Candidate attraction | Why do we fail to act on recruitment data?

Recruitment data allows you to analyse each step of the recruitment process, identify areas for improvement and gain actionable insights about your recruitment journey. In this insight, we explore the importance of recruitment data and how it is critical to act effectively to attract top talent.

Why do we fail to act on recruitment data?

The recruitment process can be filled with surprises, from job postings to candidate interviews. Recruitment data allows you to analyse each step of the recruitment process, identify areas for improvement and gain actionable insights about your recruitment journey. In this insight, we explore the importance of recruitment data and how it is critical to act effectively to attract top talent.

Which sourcing channels get measured regularly?

In the extensive 2024 UK Candidate Attraction Report, we asked how often recruiters measure the effectiveness of their sourcing channels. After all, “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”

The most regularly/occasionally measured sources of candidates are:

• Agencies

• Events

• Specialist Job Boards and

• Programmatic Advertising.

Social media is at the opposite end of the scale, where around a third of recruitment teams can’t/don’t measure their performance.

Careers Site / Website is one of the least measured candidate sourcing channels yet is the most utilised by 95% of recruiters.

So why do recruiters measure some channels and not others? And if channels are not measured, is this a shot in the dark when selecting the channels to attract talent?

The talent sourcing workflow

The talent sourcing workflow poses more questions.

We wanted to get an insight into the mindset of recruiters when presented with a new job to work on; what are the tools they reach for first? And what do they do to expand their reach?

Respondents in the survey selected from a list of candidate sourcing activities to identify the actions they regularly perform and to sort them into their order of priority. The aim was to determine their sourcing workflow, as shown in the image.

However, a large percentage of recruiters still do not regularly measure the effectiveness of each channel. This begs the question, why are sourcing channels chosen to attract candidates if it’s not based on channel performance?

Enhancing performance with recruitment measurement

The comparison of channel results between those who can’t/don’t measure and those who regularly track channel performance is evident. The quadrant shown compares the results. In all cases, those in-house teams who regularly measure channel effectiveness report improved candidate quality and increased numbers.

Recruitment KPIs should be the bread and butter of tracking progress and measuring the effectiveness of recruitment activities. Suppose you know a particular candidate sourcing channel is not performing yet costing you time and money. In that case, you can switch channels to get the best return for your money and a better quality and quantity of candidates.

Don’t know where to start? Here are some resources to help

Free 78-page report – UK Candidate Attraction. The full lowdown by sector on sourcing channel success.

Recruitment Metrics Cookbook. Everything you need to know about creating recruitment metrics.

You can download the free reports here:

2024 UK Candidate Attraction Report | The Recruitment Metrics Cookbook