Recruitment Automation: The Smartest Way to Engage Candidates

Updated: March 13, 2025

Today’s job seekers expect a fast, seamless, and engaging hiring experience. A slow, impersonal process isn’t just frustrating—it pushes top talent straight to your competitors. The challenge? Keeping candidates engaged while managing multiple roles, deadlines, and hiring team priorities. 

That’s where recruitment automation software comes in. With the right tools, talent teams can deliver a high-touch experience without adding more manual work. In this blog, we’ll explore how automation enhances candidate engagement, why it’s a game-changer for hiring teams, and real-world strategies for building an efficient, scalable hiring process.  

Why Automation is a Must-Have for Candidate Engagement 

Recruitment automation takes the manual effort out of hiring, allowing recruiters to focus on building relationships with candidates. Automated communication workflows ensure that candidates receive timely updates, reducing uncertainty and enhancing their overall experience. 

According to our 2022 Talent Benchmarks Report, Lever users who incorporated at least three automated emails in their nurture campaigns saw a 356% higher response rate compared to campaigns with just one email. 

By integrating automation into your recruitment strategy, you can: 

• Keep candidates engaged throughout the hiring journey with timely, personalized outreach. 

• Scale communication efforts without sacrificing quality or authenticity. 

• Improve hiring efficiency by reducing time-consuming, manual tasks. 

Who Benefits from Recruitment Automation? Everyone.  

Recruitment automation isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about creating better experiences for candidates and hiring teams alike. Here’s how different stakeholders benefit from automation: 

• Recruiters: Automatically tag candidates based on pre-defined criteria, creating an organized, easy-to-navigate pipeline. 

• Talent Operations Managers: Set up automated performance reports, eliminating the need for manual data pulls and spreadsheets. 

• Hiring Managers: Allow candidates to self-schedule interviews through automated booking links that sync with team calendars, minimizing back-and-forth communication. 

Best of all, Lever makes setting up these workflows simple—no coding or technical know-how required. 

2 Ways to Use Automation to Boost Engagement  

1. Scale Personalized Outreach with Bulk Messaging 

High-volume hiring requires scalable yet personalized communication. Lever’s combined ATS and CRM solution offers bulk-emailing functionality, allowing recruiters to:  

• Add up to 50 candidates to an outreach campaign at once.  

• Craft semi-personalized nurture emails with multi-touch follow-ups.  

• Automate next steps based on candidate engagement (e.g., sending a second email only if the first was unopened). 

This approach keeps outreach personal while allowing recruiters to engage talent at scale. 

2. Re-Engage Candidates with Newsletters 

Not every candidate converts immediately—but that doesn’t mean they won’t be a great fit down the road. Lever users can archive unengaged prospects and send newsletters to keep them engaged. These emails can include: 

• Company updates (e.g., funding rounds, leadership changes). 

• Invitations to hiring events, webinars, or career fairs.  

• Industry insights and thought leadership to stay top-of-mind.  

By maintaining regular touchpoints, recruiters build familiarity and trust—so when the right role opens up, candidates are already familiar with your organization.  

Make Every Candidate Touchpoint Count  

Your employer brand isn’t just about your careers page—it’s woven into every interaction candidates have with your company. That’s why your automated outreach should reflect your brand identity and voice. 

How to create branded, engaging candidate communications: 

• Use company fonts, colors, and imagery to maintain brand consistency. 

• Add links to employee testimonials, behind-the-scenes videos, and “Life at [Company Name]” pages. 

• Incorporate team photos, success stories, or employee spotlights to humanize your outreach. 

Lever’s platform makes it easy to create fully branded, multimedia-rich emails that stand out in candidates’ inboxes—reinforcing your company’s identity and culture. 

Turn Automation into Your Competitive Advantage  

Recruitment automation isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about delivering an unforgettable hiring experience that keeps candidates engaged and excited about your company. Lever’s built-in automation tools empower recruiters to engage, nurture, and convert top talent with ease. 

Ready to supercharge your hiring process? Talk with a Lever expert today.