Creating Automated Replies

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure automated replies for external and internal candidates.

Automated Replies in SmartRecruiters

Ensuring timely, personalized communication with job applicants is crucial to maintaining a positive candidate experience. SmartRecruiters lets you set up automated replies that acknowledge applications and provide essential information, enhancing engagement and streamlining the recruitment process.

SmartRecruiters' Auto-Reply feature helps you maximize candidate engagement by automatically responding to each new application with a custom message.

Example subject and message body for automated reply displayed.

Auto-Replies provide an automated way to immediately engage the candidate, set expectations for follow-up steps such as phone screens, and introduce your company's culture. When a candidate applies for a job, SmartRecruiters will automatically send an Auto-Reply to the email address they provide on their application.

Each job can have one Auto-Reply branded with your company’s name. The Auto-Reply can also contain a link to the Candidate Portal so that the candidate can access their application(s).

External vs. Internal Auto-Replies

SmartRecruiters distinguishes between two types of candidates:

External Candidates: These are applicants who apply through public job postings, such as those on your career page or job boards.
Internal Candidates: These are employees applying through internal career portals or widgets on your intranet.

Create Auto-Reply Templates

The creation process is similar for both external and internal auto-replies.

Steps

Navigate to Settings.
Select Auto-Reply in the Templates list.
Select Create Template.
Give the template a name.
Select Template Type: External auto-reply or Internal auto-reply.
Assign the template to a specific group of jobs by selecting values for your active Org fields. You can match values for any of your company’s active Org fields, plus the default Brand and Country fields.
Compose the email template:
1. Subject Heading: Enter a clear and engaging subject line.
2. Email Content: Use the formatting options to create a well-structured and informative email. You can add paragraphs, headings, and bullet points. SmartRecruiters’ text editor supports basic HTML formatting (bold, italics, lists, headings, links), but does not currently support images or colors.
3. Merge Fields (Optional): Personalize the email by using merge fields to include the candidate's name, job title, or company name. For example, you can address the candidate by their first name and mention the job they applied for.
4. Add Attachments (Optional): If you need to send additional documents, such as company brochures or application guides, you can upload them as attachments. These will appear as downloadable links in the email.
5. Include Forms (Optional): For gathering additional information, you can include a link to a form. This is typically used later in the recruitment process, but can be added to the auto-reply if needed.
Once you're satisfied with the email, save the template.

Multiple Auto-Reply Templates

You can create multiple auto-reply templates based on different organizational fields, ensuring that candidates receive the most relevant and personalized communication. If a candidate's application matches multiple criteria, SmartRecruiters will send the most specific template. If no specific template matches, the default template will be sent.

Note

Auto Replies cannot be set up solely based on the language of a job ad. However, users in SmartRecruit accounts can set up auto-replies for a specific region, country, or other Org field, which might dictate the language for the job ad, and allow the template to be written in the appropriate language.

For example, you may configure an auto-reply for the engineering department that includes specific information about the following steps in that hiring process, and a separate auto-reply for the product department with different information.

Watch the video below for more details about creating auto replies.

This video is for demonstration purposes. Any references made in this video to previous or later videos in this course (including titles, numbers, links, or sequence) may differ from the current course structure. Additionally, some functionalities shown may have evolved over time due to ongoing enhancements or business decisions.

Summary

Configuring auto-replies in SmartRecruiters enhances the candidate experience by providing immediate acknowledgment of their application.
Auto-replies can be customized for both external and internal candidates, allowing for tailored communication.
Organizational fields enable the creation of specific auto-replies based on criteria such as location, department, or brand.

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