Have you ever heard of working Asynchronously?
Asynchronous working rose to prominence in 2020, when the majority of teams started working remotely due to Covid-19. Remote working encouraged and allowed organisations to hire across multiple time zones, as the barrier of needing to be “in the office” didn’t exist anymore. With teams working across multiple geographies, Asynchronous Working became a popular methodology.
In essence, this means that each team member can maximise their productivity in their working hours.
A lot of us have probably worked asynchronously at some point in our careers. For example, a form of asynchronous communication is e-mailing. It doesn't require an immediate response (although it can be helpful sometimes) and can enable you to stay in touch with people regardless of whether they’re online at the same time as you.
A form of synchronous communication is a video call, a physical call, or an in-person meeting.
In recruitment, many of our communications are based on synchronous communication: calls, in-person meetings, and Zoom/Teams. They’re all valuable sales tools and ways of collaborating with people. However, asynchronous communication can also be an effective tool for engaging clients and getting deals over the line - which is contrary to popular beliefs about sales and sales processes.
Just like asynchronous working, asynchronous video focuses on communicating using video without requiring immediate response. For example, sending interview preparation in the form of a video to a candidate, or sending an introductory video to a prospective client instead of a call.
It allows for you to still have touchpoints with clients and candidates, without the added pressure that can come with scheduling hassles or pushing for an answer on a call. It also means you aren’t waiting for a time when you’re both free. Of course, there is a time and a place for all communication types - but knowing how and when to use video and how it will benefit your sales process is vital.
“Selling async increases sales team performance while reducing customer acquisition costs by 40%. For B2B executives, going async means choosing when - and how - they make buying decisions, giving them time flexibility.” [source]
Being well-researched and having a solid understanding of a client enables you to get your foot in the door quicker. The recruitment market is saturated with people trying to stand out, and we all know that clients can become fatigued when they’re being inundated with 50+ messages a week from recruiters trying to sell their services.
The benefit of using asynchronous video is that you can put something together that is personalised, giving your business development a lot more depth. Personalisation can happen in emails or voicemails, as this is a standard expectation for any good recruiter. Video allows you to be impactful with your personalisation at scale and go the extra mile!
It might seem like video takes a bit more time than a few standard cold calls. However, you're spending a considerable amount of time waiting for those calls to be answered, leaving voicemails, and then waiting again for every single call to be returned. With video, you can get your message across without waiting for the call or voicemail to be answered whilst also being notified when the message is watched, knowing immediately that they are engaged.
For candidates, it’s important to recognise that they are just as in demand as your clients are, and are used to being approached by recruiters multiple times per day. The benefit of asynchronous videos when looking at it – from a candidate's perspective – is that it allows you to build trust and credibility a lot quicker and again, at scale. Candidates want to work with a recruiter who is going to find them the best opportunities, so being able to showcase your personality as well as your knowledge is going to put you ahead and shoulders above the competition.
Equally, the benefit of asynchronous video is that it immediately demonstrates your flexibility to all the candidates you are reaching out to. A lot of the time, candidates are trying to balance their current role alongside keeping confidentiality whilst interviewing for a new opportunity.
Your ability to show flexibility and fit in with a candidate’s schedule is invaluable. It’s also a great way to demonstrate that you’re there for them without encroaching on their personal and professional life too much.
Let’s assume that the average recruiter works around 40 hours per week. This equates to around 63% of their time on the phone per week. In essence, recruiters are spending an average of 25 hours per week on the phone [source]. If you were to simply spend two hours of that time creating video content that could be used asynchronously (such as introductions, check-ins, and other evergreen content) - you could easily save 5–10 hours per week on the phone as you would already have banked content that is reusable and ready to send.
It’s important to look at how your clients like to communicate, too. If the majority prefer synchronous communication - then do this. However, in the modern world, many of us are used to asynchronous methods, so, reaching out synchronously is wasted time if you know what the outcome will be.
“As many as 88% of B2B buyers now prefer async, self-service content to live sales meetings. If you want to appeal to your prospects, you need async.”
The benefit of asynchronous video is that you can continuously nurture leads over time, without needing upfront commitment from those leads. In essence, you can provide them with market updates, updated service offerings, and general check-ins without the pressure of a booked-in call or meeting!
We all know that clients in particular can be difficult to pin down, and a “long-game” approach is going to pay much higher dividends in the future. Asynchronous video allows you to do this, nurturing leads whilst respecting your time and your client’s time!
We spoke earlier about asynchronous working, the same applies to asynchronous video. Whether you want to branch out into a new geography to build your desk or you simply hope to be able to reach more clients, asynchronous video gives you the option to be truly global. Especially if you’re working with clients who operate in multiple offices - you will now have the tools available to be able to run a smooth process asynchronously, across time zones. Your global reach extends to candidates, too. Being able to stay in touch with candidates no matter their geography is a key benefit of asynchronous video.
“Asynchronous selling utilizes video messaging to accommodate clients' schedules and enhance sales communication. This method improves personalization, efficiency, and consistency, leading to higher chances of closing a sale. Embracing asynchronous sales strategies allows businesses and sales teams to adapt and thrive.” [source]
Creating a set of introductions varying in length can be a great way to make a first impression, especially when doing business development. Aim for the video to be no longer than 60 seconds, and use it as an opportunity to capture a client/candidate’s attention.
Occasionally, it isn’t always possible to get your candidates on the phone for interview preparation - especially if they’re busy or interviewing at multiple places. You shouldn’t sacrifice the quality of your service due to their lack of availability, so pre-recorded interview preparation is a great way to mitigate this.
Feedback is something that you’d ideally conduct synchronously, but again, that isn’t always possible. Asynchronous feedback can also be a great tool to use to tell candidates about the next steps when moving a process forward. You can still honour giving valuable feedback whilst also ensuring that you’re respecting your time!
Moving a candidate screening process along can be a difficult task, especially if you’ve got clashing diaries. A huge benefit of asynchronous video is that candidates can answer questions for recruiters so they can continue with the interview process. Using our ‘questions’ or ‘hire’ tools gives recruiters the flexibility to get their questions answered, candidates the flexibility to answer async, and clients the answers they need (as well as the option to view this in their own time).
Have you got an incredible role that needs to be filled quickly? Taking the time to reach out to every single candidate for a call can take days, so try an asynchronous approach instead to gauge interest. You can record a quick 60-second video highlighting the role and send it out to a specific group of candidates instead.
Have you got a unicorn candidate you know will be snapped up immediately by your clients? Send out a video talking about how great they are. This is a quick but incredibly effective way of generating interest for a candidate whilst also being time-efficient.
The art of follow-up/checking-in should never be lost in recruitment. You can create personalised, short and sweet check-ins to keep clients and candidates engaged whilst also nurturing your sales pipeline.
& so much more!
First, you need to ensure that you’re using video software that enables you to have both synchronous and asynchronous communications. Although we love to champion the benefits of asynchronous communication, you have to be comfortable with multiple channels and methods of reaching out to clients and candidates in recruitment.
