers need to come up with innovative ways of standing out from the crowd. And reverse recruitment is one such way.

According to Honeypot, the strategy can reduce cost-per-hire and time-to-fill, as well as reducing time-to-hire by 50%.

What is reverse recruitment?

Reverse recruitment is where companies apply to candidates instead of the other way round. It has grown in popularity over recent years, and an increasing number of employers are using it to find the right tech talent for their roles.

Reverse recruiting typically takes place on a recruitment platform that has a database of pre-screened talent. Companies can then engage with candidates with the right skills, directly. This hiring model places talent at the centre of the process and can lead to more effective hiring outcomes for both parties.

The benefits of reverse recruitment

One of the biggest benefits is that employers are able to connect with candidates with the right skills early in the hiring process. Because candidates are pre-screened based on their skills, recruiters already know that they’ll be a valuable asset to the company.

This skills-based approach to hiring also removes unconscious bias from the process, so companies are more likely to source people from diverse backgrounds, which is a key factor in attracting talent over the long-term.  Our recent Tech Talent Trends research found that 75% of candidates consider a company’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) policy to be important when applying for a job.

Reverse recruitment also encourages companies to build a strong employer brand as candidates are more likely to shortlist companies that have the same values and ethics as them.

Measuring the success of reverse recruitment campaigns

There are several metrics that can provide an indication of how successful a reverse recruitment campaign has been:

Time-to-fill – In tracking the number of days it takes to fill a position, recruiters can determine whether a campaign has helped secure talent quicker. Our recent research revealed that 43% of tech workers have dropped out of a job application because the recruitment process was taking too long, so improving time-to-fill is beneficial for both employers and candidates.

Cost-per-hire – Companies should measure how much it costs to source and onboard candidates compared to other hiring strategies. If the total cost of hiring new employees is less, then a campaign could be considered beneficial.

Number of suitable candidates – Although the number of shortlisted candidates may be smaller, the number of ‘suitable’ candidates sourced through reverse recruitment could be higher.

Reverse recruitment tools

There are a number of tools out there that can help employers manage a successful reverse recruitment campaign:

Equality Boost helps companies reach active and passive talent by widening their hiring reach and running targeted display advertising campaigns. The tool uses a unique blend of data science to pinpoint when, where and how to reach the tech talent that companies need. Recruiters can target suitable candidates by demographic, location interest and social mobility.

Employer branding specialists like Universum helps companies to build strong employer brands, which can help attract more candidates in reverse recruitment campaigns. The branding agency helps recruiters understand what matters to tech professionals when considering their next employer. Through their unique talent insights, employers better understand prospective candidates and can refine their messages to be highly attractive.

CWJobs’ Video Recruitment software, provides a flexible, effective interview experience for companies and candidates alike. Through our video pitch feature, candidates can summarise their suitability and motivations for applying, which is particularly useful at the screening stage of a reverse recruitment campaign. Automated interviews allow candidates to answer pre-determined questions, and our live interview feature lets recruiters record live interviews.

Likewise, our Instant Candidate Recommender enables employers to discover talent that may not have previously applied to roles. The tool streamlines the hiring process by providing instant access to recommended people as soon as a job is advertised.

For more information on the tools that are available on our platform, visit https://www.cwjobs.co.uk/recruiters.