The pandemic came and changed everything! It pushed companies to make do with automation to keep processes ongoing, and so far, these efforts have worked. Now that the virus is weakening, people are up and ready to interact with each other again. In the office, for example, on-site meetings are now possible, and it’s refreshing to see your co-workers’ reactions face-to-face.
The next challenge is to strike the perfect balance between cutting-edge automation and the essential human touch. For staffing agencies like yours, how can you enrich your professional relationships by using automated processes but still keep that personal touch the way face-to-face interactions do?
Say goodbye to the age-old struggle of man vs. machine because we’re here to show you how to have your automation cake and eat it, too, with the following suggestions.
Maintain a Communication Line That Promotes Human Presence
Various automation tools were introduced in the last two years. Many staffing companies use most of these tools because their benefits are too good to live without. These benefits range from reduced hiring time to eliminating bias in the recruitment process. However, the distance imposed by COVID-19 reduced professional interactions merely to their transactional quality, meaning what is emphasized is the output of the exchange, but not the receiver or the sender.
This is particularly true with communications. Tools such as CRM systems or interview scheduling apps appear to send automated messages to potential hires or clients. Clients are convinced these emails or social media messages are canned or came from a bot. This perception of the lack of human presence kills your sincerity in reaching out to the other person.
Technology tools should only be means to enable a process, a medium and not the focus. Employers and recruiters can make the process more humane by encouraging interaction and engagement, for human communication are about engaging each other. By giving the recipient the means to react or respond naturally to your messages, human presence is celebrated.
How Can You Promote Engagement Through Automated Messages?
Personalization: Make sure your automated messages are personalized to the recipient. Use their name or any other relevant information about them to make the message feel more human.
Relevance: Ensure the message is relevant to the recipient’s interests or needs. This means segmenting your audience and tailoring your messages to different groups based on their preferences.
Timing: Timing is everything when it comes to automated messages. You don’t want to bombard your audience with too many messages or send them at inconvenient times. Consider factors like time zone, previous engagement patterns, and the purpose of the message to determine the best time to send it.
Call-to-Action: Always include a clear call-to-action in your automated messages. Whether it’s asking for a response, directing them to your website, or inviting them to an event, a clear call-to-action will encourage engagement and help you measure the success of your message.
While doing all these, you have to remember to do an A/B test. You must test different message formats, calls-to-action, and timing to see what works best for your audience. Use A/B testing to optimize your messages for maximum engagement.
Build Trust by Making Transparency a Priority
As much as technology speeds up processes, it also breeds skepticism and a lack of trust. Even if companies say, “We do not sell you data,” it’s been a familiar customer experience that they’ll receive promotions from unauthorized sources. 1 Jobhunters who went through the process with your staffing agency might have qualms about how decisions were made or what steps they have to take.
Their demand to be informed, and at the soonest time possible, may be bypassed by automation. Since the process is moving so smoothly, there might be times when you need to slow down and share some clarity with your applicants or clients.
To ease their qualms and infuse transparency into an automated process, consider these alternatives:
Be succinct in explaining data privacy measures: One way to practice transparency is to be upfront with it. At the start of the recruitment process or conversations with clients about your services, explain how data privacy is practiced within your staffing company. List down the means your agency is taking to ensure that there are no data breaches and that security measures are up to par with current standards.
Provide clear opt-in and opt-out options: Make sure your customers clearly understand what they’re signing up for and how they can opt-out if they change their minds. Clear opt-in and opt-out options can help alleviate customer concerns and build trust.
Include an option to speak with a human: Even though the messaging is automated, it’s important to provide customers with n option to speak with someone if they need additional assistance or have concerns. Including an option to talk with a human can help build trust and improve the customer experience.
Use plain language: Avoid technical jargon or overly complex language in automated messages. Instead, use simple language that is easy to understand. This can help alleviate customer concerns and build trust.
Provide feedback options: Include feedback options in your automated messages so customers can provide feedback on the messaging process. This can help you identify areas for improvement and address any customer concerns.
Let Human Connection and Automation Prove Your Genuine Support
Going back to a previous point, automation must only be a means to execute a process. Parties involved in the process should feel satisfied, heard, and appreciated. We’ve talked about how personalized messages can emphasize human presence. Let’s work on making our hires and clients feel they are supported.
Don’t just reply, offer to meet with them virtually. Zoom calls or Google Meet conferences may diminish the little non-verbal cues you may have, but these apps are effective in delivering consumer support. If they have a series of questions, why not offer to meet them virtually right then and there? Being in a virtual meeting allows for follow-up questions, screen sharing, and building rapport with clients and hires.
Stay online with your hires or clients. Perhaps your potential hire is about to take an aptitude test, or your client has been given a contract to sign. Don’t just send them the test or contract, then wait for a response. How about staying online for their questions?
The idea here is not to keep an eye on them the entire time but to assure them that there is someone present to guide them through. Your applicants or clients will appreciate this because they know there will be an immediate response, plus the knowledge someone is there to guide them throughout.
The pandemic is fading, and human interactions are back like they never left, enriching relationships again, even at a professional level. This is the opportune time to make the human connection and automation work for you and your team.
After all, Jeff Pelliccio, Founder and CEO of Allied Insight, mentioned that leaders who know how to motivate and influence others can, without a doubt navigate this new work environment. It is up to you to set the pace for your team and future clients on how to make meaningful relationships in this new normal, where technology and the human touch are finding ways to coexist. 2
Related reading: What Staffing and Recruitment Industry Leaders Should Prioritize in 2023
MAKE THE BEST CONNECTIONS THROUGH YOUR BRANDING WITH ALLIED INSIGHT.
Personalize your staffing company’s image and stand out in this post-pandemic world through the help of a premier marketing firm aimed at recruitment companies like yours. We are Allied Insight, and we are excited to help you enrich your online content. Let us share with you tried and tested tactics in creating your agency’s best image and presenting it so that your unique qualities become your value proposition.
The possibilities are endless. Allow us to show you how. Contact Allied Insight today.
References
1 Ng, Alfred. “What Does It Actually Mean When a Company Says, ‘We Do Not Sell Your Data’?”. The Markup. https://themarkup.org/the-breakdown/2021/09/02/what-does-it-actually-mean-when-a-company-says-we-do-not-sell-your-data . Published last September 2, 2021. Accessed last February 12, 2023.
2 Pelliccio, Jeff. “Emerging Leaders: Next-Level Leadership Skills.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeffpelliccio_when-it-comes-to-emerging-leaders-what-are-activity-6990639616089321472-RjWR?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop . Published last November 2022. Accessed last Feb 12, 2023.
