A couple of decades ago, not answering your landline would have been considered rude. Every household member would run to answer it to make sure the caller didn’t feel rejected. Then came cellphones. The excitement and sense of importance couldn’t stop people from answering their calls. Then came the Millennials!

Today, it’s not just about missing a few calls. The new generation actively ignores their mobile phone calls, which is a nightmare for recruiters. When a recruiter matches the ideal candidate with a client but then he or she doesn’t pick up the phone, it’s impossible to tell if this is because it’s normal or because they aren’t interested.

According to a study by Ipsos Mori for Deloitte, 76% of adults in the UK have a mobile phone. At the same time, around 25% don’t use it to make or receive calls. For recruiters, HR, hiring managers, and even company owners who are responsible for hiring, it’s important to understand why people aren’t answering their phones and what can be done.

Here we are going to cover 5 reasons why people don’t answer their phones to recruiters and how we can overcome this problem.

#1. Phone calls take time

We’re now living in a world where everything must be done as quickly as possible: it’s all about saving time. Phone calls occupy more of a person’s time than other methods of communication that are presently available to us. It’s said that we spend an average of 8 minutes per day on the phone talking about the weather and that’s before you have even got to the point.

Even a lengthy email can be sent in less time than a conversation about the weather. Social media sites allow for instant posts that inform hundreds of people, if not thousands, of your news. Basically, there are other, faster ways to get your message across.

#2. There is no sense of urgency with mobile phones

Again, going back to the landline, if you didn’t answer, it was possible that you would never know what the person had to say. Our received calls are logged in our phones. If we want to, we can call the person back at a more convenient time. We have the mentality that, if it is important, they’ll call us back.

If you thought a voicemail would encourage your candidate to return your call, you might well be mistaken. Surveys show that only 33% of voicemails from businesses are listened to. Shockingly, only 18% of voicemails from unknown callers are listened to. So essentially, voicemails don’t spark the sense of urgency we might once have expected.

#3. Placing your needs above theirs

A phone call is a disruption. It draws your attention away from the task at hand and it can take a while to be able to regain your focus afterwards. When Millennials receive a phone call, it implies that what you have to say is more important than what they were doing.

It also puts people on the spot. If a candidate has multiple offers, they may not be prepared to accept the offer during your phone call. This will make a candidate feel uncomfortable; again, it’s easy to mistake their discomfort for a lack of enthusiasm.

It is now becoming customary to send an email prior to making a phone call. Your email could state when you are going to call so that the candidate is aware, or even ask when a suitable time would be to call. At this point, it almost makes sense just to relay the information in the email that you are already writing.

#4. It’s not their job to answer the phone

Obviously, a recruiter’s success is linked to the phone calls they make and receive. Proper performance of your job may depend on these calls, so you’re naturally more enthusiastic. On the contrary, a candidate isn’t paid to answer their mobile. Add this to the fact that they don’t like answering the telephone, and you can understand why a candidate views calls negatively.

#5. A phone call isn’t necessary to accept a job

Picture a candidate who has two offers: one is received via a message via LinkedIn, the other via phone calls. If there are no benefits to one job over the other, the candidate is going to reply via LinkedIn and continue to ignore calls. It’s no longer the case that the recruiter or the employer has the upper hand. In today’s market, we must follow the rules of the candidate.

Improving communication with candidates

The solution is a simple one, that is, learn to be adaptable: It’s essential to learn the candidate’s preferred method of contact and use it. Every business must have an online presence so you should already have at least one social media account. Ensure you are active on sites such as LinkedIn and Glassdoor. It’s also advisable to use Facebook and Instagram.

The more lines of communication you have available, the more opportunities you have for contacting your candidates and keeping them happy.

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