Ensuring Transparency
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Understanding the purpose of a survey call
Why Organizations Use Survey Calls in Recruitment
Survey calls have become a central part of the candidate experience in modern recruitment. When a candidate receives a phone survey or a call survey, the main goal is to gather direct feedback about their journey through the hiring process. These calls are not just about collecting data; they are designed to understand how candidates perceive the company’s services, support, and overall quality assurance efforts.
Unlike online surveys or automated phone surveys, a survey call allows for real-time interaction. This gives organizations the chance to clarify survey questions, address concerns, and even provide customer support if needed. The human touch of a telephone survey can make candidates feel valued, which can positively influence their perception of the company.
What Happens During a Survey Call?
Typically, survey calls are conducted by a call center or a dedicated customer satisfaction team. The process involves calling candidates after key stages in the recruitment process—such as after an interview or once a hiring decision has been made. During these phone calls, candidates are asked a series of structured survey questions about their experience, the quality of communication, and the professionalism of the recruitment team.
- Questions may focus on the clarity of job descriptions, responsiveness of customer support, and the ease of using the company’s CRM or application system.
- Data collected from these calls is used for quality assurance and to identify areas for improvement in the candidate journey.
- Survey calling campaigns can be automated or manual, depending on the volume of candidates and the resources available.
Survey calls are especially valuable in sectors like real estate, where customer satisfaction and service quality are critical. By gathering insights through telephone surveys, companies can make informed decisions to enhance their recruitment process and overall brand reputation.
For organizations looking to improve their candidate experience, understanding the purpose and value of survey calls is a crucial first step. For more on how structured feedback tools can support this effort, check out this resource on effective performance review templates.
How survey calls influence candidate perceptions
Shaping First Impressions and Trust
When a candidate receives a survey call after an interview or application, it’s more than just a routine data collection step. The way these calls are conducted can set the tone for how candidates perceive the company’s values and commitment to customer satisfaction. A professional, respectful phone survey shows that the organization values feedback and is dedicated to improving its recruitment services. On the other hand, rushed or impersonal survey calls can leave candidates feeling like just another number in a campaign, undermining trust and engagement.The Human Touch in Survey Calling
Unlike automated phone surveys or online surveys, a live survey call offers a unique opportunity for real-time interaction. Candidates can ask questions, clarify doubts, and feel heard. This level of customer support can transform a simple phone call into a positive brand experience. When survey questions are relevant and thoughtfully asked, candidates are more likely to provide honest responses, giving organizations valuable insights into the quality of their hiring process.Impact on Perceived Quality and Support
Survey calls are often seen as an extension of the company’s customer service and quality assurance efforts. The tone, timing, and professionalism of the call center staff conducting the survey can influence how candidates rate the overall process. For example, a well-timed survey phone call that respects the candidate’s time and privacy can reinforce a sense of respect and care. In sectors like real estate or customer services, where reputation is everything, these calls can be a critical touchpoint for building loyalty.Data-Driven Improvements and Candidate Loyalty
The data collected from survey calls is not just for internal reports. When candidates see that their feedback leads to visible improvements in services or processes, it builds trust and encourages future engagement. Transparent communication about how survey responses are used can enhance the candidate experience, making them feel like active contributors to the company’s growth. For more on how organizations can leverage feedback to elevate their candidate journey, see this resource on effective voice of the customer training.Best practices for conducting effective survey calls
Keys to Building Trust During Survey Calls
When it comes to survey calls, trust is everything. Candidates are more likely to provide honest responses if they feel the process is transparent and respectful. Here are some practical ways to ensure your survey phone interactions foster a positive candidate experience:
- Clearly state the purpose: At the start of the call, explain why the survey is being conducted and how the data will be used. This helps set expectations and reduces uncertainty.
- Keep it concise: Respect the candidate’s time by keeping phone surveys focused and efficient. Avoid unnecessary questions and stick to relevant survey questions that align with your goals.
- Use a professional tone: Whether the survey is automated or handled by a call center agent, maintain a courteous and professional manner throughout the call. This reflects well on your customer support and overall brand image.
- Ensure privacy and confidentiality: Reassure candidates that their responses will be kept confidential and used only for quality assurance or service improvement. This is especially important in industries like real estate or customer services where sensitive data is often collected.
- Offer support if needed: If a candidate has questions during the survey call, be ready to provide clear answers or direct them to customer support services. This shows you value their participation and feedback.
Optimizing the Survey Call Process
To maximize the value of survey calling, organizations should leverage technology and best practices. Automated phone surveys can help streamline data collection, but it’s crucial to monitor quality assurance and ensure the process doesn’t feel impersonal. Integrating survey call data into your CRM allows for better tracking and follow-up, supporting ongoing improvements in candidate experience.
Regularly reviewing the quality of surveys conducted—whether by phone, online, or through other channels—helps identify areas for improvement. Insights from these reviews can be used to refine survey questions, enhance customer satisfaction, and strengthen your overall survey campaign strategy.
