A recruitment consultant opens their inbox. Twelve messages from candidates: "Did you get my CV?", "How long until I hear back?", "Do I need to register?", "Do you charge candidates?", "What's the interview process for the warehouse role?" Most have the same answer every time. Together, they take an hour.
Candidates ask the same questions every day. Answering them clearly frees consultants for placements.
The questions candidates ask
- How do I apply?
- Did you receive my application?
- How long will it take to hear back?
- Do I need to register with you?
- Do you charge candidates?
- What happens at the interview?
- Can I apply for more than one role?
- What if I'm not successful?
Example conversations
These scripts use information an agency might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Candidate: Do you charge candidates for finding them a job? Assistant: No. The candidate page explains that the agency never charges candidates. Fees are paid by employers.
Candidate: How long until I hear back about my application? Assistant: The candidate guide explains that consultants review applications within a few working days, and contact shortlisted candidates directly. If you haven't heard back within a week, you can follow up here.
Candidate: Did you get my CV for the warehouse supervisor role? Assistant: I'm not able to see applications, but I can pass your question to the consultant for that role. Could you share your name and the email you applied with?
Status questions need a person
Candidates want reassurance that they have not been forgotten. Individual status questions should go to the consultant, with the candidate's name and role captured so the consultant can reply quickly.
Separating candidates and clients
Candidate questions should not delay client enquiries. Separating the two streams is covered in candidates and clients using the same inbox, and prioritising clients in client vacancy enquiries that deserve priority.
Rejection with respect
Candidates who are not successful still deserve a reply. A short, respectful message explaining that they have not been shortlisted this time, and inviting them to apply for future roles, keeps them positive about the agency. Candidates who feel ignored often tell others, and some of today's unsuccessful candidates become tomorrow's placements or even future clients once they move into hiring roles themselves.
Registration and compliance documents
Many agencies need candidates to provide identification, right-to-work documents and references before placement. Explaining what is needed, and how to provide it securely, answers another common set of questions and speeds up the process once a candidate is chosen.
A candidate guide
A short guide explaining how applications work, typical timelines, what interviews involve and what happens if a candidate is not successful answers most questions. The free AI FAQ generator can help draft a starting point. Admissions teams use the same approach with applicants, described in scripts for admissions questions asked every day.
Answering at any hour
Candidates often search and apply in the evening. SpideyChat for recruitment agencies answers candidate questions from your own pages at any hour and captures status questions for consultants. Professional services firms use it similarly for client questions, described in how financial advisors use chatbots to answer client questions.
Writing the candidate guide
Write a candidate guide covering the questions above, link it from every job page and let candidates find answers without emailing. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about answers on the features page.