Do you like to leave pipelined talent hanging in the dark? Silly question, but most of you probably answered “No,” but based on what I’ve seen from most application systems, the answer is actually “Yes.”
The problem lies in your thank-you page — the page a job seeker lands on immediately after completing an application. What most employers don’t realize is that the thank-you page has great potential, but is often overlooked.
For any individual, moving from one job to a new one is a very big decision. As an employer, you just convinced these job seekers to go through the pain staking application process only to land on a page that says something along the lines of, “Thank you! Your application has been successfully submitted. We will review your information and be in touch soon.”
The fact that you converted a job seeker means that they’re open to hearing what you have to say. Use your thank-you page as part of your recruiting strategy. In this moment take advantage of the momentum you have built and to further engage. Gain deeper insight into the applicant, share your best content, and improve your employer brand.
The good news is that fixing your thank-you page isn’t that difficult. Below are a few elements that could strengthen the page:
- Secondary call to actions: Ask applicants to follow you on social media or share content. This may seem unnecessary since links are likely established on the career site. However, by explicitly asking, you have a much better chance of someone taking action.
- Display employee testimonials: Testimonials are a great way to offer transparency and increase quality applications on your career site, so why not add them to your thank-you page? It helps the job seeker further validate their decision about applying to your organization.
- Links to your best content: Adding links to your best content strengthens the completed applicant’s perception of you as an employer. Give more insight into what it’s like to work in the organization or more background behind the job they applied to. Best case scenario, the applicant absorbs the information or shares on social media and increases visibility within a new network. Worst case scenario, the applicant exists the site.
- Join your talent community: Building up a strong community around your employer brand is essential for obtaining new talent and keeping the pipeline engaged. The thank-you page is a perfect place to encourage applicants to opt-in to the talent community because they are open to hearing more from the organization.
- Questionnaire: If responses to questionnaires in the actual application process receive low response rates, move the questionnaire to the thank-you page. Test which positioning received better, more insightful responses. Job seekers may be more open and honest with their feedback after the application is submitted, whereas feedback within the application process could seem suppressed.
The thank-you page is the part of the recruitment process where you have 100 percent of the attention. Gain further insight into your pipeline, spread the word, validate your employer brand, and continue to communicate. There’s no other part of your strategy where you have that opportunity. Take advantage of it. If not, you’re killing all the momentum you’ve built up by ignoring your thank-you page.