Candidate Experience

Gamification in recruitment involves integrating interactive, game-design elements into the hiring process, transforming what were once passive tasks into engaging experiences. This innovative approach is not merely a novelty; it is a validated methodology that delivers measurable business value. Research indicates that game-based strategies are proven to boost applicant engagement significantly, with documented increases of up to 40%.

Traditional screening methods are failing

The contemporary talent market presents a significant challenge to HR leadership: achieving high-volume efficiency while maintaining high-quality selection. Traditional recruitment methods, reliant primarily on curriculum vitae (CVs), applications, and sequential interviews, are demonstrating systemic failures in meeting this dual mandate. These processes inherently rely heavily on subjective judgment, which is well-documented to introduce significant unconscious biases and yield low predictive validity regarding a candidate's eventual success in a specific role.

The high digital volume of modern job applications compounds this problem, creating systemic friction characterized by high time-to-hire (TTH) metrics and a resulting poor candidate experience (CX). When candidates perceive the application process as tedious or unfair, they often disengage, leading to high dropout rates. This systemic friction suggests that the inefficiency of traditional screening processes is directly proportional to their subjectivity. Gamification emerges as a crucial strategic intervention, designed to replace subjective review with objective, quantifiable behavioral data.

Defining the Discipline and Its Deep Roots

Defining Gamification: Mechanics vs. Serious Games

Gamification is formally defined as the application of game design elements and principles into non-game contexts, specifically within the Human Resource Management (HRM) domain.

This practice leverages typical elements of game playing, such as point scoring, structured competition, and defined rules, and applies them to business activities like recruiting, employee training, or sales force management. In the context of talent acquisition, gamification involves applying game technology—including game theory, mechanics, and design—to attract, select, onboard, and develop employees.

It is essential for HR leaders to distinguish gamification from the concept of "Serious Games." Serious Games are full, self-contained games created for a non-entertainment purpose, such as advanced skills training or simulating complex operational environments. Conversely, gamification is the integration of elements or mechanics (like a leaderboard or a progress bar) into an existing business process (like a standardized candidate screening module). The critical distinction lies in the nature of the integration: gamification enhances the experience of a routine task, whereas a serious game constitutes the task itself.

Leveraging intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

The effectiveness of gamification is rooted firmly in organizational psychology and behavioral economics. Gamification techniques leverage powerful, innate psychological desires, including the need to socialize, learn, master, compete, achieve status, express oneself, and more. By integrating game elements, the system can capture the user's attention and direct their behavior toward specific business objectives.

The critical mechanism is the transition from extrinsic motivation (working for a paycheck or a job offer) to intrinsic motivation (the joy derived from competence and progress). By tying milestones and achievements to recognition, employees and candidates gain a sense of progress similar to advancing levels in a video game. For instance, providing badges for meeting certain metrics or recognizing performance on a leaderboard can incentivize engagement. This triggers the Mastery-Status Cycle: gamified assessments succeed because they subtly shift the candidate's focus away from the high-stakes, extrinsic reward (the final job offer) toward the immediate, intrinsic reward of demonstrating mastery and competence within the assessment environment. 

Core game elements in HR contexts

A successful gamified recruitment system utilizes a suite of well-tested game design elements. These mechanics include points, badges, leaderboards, avatars, performance graphs, and meaningful narrative stories. In the hiring context, these elements are strategically applied:

• Points and Badges: Candidates earn points for completing specific tasks, achieving assessment milestones, or demonstrating required skills.
• Progress Bars: Visual representations of completion rates and progress keep candidates motivated, ensuring they maintain momentum through lengthy application sequences.
• Leaderboards: These foster healthy competition and can be used to unlock later interview stages based on assessment performance.

The application of these elements turns the traditionally dull, one-way steps of screening and testing into engaging, interactive experiences.

Strategic benefits and operational impact

Enhancing Candidate Experience (CX) and employer branding

Gamification transforms the often stressful and bureaucratic recruitment process into a more enjoyable and interactive journey. By making the process feel like "play rather than a chore," gamification substantially increases candidate motivation and investment in the application process. This change in approach is particularly resonant with the modern workforce, especially Gen Z, who are accustomed to interactive technology and value corporate innovation.

