Now that you have added stages to your workflow, you can set up your communication with your applicants so you can maximize Fountain's automation and lower your team's touch points.
Automated messages are emails and/or SMS messages set at the stage level and triggered by a set time of your choice. The role of these automated messages is to get the applicant to return to the application and finish the hiring process.
Designing Initial Messages
Initial messages are the first email and/or SMS messages that go out when an applicant lands in that stage. It can be delayed by the minute and is mainly used to get the applicant to complete the action specific to that stage.
Set action item
For applicants who have stepped away from your application, these messages will be the first communication they get. Make sure the message is simple and to the point, with a clear action item. Since the message is tied to the type of stage, the content of the message can be more specific to the action you are trying to get the applicant to do for that stage. For example, a Background Check Initial Message will only be usable on Background Check stages. The content of the message will explicitly speak to signing their background check consent form.
Set sufficient delay for the Initial Message
For those applicants who are diligent and are flowing through the workflow in a single sitting, they shouldn't be getting every Initial Message for each stage they land in. Make sure you set a delay time that is sufficient for them to complete that stage before sending out Initial messages.
Designing Follow-Up Messages
Follow-Up messages are messages that are sent after the Initial message if the applicant still doesn't take action. This can be a single message or a series of messages, each triggered by a different idle time and each with added urgency and content. The goals of these messages are to get the applicant to return to their application which is typically more generic and doesn't refer to the action at hand for scalability.
Sell the company and the job
Follow-Up messages are the last few communications sent to the applicant. By now, the applicant has started the application and has received an email or two from your company, but they still haven't completed their application. They might need a little push and reminder on why they started the application in the first place. Don't be afraid to sell the job and your company to give them a nudge.
Give a sense of urgency
These messages are the last chance to get the applicant to return to the application. Consider giving a sense of urgency to the applicant where their application will be closed if they don't take action.
Automated Message Best Practice
Use Message Templates for scalability
If you have 10 openings and 10 stages each, that's 100 stage messages! Add three Follow-Up messages per stage and that's an additional 300 messages!
To be scalable, use Message Templates to add an Initial message Template or each stage type you've used in your workflow as well as a few Follow-Up messages Templates. You can link the same template across different stages and Openings. If you need to make copy edits to the template, you'll only need to update the template once and it will be reflected everywhere it was used.
Be general in your communication so it is applicable to all your Stages and Openings
Your email and SMS content should be somewhat general. Try not to be too specific on processes that will differ among the Openings. If you are making different templates for different stages, you can put in what to expect for the next step. However, if your workflows are different, where the order of the stages changes between openings, then you may not want to add these specifics.
Use Merge Keys to make it personable and specific
You can make your messages specific to an applicant by using Merge Keys. If you want to include specifics about the Opening, you can add a Merge Key for the field for Opening name, or for pay rate, for the address, etc. As long as the information exists in the Openings's settings, you can add the data through Merge Keys. You can also make the message more personable by addressing the applicant and any data within their Applicant Profile such as their name, the reason they applied, their city, or preferred shift.
Next Steps
Once you have designed your message content and evaluated these tips, go on over to add the stage message and the set up the Follow Up messages articles.
Additional Resources
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