How to improve employee recruiting with engagement data

Employee engagement data is an unbelievably powerful source of information. This data helps organizations make better decisions about everything from the benefits they offer to the employee development programs they provide.

You can also utilize employee engagement data to shape your recruiting process. 

Job seekers want to know if they’ll be happy and if they fit into the company culture. They want to know about the work environment, the company's values, and how well current employees feel equipped to succeed. Using your employee engagement data, you can give accurate information about a wide range of factors that matter to job seekers.

Four tips to help you improve employee recruiting

Here are four recruiting tips to help you better use employee engagement data for talent acquisition. 

1. Have an engagement discussion during the interview

While you likely understand employee engagement and how it impacts individuals, job candidates might not fully grasp the concept. Take the time to talk with potential employees about what employee engagement is and why it’s important to your company.

Once they see the value in employee engagement surveys, show them data about your current workforce’s engagement level. You could start with the overall percentage of engaged employees and discuss how that compares to your industry benchmark. Another good high-level talking point is to share the top driver of engagement at your organization. Talk about what you do to foster an environment of highly engaged people at work.

For example, if your engagement surveys have uncovered that employees value being able to voice their opinions at work, tell candidates how employees can express their ideas. If learning and development is a high driver of engagement, share information about your learning and development programs. Then, ask them if these things are important to them. This will give both you and the candidate an idea of how happy you’d be working together.

2. Be honest about the highs and lows

Candidates know that no company is perfect. Having your recruiting material paint the organization as wonderful in every way won’t fool them. In fact, it might cause them to lose trust in you.

Being open and honest with job seekers gives them information to make a truly educated decision about working for your company. And that’s important. A 2016 LinkedIn study found the number one challenge people face when changing jobs is finding out what the new company is really like.

Give potential employees the answers they want. Use engagement data to show them why your workers love the company, but also where there’s room for improvement. You can share what actions are being taken to improve these areas, and show past improvements as well.

3. Share results on social media

Using social media to learn more about a company is now the norm. In fact, a 2018 Glassdoor study found that 79% percent of job seekers use social media when lookign for a new job. Use your company’s social profiles as a way to highlight how great your organization is.

Be proud of your employee engagement scores and share the results on social media. Showcase areas where there have been major improvements over time, or in comparison to your industry.

4. Find passionate employee ambassadors

Sites like Glassdoor have shown us that job seekers trust other’s opinions about employers. Candidates want to know that your current employees love working at the company. Having a great team of employee ambassadors can help you win talent.

After analyzing survey results, see what employees or departments stand out as being particularly engaged. Then, encourage highly engaged teams to share what they love about the organizations with others. While employee engagement surveys are often anonymous, there are other ways to recognize the behaviors of engaged employees.

Make it easy for them to spread a positive message. For example, if you regularly feature employees on your company blog, let them know before the piece goes live. This gives them the opportunity to share the article with their social network so all their professional friends can learn about their positive experience at the company.

Be open with your employee engagement results 

Employee engagement data can tell you a lot about what’s happening in your organization, as well as give potential employees a more in-depth look at what it would be like to work with you. By using these employee recruiting tips, you’ll increase your chances of attracting the best people for your organization.