Furthermore, gamification is a powerful tool for employer branding. Companies that utilize game-based assessments showcase their culture as modern, innovative, and focused on candidate welfare. Candidate desirability is directly linked to this innovation; research indicates that 78% of applicants stated that the inclusion of gamification in the hiring process would make an employer more desirable.

Data-backed, objective candidate evaluation

A core benefit of gamification is its ability to transition hiring from subjective judgment to objective, quantifiable measurement. Traditional interviews and assessments are susceptible to human biases, but gamified assessments provide objective results based on how candidates behave and perform within realistic, controlled scenarios.

These tools gather rich, multi-faceted data, enabling recruiters to assess skills, cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, and personality traits, providing a comprehensive 360-degree view of a candidate’s capabilities. Instead of relying on resume keywords or self-reported capabilities, employers can observe candidates demonstrate real-world skills through interactive tasks and simulations. This data-driven approach allows hiring managers to make better decisions, ensuring the selection of candidates who possess the right attributes to succeed in the role and thrive within the organizational culture.

Efficiency gains and time reduction

Efficiency in talent acquisition is fundamentally improved through process automation and standardization. Gamification automates significant aspects of the recruitment process, particularly screening and assessment, which allows hiring managers to concentrate their limited time on the most promising candidates. Since gamified tests often take only minutes to complete and provide instant results, they are highly effective time management tools.

The substantial reduction in time-to-hire (TTH) is a direct consequence of standardizing the assessment input. By requiring all candidates to engage with the same objective metrics, HR can leverage technology for rapid, bias-free elimination, accelerating the high-volume top-of-funnel (MoFu) activities. Measurable results include a demonstrated 40% shorter interview cycle and a 62% higher offer ratio in implementations involving gamified skills assessments. Unilever, for example, successfully reduced its overall screening time by 75% using science-based mobile games.

Mitigation of unconscious bias and increased diversity

One of the most profound benefits of gamified assessments is their effectiveness in removing hiring bias. Since games are designed to focus purely on behavior and performance, they naturally mitigate the influence of irrelevant demographic data, educational background, or professional pedigree. Gamification provides objective insights, allowing organizations to hire for potential rather than solely on past achievements.

To avoid unconscious bias, gamified systems typically employ two key mechanisms:

1. Blind Scoring: Candidates are evaluated solely based on their test results. The hiring team sees the quantitative assessment scores first, before any identifying information, such as the candidate’s name, resume, or photo, is revealed.
2. Anonymized Candidate Profiles: This process ensures that personal details, including gender, age, education level, or other protected demographic characteristics, are not visible to the hiring manager during the initial decision-making phase, ensuring the selection is based purely on objective performance.

By focusing on competence and potential, gamification effectively expands and diversifies the talent pool.

Measuring performance and validating investment

Does gamification in recruitment really deliver results?

Gamification in recruitment is definitely supported by research and statistical evidence demonstrating measurable, tangible results. It offers concrete improvements across key areas of the talent lifecycle.

Quantifiable evidence of success: metrics that matter

The performance of gamified processes can be quantified through various metrics:

• Engagement: The interactive nature of gamified experiences significantly increases user commitment. Engagement rates show a 48% increase when the work experience is gamified, and 85% of users state they would spend more time using gamified software.
• Efficiency: Gamified skills assessments dramatically compress the hiring timeline. Data supports a 40% reduction in the interview cycle and a 62% higher offer ratio, demonstrating accelerated progression through the funnel.
• Retention: Leveraging gamification in the onboarding process has shown a documented capability to reduce employee turnover rates from 25% to 8%.
• Desirability: The modern approach makes the employer brand more attractive, with 78% of applicants viewing employers with gamified hiring processes more favorably.

Calculating Return on Investment (ROI): The strategic view

Measuring the return on investment (ROI) from gamification presents unique challenges. While the operational results (e.g., reduced TTH) are robust, quantifying the financial ROI can be difficult due to the complex cost structure. Initial development, continuous creative updates (avatars, new challenges), ongoing community management and policing, and crucial compliance/legal costs can cause the overall cost of recruitment-focused games to escalate.

