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As the UK begins to recover from the Corona pandemic, the number of job vacancies between March and May 2021 was 758,000, only 27,000 below pre pandemic levels in January to March 2020 (ONS 2021). Most industries have recovered to show vacancies above pre-pandemic levels and therefore the war for talent is on.
Applying for jobs is a thing of the past
Today’s talent no longer apply for jobs in the traditional way. They constantly receive job offers via LinkedIn. They want to inform themselves. They want to see and feel how an organisation is functioning and what its vision and culture is, to see if they want to be a part of it. As an employer, you have to facilitate candidates to contact you effortlessly throughout the entire process. Use the channels they use, whether that’s WhatsApp, webchat or Facebook Messenger. As an organisation you’ll need to adapt.
Sign Documents Digitally
In todays competitive job market, candidates should encounter as few obstacles as possible. That is also true during the process of signing a contract. Especially during the covid pandemic, many interactions are online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, instead of face to face. And then you ask a candidate to print and post a physical contract?! That doesn’t add up. Signing documents on paper is obsolete, expensive and time-consuming. It’s so easy to sign documents digitally and it’s all legally binding. It can really make a difference in the actual choice that a candidate makes, if they have received 2 offers: one in a fully digital environment and one that has to be printed out and sent in an envelope.
Nine Hours Instead of Twelve Days
In addition to an employment contract, many other documents are suitable for digital signing such as car lease agreements, loan contracts for laptops, payroll tax reduction forms or training agreements. The benefits are obvious; it saves a lot of time. Practice has shown that digital signing saves 10 minutes per document.
Even more important is the lead time for signing a contact. The average of 12 days has been reduced to less than 9 hours. In many sectors time is of the essence. It also reduces the chance of candidates changing their mind before signing.
Improve Company Image
Digital signing reinforces the image of the organisation as modern and caring. Professionals are quite happy signing and sending contracts digitally. And at the same time the organisation is contributing to the reduction of paper usage.
In addition to this, digital signing has another advantage: fewer mistakes. There is an initial on each page and documents don’t get lost or end up in the wrong file. And if that isn’t enough, the costs will definitely help to make the decision easier. Think about the costs for paper, printing, envelopes, postage and labor. If you are completely digital and you use the proper software, you can save up to three quarters of the initial costs.
A Digital Buddy
The next step is the period between signing the contract and the first day of work. Many people experience that period as a gap. A lot of organisations could improve their onboarding process for instance with a chatbot, a sort of digital buddy. That way you can familiarise new employees with the company before their first day at work. You can deal with practicalities like collecting a leased car, arranging parking space, explaining which entrance can be used and setting up the first few meetings. But it could also be used to show a welcome video from the supervisor.
Use the proper tools and improve the candidate experience to attract the best talent. Preferably one system that provides you with all you need, instead of multiple systems, will make the process as efficient as it can be.
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