Why use live chat in HR? The top use cases

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Live chat software is a handy HR tool. Not only does it allow you to make smarter hires with speed, it’s also a great way to support existing employees.

But that said, live chat isn’t commonly associated with practical uses in HR. So, with that in mind, here’s just a brief overview of the use cases for live chat in HR.


Offer the consultant experience online

You want to give candidates the best online experience possible. The easier your website is to navigate, the more information the candidate has, and the stronger your service – the likelier that candidate is to apply.

And that’s where live chat in HR becomes invaluable. With it, you have the perfect tool to engage, assist and advise. You can answer questions about roles, help with lengthy application forms, and provide quality consultant expertise. All while the candidate is live onsite.


Reduce irrelevant applications

Ordinarily, candidates interested in a vacancy have two options. They can apply immediately, or spend time contacting you via call or email to gather more information. And they often have to take these efforts without yet knowing whether the role is suitable.

Adding live software to your website removes that problem. A low-barrier communication channel, chat allows candidates to ask quick qualifying questions about a role before applying. That means less wasted time for job-hunters, less irrelevant applications for you.


Start off on the right foot

Live chat software automatically routes candidates to the relevant recruiter. While viewing a role, the jobhunter can use a pre-chat survey form to select who they wish to speak to. (Whether it’s a recruiter listed in the ad, or a sector-specific team.)

Once they’ve clicked to make their selection, candidates will be connected to the person best placed to assist. There are no delays, no messy transfers, and no complex phone-tree menus. Just instant expertise, for an instantly strong impression.


Prevent channel disruption

Candidates typically have to use multiple channels to apply for a role. After starting their journey online, there are separate emails to send, cover letters to attach, and phone calls to make and take. That’s not the case with live chat software.

Chat allows you to share documents back and forth in real-time, without leaving the chat window. Application forms can be sent, and CVs shared discreetly. (No uploading to a job board.) You can even screen candidates in a chat session, for single-channel efficiency.


Conduct interviews

Beyond screening, you can also conduct full interviews via your chat solution. First, omnichannel calling allows you to progress a chat into a call. So, if things are going well, you can move into a more detailed voice conversation from inside the chat window.

Then, using video capability, you can talk face to face to candidates without leaving the desk. This is particularly useful where long distances are involved. Plus, to review the interview afterwards, all your audio conversations and video recordings are auto-saved.


Feed your CRM

Live chat software feeds your CRM with fresh data day in, day out. Each chat session is packed with valuable candidate information – from contact details to skills to preferences to location. Naturally, you’d like to retain all that data for future use.

So, WhosOn offers a rich CRM integration. For you, that means candidate details are added to your CRM alongside chat content, to prevent manual data entry. CVs are synced, leads logged, and records updated. All automatically and out of the box.


Improve colleague communications

Looking past candidates, live chat in HR is also a great communication tool for colleagues. A chat solution isn’t just for your website. WhosOn can also be used internally, as an employee instant messaging service.

Operator to operator chat encourages collaboration. With it, you can create specific teams or groups, to exchange information and ideas. You can send files, ask for help and share news – with all the immediacy and informality inherent to real-time chat.


Diversity infrastructure

Live chat acts as a language equaliser. Because WhosOn offers real-time language translation in over 100 of the world’s most common languages, it enables people to talk freely and fluently, without communication barriers.

Whether you’re chatting to a candidate or colleague, you can do so in their language of choice. WhosOn can detect languages used and auto-translate back and forth. For your HR department, that means inclusive communications, instantly.


Support your workforce

Live chat is great for internal support. Large enterprises could use live chat for internal tech support, for example. Or, you could automate help by setting up an AI chatbot that acts as a company-wide virtual assistant.

Then, there’s the fact that you can integrate chat into your existing HR platform and company systems. Using live chat APIs, you can plug real-time support into the various systems your employees already use.


The case for live chat in HR

This article is only a high-level overview, and much more could be said. But simply, the best way to explore the value of live chat in HR is to trial the technology for yourself. Get started today with a free test run of WhosOn.


Useful links

Better together: the benefits of translation technologies and live chat

The overlooked advantages of an internal chatbot

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