To mitigate this complexity, HR leaders must frame gamification as a strategic infrastructure investment characterized by high capital expenditure (CapEx) and continuous operational expenditure (OpEx). ROI validation must therefore shift from short-term transaction costs to longitudinal metrics, focusing on the quality of hire (QoH) and the cost savings associated with reduced attrition and significantly shorter TTH. 

Metrics for evaluating gamification ROI and success

The success of a gamified recruitment system is best evaluated by comparing baseline hiring data against post-implementation results across several key performance indicators (KPIs).

Metrics for Evaluating Gamification ROI and Success

The future of interactive Talent Acquisition

Gamification represents a foundational, unavoidable shift toward a more insightful, fair, and immersive approach to talent acquisition, positioning it as a significant component of the future of hiring. As technology continues to evolve rapidly, gamification is moving beyond novelty and becoming a necessity for maintaining candidate engagement and improving assessment accuracy.

AI-Powered Adaptive Assessments and Hyper-Personalization

The next evolution of gamified hiring will be driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Future game-based assessments will be adaptive, dynamically adjusting their difficulty, pacing, and scenario complexity in real time based on how candidates perform. This adaptation ensures the assessment is neither too easy (failing to measure peak performance) nor too hard (leading to frustration and dropout), thereby capturing the candidate's true capacity and maximizing the predictive insight collected.

Immersive reality (VR/AR) simulations

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are poised to dramatically increase the fidelity of gamified assessments. Immersive environments will move assessments closer to the physical reality of the actual job. This technology will enable the testing of complex, integrated competencies that are difficult to measure in a flat digital environment, such as collaboration under stress, fine motor skill precision, or complex spatial reasoning within a simulated work site. The use of VR/AR makes assessments feel increasingly like real work, providing unprecedented behavioral data.

Predictive analytics and performance mapping

The future of talent technology will prioritize the closure of the feedback loop. Advanced tools will correlate gamified assessment data directly with long-term job performance, tenure, and turnover metrics. By mapping the initial behavioral data captured during the game to subsequent on-the-job success, organizations can continuously refine and validate their predictive models, ensuring the assessments are measuring precisely what they are designed to measure—future success.

Ethical design and algorithmic governance

As the mechanisms for data collection become increasingly sophisticated, the emphasis on ethical design and fairness must increase commensurately. Transparency in assessment design and robust algorithmic governance are becoming critical requirements. HR leaders must insist on clear validation studies for any proprietary assessment algorithms, demanding proof of non-bias and external certification, ensuring that fairness remains a core tenet of technological adoption.

The trajectory of talent acquisition indicates that gamification is fundamentally shifting the hiring process to become smarter, faster, and more effective, underpinned by principles from organizational psychology and validated by technology. Its successful implementation allows companies to identify talent based on objective potential rather than subjective credentials. The strategic question for HR leadership is not whether gamification works, but how quickly the organization can strategically and effectively integrate it into its core hiring methodology.

Whiteboard interviews have traditionally been a go-to method for evaluating technical candidates. However, as hiring practices evolve, more companies are questioning their validity and fairness. While these interviews aim to test a candidate’s problem-solving and coding abilities, they often fail to reflect real-world scenarios and can create unnecessary barriers for talented professionals.

Here’s a detailed look at why whiteboard interviews are falling short, supported by alternative methods that deliver better results for technical hiring.

Why whiteboard interviews will always fall short

1. Lack of real-world relevance

Whiteboard interviews often focus on theoretical questions that do not reflect the practical challenges developers face in their daily work. For example, while solving algorithmic puzzles might demonstrate logical thinking, it doesn’t showcase skills like debugging, optimizing performance, or integrating APIs. These are far more relevant in a real-world tech role.

Illustration: A company might ask candidates to write a quicksort algorithm on a whiteboard, but in reality, most developers would use pre-built library functions for such tasks and focus their time on solving more complex application-specific problems.

