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The Power of Analytics: Finding Your Measure of Good
Posted by Ashley Kauffman on October 28th, 2019 
When it comes to recruitment marketing analytics, many organizations remain narrowly focused on an increase in numbers. However, the most useful analytics tell the story of the candidate journey with an acute focus on the why behind the what.
At NAS Recruitment Innovation, we believe that analytics need to be interpreted with your holistic recruitment strategy in mind. While the ultimate measure of good is, invariably, the hire, analytics will help you determine which sources are working to achieve your recruitment goals, which are not, and when it’s time to shift strategy. So, where do you start? With the general analytics framework:
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Unique visitors
- Job views
- Apply starts
- Completed applies
- Hires
Unique visitors
In general, you want more visitors to your job posting, landing page, Open House registration portal – wherever your marketing efforts are directing candidates – and an increase in volume is considered positive. However, there may be variables to take into account when evaluating visitors, such as current paid promotions or the number of open job requisitions you have, which will drive an increase or decrease in traffic.
Job views
An increase in job views and unique visitors must align with your hiring goals. For example, achieving high job views while unique visitor numbers remain the same or decline, is not necessarily a good thing. It tells us that the candidate didn’t find what they wanted, perhaps they couldn’t easily source through your content and most importantly, they didn’t take that all-important next step, which is to begin the application process. Ideally, you want both more unique visitors and more job views.Apply starts
For a candidate, the best-case scenario = lowest number of clicks to get into your ATS. Again, if analytics reveal high page views/low traffic, something isn’t coming together. Some organizations struggle with this because they only want to see an increase in numbers, which is not always representative of a positive increase. Apply starts are a variable we measure, as well. In general, an increase in Apply starts is positive (also allowing you to capture data and contact candidates moving forward), but it must go hand-in-hand with the next logical step in the process: the completed application.Completed applies
Clearly the ultimate goal is to get qualified candidates to the ATS to complete an application. So, your candidate found the job they’re interested in. Great! But, did they drop off at this stage? If analytics reveal uncompleted applications, then it’s time to review your own job apply process to assess and fix any potential roadblocks (poorly written/unclear job descriptions, a time-consuming or redundant apply process, etc.). Chances are it’s likely you (the company), not them (the candidate).Consider this: maybe an increase in completed applies is not always what you want. (“Wait…what!?”). Think of it this way: you are going to hire ONE person for the job. If you are getting a ton of less qualified applicants, it will only create more work for your HR team and also extend the review-to-interview timeline for the truly qualified candidates. That’s why we always want to look at the context and situation; this is where interpretation of your comprehensive analytics profile is key.
Hires
Congratulations! You and your candidate both navigated the process with a successful end-result. The hire is your ultimate goal! Now ask yourself, how did this candidate find you? If you can’t answer that question with tracking precision, then what good is the data you collected? Being able to track to hire is the ultimate measure of good against traffic sources. The rest of the data just helps tells the story.As we’ve learned, it’s not just about the numbers. Volume is not always the key issue when you have a great brand presence. It is a matter of getting the right candidate, and your strategy and measure of good need to align. Data also needs to be interpreted and benchmarked against many variables. You need someone who can help you to understand the data you collect and, when required, pivot your hiring strategy accordingly.
Analysis is key. What you do with the data makes all the difference.
Contact NAS and let’s get started on telling your story with the power of analytics.Ashley Kauffman
As Director of Analytics with NAS Recruitment Innovation, Ashley works closely with our clients to help them strategize on recruiting A-level talent based on data intelligence. Ashley focuses on telling a story for our clients in a way that not only validates their current strategy, but also anticipates future opportunities. Whether your goal is delivering effective employment brands, career sites and social media strategies, or comprehensive online or traditional ad campaigns, Ashley leverages her ten plus years of industry experience to achieve success and exceed client expectations.
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