MARCH 2020HR TECH OUTLOOK9The first thing we had to do was focus on our career site. We aspired for it to be the primary place for candidates to access information when they need it. We knew it needed to be easy to navigate, personal, and have more transparent information on our opportunities and how to apply. We spent a year working on that, and continue to make improvements on a regular basis. We have much more in store for our site! Next, we began to focus on technology that could help make the talent acquisition team more efficient, while providing even more access to potential candidates. One opportunity we saw? Chatbots. Now, some of the most frequently asked questions are fielded by our chatbot, 24/7, and without requiring phone or email exchanges with our talent acquisition team. In the first six weeks after launching our chatbot, we've seen over 50,000 unique job seekers interact with the bot in 245,000 conversations. Not only has this helped candidates get answers to questions they may have, but it has also resulted in over 5,800 apply clicks from candidates interacting with the bot.Next up--texting. As in, R U free for an interview this week? Pew Research trends show texting is the preferred method of communication among young Greg Mucciopeople, and it's moving upward toward adults. Enabling texting for interaction between candidates and our talent acquisition team is a win. A Gartner research study showed that SMS open rates can be as high as 98%, with email sitting at only 20%. Additionally, text response time is only 90 seconds, while email can be as high as 90 minutes. This means scheduling an interview, notifying candidates about a status update or even just adding a dose of hospitality in the hiring process can be done more quickly and efficiently utilizing SMS.Work is also underway to add an interview self-scheduling component, allowing selected candidates to set up a phone interview when it's convenient for them and without a messy game of phone tag or email exchanges. All of these efforts, from an improved career site, to chatbot to texting and self-scheduling, create a space that allows candidates and potential candidates to learn about career opportunities at Southwest Airlines... on their own terms. This is crucial with the unemployment rate at an all-time low and most candidates currently already working. We must be able to meet candidates where they are and when it's convenient for them. So, what about those candidates who need a little more help? We're still here for them, and now we actually have more capacity to focus on them! The efficiencies gained by technology allow us to focus on all of our candidates more deeply and with appropriate speed. Whether on the phone or in an in-person interview, we can better focus on the candidate, their skills, and their fit for the role and our Company. These technology enhancements allow our Recruiters to shift their time and resources to the core aspects of their job­finding the best candidate for a role. The efficiencies gained by technology allow us to focus on all of our candidates more deeply and with appropriate speed
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