Whiteboard interviews also fail to consider the collaborative nature of modern software development. Engineers work in teams, consult documentation, and use advanced tools to troubleshoot and innovate—none of which are accounted for in a whiteboard setting.

2. Encourages rote memorization

Instead of evaluating problem-solving skills or creativity, whiteboard interviews tend to reward candidates who can recall academic concepts under pressure. This approach prioritizes “textbook” knowledge over practical application.

Example: A front-end developer might ace a whiteboard question on JavaScript promises but fail to demonstrate their expertise in real-world scenarios like debugging asynchronous behavior in a live application.

3. Bias in evaluation

Whiteboard interviews often amplify implicit biases in hiring. For instance, a candidate who performs confidently in a live, high-pressure environment may appear more competent, even if their technical skills are weaker than another candidate who struggles with anxiety in the same situation.

Bias also creeps in during subjective evaluations. Interviewers might unconsciously favor candidates whose thought processes align with their own, penalizing those who approach problems differently but could bring unique perspectives to the role.

Case in point: Studies show that women and candidates from underrepresented groups often underperform in whiteboard interviews due to heightened stress or lack of familiarity with the format, even when they possess exceptional technical abilities.

4. Misses soft skills and collaboration

Whiteboard interviews completely ignore critical soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability—traits that are vital for success in modern tech environments. Technical brilliance is rarely enough; candidates must also demonstrate the ability to work cohesively with diverse teams and adapt to rapidly changing project requirements.

5. Lack of iterative problem-solving

In real-world development, engineers solve problems iteratively, relying on feedback and testing their solutions. Whiteboard interviews, however, demand perfect solutions in one attempt, disregarding how candidates approach debugging or refining their work.

Better alternatives to whiteboard interviews your team needs to use now

Modern hiring practices focus on assessing candidates in realistic environments, ensuring evaluations are fair, inclusive, and relevant to the role. Here are some effective alternatives:

1. Hands-on coding assessments

HackerEarth’s coding assessments allow candidates to solve real-world problems in a familiar coding environment. Recruiters can test skills like debugging, optimizing algorithms, or building scalable solutions, providing a clearer picture of job readiness.

Example: Instead of asking candidates to write pseudocode for a sorting algorithm, HackerEarth enables recruiters to test how candidates optimize database queries or fix broken code in real time.

2. Take-home projects

Assigning take-home assignments allows candidates to solve problems on their own time using the tools they’re accustomed to. These projects simulate actual job responsibilities and give recruiters a better sense of a candidate’s technical depth.

3. Pair programming interviews

Pair programming sessions involve working collaboratively on a coding task with an interviewer. This method assesses not only technical skills but also a candidate’s ability to communicate, accept feedback, and collaborate in real-time.

4. Virtual hackathons

Hackathons hosted on platforms like HackerEarth engage candidates in problem-solving while mimicking real-world challenges. They provide insights into creativity, teamwork, and technical expertise, all while offering a more enjoyable candidate experience.

Case study: A tech startup used a HackerEarth hackathon to replace traditional interviews. Candidates worked in teams to solve live problems, and the top performers were hired for their ability to think critically and collaborate effectively.

5. Role-specific assessments

Instead of relying on generic whiteboard tasks, focus on role-specific challenges. For example, assess a backend developer’s ability to design scalable APIs or a front-end developer’s expertise in creating responsive UI components. HackerEarth’s assessment platform allows recruiters to customize tasks for any technical role.

The role of HackerEarth in skill-first tech hiring

HackerEarth enables organizations to move beyond outdated hiring methods like whiteboard interviews by adopting a skill-first hiring philosophy—a process that focuses on what candidates can do rather than how they perform under artificial, high-stakes scenarios.

Skill-first hiring with HackerEarth

1. Real-world simulations:
   HackerEarth provides coding assessments that mimic actual job responsibilities, allowing candidates to demonstrate their skills in solving real-world problems. For example, a back-end developer might be tasked with designing a scalable API, while a DevOps candidate could work on a task requiring CI/CD pipeline configuration.
2. Diverse assessment types:
   From debugging challenges to take-home projects, HackerEarth allows recruiters to evaluate candidates holistically. By incorporating tests for coding, database management, or even domain-specific tasks, HackerEarth ensures candidates are assessed on what truly matters.‍
3. Bias-free evaluations:
   HackerEarth’s anonymized assessments remove identifiers like name, gender, and educational background, ensuring that hiring decisions are based solely on skill and performance. This approach promotes diversity and inclusion, helping companies build stronger, more innovative teams.

