In our recent webinar, Verity Pope, Employer Brand Supervising Associate from EY, shared their real-world challenges around communications and recruitment. Faced with an oversaturated market and repetitive candidate questions, EY sought innovative solutions to enhance the recruitment experience for students and early-career professionals.

Challenges

EY was grappling with a flood of candidates applying for specific roles while neglecting the breadth of opportunities available. Repetitive questions, such as “When does business consulting open?” were creating pressure on the team and diminishing the value they could add elsewhere. Additionally, EY aimed to attract diverse talent and needed to streamline the recruitment process for a more efficient and inclusive experience.

Solutions

To address these challenges, EY identified several key objectives. First, they aimed to showcase an exceptional user experience, highlighting various roles and sharing the stories of their people. The focus was on creating a central platform for candidates to access all relevant information, reducing the need for the team to repeatedly answer the same questions. EY wanted to make the business more accessible to a broader audience, ensuring that potential candidates, even at a young age, could envision themselves as part of the EY community.

Using Clinch Employee Connections, EY implemented a candidate discussion platform where Insiders, including apprentices and graduates, shared their lived experiences of working at the company. The platform allowed for real-time interactions, including live chats and video responses, providing candidates with valuable insights into different programs, business areas, and locations. The strategic use of live chats, especially during events like National Apprenticeship Week, added depth to the engagement.

EY leveraged data and insights from candidates’ interests to continuously improve the platform. Seventeen strategically planned live chats garnered over 1,400 subscribers, fostering direct interaction and addressing specific topics of interest. The always-on nature of the platform ensured a constant flow of discussions, with over 500,000 page views and 559 new discussions created.

Results

The impact of EY’s initiatives has been substantial. The platform recorded over 54,000 candidate visits, highlighting the effectiveness of a centralised source of information. With improved search engine optimisation, candidates can easily find relevant information, further enhancing their experience. Notably, nearly 70% of candidates reported an improved impression of EY based on the engagement and authentic insights shared by the Insiders.

In conclusion, EY’s journey with Clinch Employee Connections demonstrates the power of strategic communication and engagement in transforming recruitment. By prioritising candidate experience, showcasing diverse perspectives, and leveraging innovative platforms, EY has successfully navigated the challenges of an oversaturated market while making their business more accessible and appealing to a broader audience.

Further resources

Watch the full webinar here
Find out more about Clinch Employee Connections
Read our blog on Next-Gen Recruitment: How AI and Tech are redefining early careers hiring