Are you looking to optimize your company’s recruiting process and attract more applicants? Then you might want to look at WhatsApp as a recruitment channel. Dar, a Dutch waste processing company, implemented a WhatsApp chatbot, and not only automated the process, but also ended up attracting more candidates. In our Conversational Everything Masterclass, Dennis Weber from Dar explains how they got there.
The struggle to find new talents is real! For Dar, a waste management company from the Netherlands, this was true in more than one way. Their website recruitment process wasn't attracting many applicants, and because of that, they had to spend money on external recruitment agencies.
Once they started using a WhatsApp bot for the hiring process, however, things changed drastically. Now, Dar gets seven times more applications and has reduced their recruitment costs due to automation.
In our Conversational Everything Masterclass, we sat down with Dennis Weber, Business Developer at Dar and Dès Vu, to see how they made this happen.
Tedious hiring process discourages applicants
As a company that employs both, blue collar and white collar workers, Dar faces a recruiting challenge many industries see: how can we attract a diverse pool of candidates to fill all the positions?
Like many businesses, Dar, who is responsible for waste processing in seven different cities in the Netherlands, used their website to find new workers. However, the process was very tedious, as candidates had to find the right page, navigate to the correct job, and then send their information via e-mail.
This complex approach deterred many people. Dar, in fact, is by far not the only company with this issue. According to a current Bullhorn survey, 75% of Gen Z candidates abandon the application process due to outdated recruitment processes.
As Dar wasn't receiving many applications, it forced them to work with external recruitment agencies. This delivered good results, but was costly.
However, the traditional hiring approach not only posed challenges for potential candidates, it also contributed to a slower and less efficient recruitment process overall.
That's when Dar decided to optimize their processes, and brought in Business Developer Dennis Weber to modernize the procedure. The slogan was: "Forget CVs, motivation letters, and difficult application processes. At Dar, you now apply for a job through a video platform and WhatsApp."
How to automate recruiting without losing the personal touch?
Weber knew that Dar was open to adding new technologies such as chatbots to simplify their recruitment process, but he was also ware that creating a personal relationship to applicants is crucial for attracting the right people. "Most people want a job that makes them happy, that pays well, and that gives them stability. But regardless of these facts, it all starts with that first moment of contact between a company and a candidate," says Weber.
So, how can you modernize and automate your recruitment process without losing the personal touch? By using WhatsApp!
As WhatsApp puts the recruitment process in a different environment, where people typically talk to their friends and family, Dar was able to create a more personal exchange with future candidates.
By adding a WhatsApp chatbot, Dar was able to keep the close connection, while still automating processes.
Read how BMW was able to automate 80% of their customer queries with a WhatsApp chatbot!
WhatsApp chatbot: Guiding candidates to the right job
As Dar was looking for a solution that would offer them a safe and GDPR-compliant communication channel, access to a streamlined WhatsApp communication, but also strong automation capabilities, they partnered with Sinch Engage.
With the help of Sinch Engage, Dar implemented a WhatsApp chatbot that is now managing a big part of the recruitment process without human help.
How does the hiring process work with Dar and the WhatsApp chatbot?
Dar has completely switched their hiring process to WhatsApp. So now, if someone wants to apply for a job, they simply send a message to Dar's WhatsApp contact. They can either send a direct message on WhatsApp or enter the chat directly through a GDPR-compliant widget on the website.
In the chat, the applicants type in the chat what job they want to apply for, and the chatbot guides them to the specific job.
The person then receives a link from Dar's WhatsApp chatbot and through that link they access a video platform tool where the job interview begins with pre-made videos.
The chatbot presents multiple-choice questions. If a candidate chooses option one, they proceed to a specific type of video: if they select option two, they are directed to another one. Dennis and his team developed an automated script, so that at the conclusion of the initial video job interview, Dar can determine whether a candidate is a good fit for that specific role, or not.
Following this process, candidates receive confirmation of their application on WhatsApp. Subsequently, as promptly as possible, the HR team assesses whether they're interested in further discussions with the candidate. If that's the case, they reach out to the candidate again through WhatsApp.
So, essentially, the entire application stays on WhatsApp. The popular messaging app that's used by 93% of Dutch people, gave Dar the opportunity to create a fast and personal recruitment solution.
Seven times more applications
As a result, the HR team at Dar now receives seven times more applications than before. The volume of calls and e-mails has also dropped.
With these results, that exceeded everyone's expectations, there is also no more need for external help anymore, which ends up saving the company overall 25% of recruitment costs.
As automating this first part of the hiring process has worked so well for Dar, the company is now looking at further optimizing the flow, for instance by automating the scheduling of the job interview. Dar also wants to implement more AI capabilities into their bot, to make the process even smoother and more intuitive in the future.
Find out how Sinch Engage can benefit your business. Our experts will guide you through the platform and answer all your questions.