Empowering collaboration and adaptability

HackerEarth also supports collaborative hiring practices, such as pair programming assessments and virtual hackathons, where candidates solve challenges in a team environment. This not only highlights their technical expertise but also evaluates how well they communicate, adapt to feedback, and contribute to group problem-solving—critical traits for thriving in modern tech roles.

Case Study: L&T Infotech leveraged HackerEarth to conduct collaborative assessments for their global tech hiring drive. By testing candidates in realistic scenarios, they identified top talent faster and achieved a 40% improvement in time-to-hire.

Data-driven hiring insights

HackerEarth’s platform provides detailed performance analytics, allowing recruiters to pinpoint a candidate’s strengths and areas for improvement. Metrics like code efficiency, logical thinking, and adaptability are captured, ensuring that the most qualified candidates are selected for the role.

Beyond coding: soft skill assessment

HackerEarth doesn’t stop at technical skills. It also enables recruiters to assess communication, critical thinking, and leadership potential through non-coding challenges and custom evaluations. This holistic approach ensures that candidates meet both the technical and cultural requirements of the role.

HackerEarth is leading the transformation of technical hiring by eliminating outdated practices like whiteboard interviews. Its tools and methodologies focus on skill-first hiring, ensuring candidates are evaluated in environments that reflect actual work conditions. By integrating HackerEarth into their recruitment process, companies have been able to hire faster, reduce biases, and build teams that are not only technically competent but also equipped to collaborate, adapt, and succeed.

So, if you too are ready to improve your TTH and adopt a skill-first hiring strategy, book your demo here!

Lately, you are finding it difficult to onboard talented candidates. You notice a lot of candidates are dropping off at the job application stage, some have stopped replying to you after the interview, and some more have simply ghosted you, post rolling out an offer letter.

If this continues and promising talent keeps dropping out of your hiring process, you know the answer. It’s 2 words—candidate engagement.

Your candidate engagement strategies are not at par with what modern candidates will tolerate in hiring. Indeed, a recent report by Appcast shows that a whopping 92% of candidates do not complete filling out online applications. Now the burning question is why?

While the application flow and hiring life cycle are not as clunky as before and have improved over the years, they still make candidates jump through too many unnecessary hoops. Understandably, candidates look for quick, easy processes and if you can’t provide that, they will move on to someone who does.

Recruiters, how would you feel if we told you that it is possible to treat your candidates better? And to have:

• better candidate response rates
• increased candidate engagement in recruitment
• reduced ghosting from both ends
• fewer hiring managers breathing down your neck?

You’ve come to the right place. Let’s go!

Candidate experience vs. candidate engagement in recruitment

What is candidate engagement? And how is it different from candidate experience? While both these terms sound similar, candidate engagement is actually the subset of candidate experience. Both together make for a successful hiring strategy.

Candidate experience is how prospective candidates feel about an employer’s recruiting, hiring, and onboarding processes. Is it positive or negative? Was it memorable or frustrating? Did the candidate feel valued or neglected?

Candidate engagement is the process of communicating with your candidates across every single touchpoint in your recruitment journey. Application status, interview stages, real-time updates, feedback, interview prep, etc. If a recruiter takes care of the candidates, keeps them in the loop, and regularly communicates with them, how would the candidate feel? They would feel encouraged, supported, and seen.

Consequently, the candidate would leave with an unforgettable hiring experience!

Also read: 5 Reasons For Bad Candidate Experience In Tech Interviews

Why is candidate engagement important?

Candidate engagement can have a negative and direct impact on your company’s bottom line, if not taken seriously.