For a deeper look at how communication practices can impact candidate perceptions during survey calls, check out this article on deceptive communication in temporary staffing.
Common challenges faced during survey calls
Obstacles in Gathering Reliable Feedback
Survey calls are a valuable tool for collecting data and insights about the candidate experience, but they come with their own set of challenges. Ensuring the quality of responses and the effectiveness of the survey process can be difficult, especially when calls are conducted over the phone or through automated systems. Here are some common issues organizations face during survey calling campaigns:
- Low Response Rates: Many candidates may not answer phone calls from unknown numbers or may ignore automated phone surveys. This can limit the amount of data collected and reduce the reliability of the insights gained.
- Survey Fatigue: Candidates who receive multiple surveys—whether by phone, online, or through other channels—may become disengaged, leading to incomplete or rushed responses.
- Quality Assurance: Maintaining consistency in how survey questions are asked is crucial. Variations in tone, phrasing, or approach by different call center agents or automated services can affect the quality of the data collected.
- Technical Limitations: Automated phone surveys and CRM integrations can sometimes malfunction, causing dropped calls or incomplete data collection. This can impact the overall quality of the survey campaign.
- Privacy Concerns: Candidates may be hesitant to share honest feedback over the phone, especially if they are unsure how their responses will be used or if customer support and data protection policies are unclear.
Balancing Efficiency and Personalization
Organizations often struggle to find the right balance between efficient data collection and providing a personalized, supportive experience. While automated phone surveys and online surveys can save time, they may lack the human touch that builds trust and encourages open responses. On the other hand, live survey calls conducted by customer support or call center teams require more resources and time, but can yield richer insights.
Managing Candidate Expectations
Another challenge is setting clear expectations for candidates about the purpose and process of the survey call. When candidates understand why the survey is being conducted and how their feedback will be used to improve services, they are more likely to engage meaningfully. However, unclear communication can lead to confusion, dissatisfaction, or even negative perceptions of the company’s customer satisfaction efforts.
Ensuring Actionable Insights
Finally, collecting data is only valuable if it leads to actionable improvements. Organizations must have processes in place to analyze survey responses, integrate findings into their CRM or quality assurance systems, and follow up with candidates when appropriate. Without this, even the most well-conducted telephone surveys or phone surveys risk becoming a box-ticking exercise rather than a driver of real change in candidate experience.
What candidates should expect from a survey call
What happens during a candidate survey call?
When you receive a survey call after applying for a job, it’s natural to wonder what to expect. These calls are usually conducted by a call center or customer support team, sometimes using automated phone systems. The main goal is to gather your honest feedback about your experience with the recruitment process. This feedback is crucial for quality assurance and helps organizations improve their services.Types of questions you might hear
Survey questions during a phone survey often focus on:- How clear and timely the communication was during the hiring process
- Your satisfaction with the information provided about the job and company
- How you felt about the support and professionalism of the recruitment team
- Whether the process met your expectations
- Any suggestions you have for improvement
How your responses are used
Your answers are typically recorded in a CRM or data collection system. The insights gained from these survey calls help companies identify trends, address pain points, and adjust their recruitment campaigns. This process supports continuous improvement and ensures that future candidates have a better experience.What you should know before and during the call
- Survey calls are usually brief, respecting your time
- Your responses are confidential and used for quality assurance
- You can skip questions you’re uncomfortable answering
- Calls may be automated or conducted by a real person
- Be honest—your feedback helps improve the process for everyone
Using survey call feedback to improve candidate experience
Turning survey call responses into actionable improvements
Survey calls are more than just a box-ticking exercise. The real value comes from analyzing the data collected during these calls and using it to enhance the candidate experience. When candidates share their feedback through phone surveys or automated phone surveys, organizations gain direct insights into what works and what needs attention.- Identifying trends: By reviewing responses from multiple survey calls, patterns emerge. For example, repeated comments about the clarity of job descriptions or the helpfulness of customer support can highlight areas for improvement.
- Quality assurance: Survey calling helps maintain high standards in recruitment services. Regularly conducted surveys can reveal gaps in the candidate journey, allowing for targeted training or process adjustments.
- Data-driven decisions: Integrating survey data into your CRM or call center systems enables teams to track changes over time. This ongoing data collection supports continuous improvement and better customer satisfaction.
Practical steps for leveraging survey insights
Organizations should not let valuable survey call feedback sit unused. Here are some practical ways to turn survey responses into real change:- Share key findings from telephone surveys with hiring managers and customer support teams.
- Use survey questions to refine candidate communications, ensuring clarity and consistency across all touchpoints.
- Implement regular quality assurance reviews based on survey data, especially for high-volume campaigns or real estate recruitment services.
- Automate reporting from phone surveys to ensure timely action on candidate concerns.
