Customer service touches nearly every industry in one way or another. What is truly unique about hiring for a customer service role are the stakes at play. Customers will likely take their business elsewhere when faced with a negative experience.
Recruiters need to be careful when hiring for a new customer service role. That’s why we’ll look at what you can do to set up an effective recruitment strategy for customer service.
Revamp Your Sourcing
One of the first things you need to supercharge your customer service hiring is to change how you source candidates. You can start by adjusting how you leverage posting sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. Your job posts are the first impression potential candidates have of your business. It needs to use quality keywords and provide clear instructions and expectations. The keywords you use will increase the chances of relevant candidates finding your job posting. Research and identify the words your ideal candidate is using in their job search, and include them in your postings.
Your job posting should include clear instructions so candidates know how to apply and follow the next steps in the hiring process. Providing a direct pathway is essential for acquiring high-quality candidates and sets the tone for your entire hiring process. Possibly most important, give your potential applicants clear expectations. Many candidates are put off by job postings that need to be more forthcoming with what their roles would be in the position.
Another way to dig deeper into your sourcing is to mine your existing applicants. Previous candidates have shown interest in your company and may still be interested in working for you. Return to previous virtual interviews to see if they would make a good fit for a different position.
Create a Strategy That Supports Customer Service Roles
In addition to changing how you look at sourcing, recruiters must consider their overall strategy for hiring customer service positions. Build a strategy that supports these roles and considers the wants and needs of the applicant.
Offer a fast hiring process as the backbone of your recruitment strategy. No candidate enjoys waiting for weeks to hear back from an employer. Ensure your hiring process provides a faster time-to-offer than your competitors to recruit the best talent available. According to Career Plug, 84% of job seekers say that employer responsiveness influenced their decision to accept an offer.
It’s also important for your recruitment strategy to promote your employer brand. A strong employer brand tells potential applicants that your business is an excellent place to work. Be sure to utilize social media channels and promote your company culture when possible. A strong brand will help your business attract top talent.
Also, remember to let your potential applicants know that there is upward mobility in your organization. Assure candidates that once they fill a position, there will be opportunities for them to advance in their careers.
And always remember to coordinate with your hiring managers to ensure these goals are kept in mind and applied throughout the recruitment process.
Which is better, phone interviews or video interviews? See how they compare.
Assess Your Interviews
Interviews constitute a significant part of the hiring process. Recruiters report this phase of recruitment taking upwards of two-thirds of their time.
Ensure you’re making the best use of your interview time. Make sure your recruiters don’t just focus on technical skills. These are necessary, of course. However, skills such as problem-solving and communication are essential for a successful customer service representative.
Offer your candidates a better interview experience by allowing them to interview outside the normal 9-5. Qualifi’s research found that on-demand phone interviews that allowed candidates to respond outside of typical business hours brought in 75.5% more responses than typical phone interviews.
Treat Your Candidates How You Want Them to Treat Customers
Always treat your customer service candidates how you want your customer treated. Be kind, considerate, and direct in your communication. This will set a precedent for your candidates that will follow them on the job.
As such, you want to provide your customer service candidates with the best candidate experience possible during the hiring process. Use services such as Qualifi’s on-demand phone interview platform, which allows recruiters to provide an accessible and comfortable experience for candidates.
Check out how Qualifi helped KHR Solutions cut their applicant screening time by 83%.
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