• If candidates feel undervalued or mistreated, the word will spread. Potential candidates will read those bad reviews and decide not to apply. Consequently, your employer branding will take a hit
• A badly structured application process will lead to greater drop-off rates and increase your time-to-hire metric
• Disengaged candidates make for disengaged employees leading to higher attrition rates

Now that you know the consequences of not treating your candidates right, head on to the next section on how to improve candidate engagement.

Tips to improve candidate engagement during the entire recruitment process

1. Simplify the application process

This goes without saying but the first thing to take care of is your application process. Is it long? Is it confusing? Why are candidates abandoning it midway through? Are there any technical glitches to make candidates drop off? Are there any unnecessary steps that could be cut out?

The easiest way to find out is to attempt filling out your own job posting and see what might deter a candidate from completing it.

2. Be clear and upfront about recruitment process details

Make sure you and your candidates are on the same page by setting clear expectations about your company’s hiring process. Provide a timeline for all the steps involved in the hiring lifecycle. In case of any potential roadblocks or delays like postponing a scheduled interview, let the candidate know.

For instance, Google updates its candidates with detailed information about what to expect in each stage of the interview process, and it also offers feedback and support throughout. This may come across as a simple thing that anybody would do to respect their candidates’ time but that is unfortunately not the case.

More importantly, hiring managers should consider if their candidate hiring process is inclusive and accessible to all. Is it easy for those with disabilities to participate in the selection? How best can you provide alternative solutions to help them take part?

Also read: How You Can Leverage Candidate Experience To Attract Top Talent

3. Don’t prolong the screening stage

If you take days to review new candidate applications, you risk the chance of skilled candidates being recruited by your competitors. In today’s digital age, it is strongly a candidate-driven market and lengthy technical screening processes only lead to your candidates shopping for quicker, better offers.

Use candidate engagement tools like advanced ATS platforms to recruit faster and keep your candidates interested in working for you. You can also craft personalized, time-saving experiences for your candidates, which helps in boosting candidate engagement to a large extent.

4. No ghostly activities…Follow through on promises

Do you feel a twinge of annoyance and desperation when a good-quality candidate doesn’t show up for an interview? That’s also how your candidate feels when you ghost them and do not provide timely feedback, important updates, etc. Two-way communication is key to providing a positive candidate experience.

If you say you will call them at a certain time, follow through on that. In case of any unforeseen delay, make sure to let them know. Respect your candidates’ time, give clear instructions for any assessments or tests, and be responsive to any questions they may have. You are halfway there to nurturing a healthy, trusting relationship with them.

Also read: 3 Ways For Recruiters To Deal With Professional Ghosting By Candidates

5. Use technology to make better hiring decisions

As an extension to screening candidates faster, allow technology to help you further shortlist candidates much more quickly. Invest in other contemporary tools akin to candidate engagement tools like online coding assessment tools and video interviewing platform for conducting interviews. This will enable you to provide a personalized experience and speed up the hiring process.

Coding assessment platforms like HackerEarth help recruiters and hiring managers screen the most talented candidates with ease. You get to make use of our rich library of 17,000+ questions across 900+ skills.

Remote coding interview platforms are designed keeping in mind a candidate’s experience. They come with a code editor, built-in code libraries, and simulate a realistic day on the job. Our online coding interview platform, FaceCode lets you easily set up, invite and conduct coding interviews on a collaborative, real-time code editor that automates your interview summaries.

6. Deliver hiring as an experience, not a run-of-the-mill process

Any good tech recruiter will know that rolling out the offer letter does not mark the end of the candidate hiring process. It is what comes after that is important. Laying the groundwork for long-term retention of your employees begins once the offer has been given.

Until the candidate has officially joined the company, you need to ramp up your candidate engagement strategies to ensure they do not jump ship. Be it AI-enabled onboarding systems to help new hires fill out paperwork quickly, or sharing useful welcome videos through online hiring platforms, infuse a level of excitement in your new hires!

Pro tip:

Always, always provide relevant and timely feedback, and thank the candidates for their time, even those who were not shortlisted. Also, ask your candidates for their feedback. Create a short survey and ask them to share their thoughts. Not only does this show you care about them but you will also gain valuable insights into your recruitment process and identify the gaps.

BONUS: 3 unique examples of how recruiters can continuously keep candidates engaged

1. Tailor candidate engagement strategies to specific personas – The Salesforce way

Candidate engagement cannot be one-size-fits-all. Just as copy/pasted job descriptions do more harm than good so do generic candidate engagement strategies. To truly connect with a diverse set of candidates, your strategy should be persona-focused. Tailor your communication and social media posts to target specific candidate personas.

Salesforce actively reaches out to underrepresented groups to encourage them to apply for job opportunities. Additionally, they partner with organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

It doesn’t end there. Salesforce also has numerous employee resource groups (ERGs) that provide support and resources for underrepresented groups within the company. This goes a long way in making employees feel like they really belong and leads to better retention rates. Moreover, these ERGs play a role in recruiting and hiring by helping to attract diverse candidates to the company.

Also read: Guide To Creating Candidate Personas For Tech Teams

2. Send newsletters to candidates – The HackerEarth example

As any B2B marketer would agree, we mainly rely on newsletters to capture the attention of clients by showing off the company’s products and services.

But it can also be a great way to get promising candidates (who may be looking for jobs or not) to think of applying to your company! Create your own talent community and work on keeping them engaged so that when the time comes to hire, you have a warm talent pool to fall back on.

Design and curate a newsletter specifically for candidates both active and passive. Send them regular updates on job opportunities, events, viral tech-related news, and relevant blogs.

We, at HackerEarth, take immense pride in our community newsletter, titled “In A Nutshell”, which is aimed at developers and coders. Recently, our newsletter saw a whopping open rate of 90% so believe me when I say, this is a proven way to connect with your candidates!

Want to stay in the orbit of “all things tech” and uncover hidden gems from the developer universe? Here’s where the magic happens 🙂

3. Love in the times of “VR tech”

Get creative with your hiring!

We all know, conducting a coding assessment is the go-to method of testing a candidate’s technical skills. It is mundane, it is routine, and it can be tedious.

But what if we told you it doesn’t have to be? A few good ways to do so are using gamification and virtual reality to assess your candidates and make it more enjoyable in the process.

• Take Deloitte, for instance. It uses virtual reality simulations to test candidates’ skills. The hiring team creates VR simulations of real-world scenarios that candidates may encounter in their roles and accordingly solve those challenges.
• Cisco makes use of gamification to assess candidates’ technical skills and problem-solving abilities. Their game-based hiring platform is called “Cisco Mind Games.” It sounds fun, right from the start!

You can use VR technology in more ways than just candidate screening. A fool-proof way of getting your candidates excited about working at your company is to let them in on what goes on behind the scenes! Give them a juicy taste of what it’s like.

• Amazon turns to virtual reality technology to provide candidates with an immersive tour of their fulfillment centers, giving them a glimpse into the company’s operations.
• So does Walmart. It even goes so far as to provide candidates with an interactive experience of what it’s like to work in Walmart stores with virtual reality simulations.
• PwC’s “career preview” program allows candidates to explore different roles and experience different scenarios through virtual reality. It truly makes for an immersive experience of what it’s like to work for the company.

Take your candidate engagement to the next level with VR tech. As tomorrow’s workforce is mainly Gen Z, who are rather tech-savvy, they will appreciate you doing so.

Also read: 6 Must-Track Candidate Experience Metrics To Hire Better

The way to your candidates’ hearts!

As a recruiter, ask yourself—what do you look for in a candidate’s application? Is it a clear and simple resume? Good communication skills? Timely responses to your emails? Joining the scheduled interview on time?

Now, let’s turn this on its head. You say you want a clear resume. Is your job posting clear or is it confusing? Does filling on the job application take up a lot of the candidate’s time? Is the candidate worrying about the next steps since they did not hear back from you? Did the interviewer make the candidate wait?

You see where I’m going with this. Treat your candidates the way you want to be treated—with care and respect. Invest in whole-hearted candidate engagement practices and you will leave them with a superlatively memorable experience.

Moreover, with all the examples of how candidate engagement looks when done right, we hope the path to your candidates’ hearts is a little clearer.

As always, happy hiring 🙂