6 Reasons To Use Digital Business Cards for Recruitment in 2024

Recruitment has become more challenging. You can no longer expect to draw qualified applicants with a simple job post on LinkedIn, Indeed, or similar platforms. 

Data from Lever, a workforce management platform, suggests that only 36% of professionals actively seek jobs. This means building a talent pool or a pipeline for a single role could take weeks. Yikes! 

On the contrary, an overwhelming 90% are willing to talk or learn more about jobs. It’s a strong cue that in-person conversations (aka networking) with professionals could be a potential solution to tackle this hiring challenge. And this is where digital business cards for recruiters make a dramatic entry! 

As a recruiter, you can significantly expand your talent pool, get more candidate referrals, and refine your interview process using a digital business card.

How? That’s what we’ll explore in this article.

Table of contents

1. What is a digital business card for recruiters
2. Why should recruiters use a digital business card?
3. Best practices for creating a digital business card for recruitment
4. Frequently asked questions

What is a digital business card for recruiters?

A digital business card for recruiters is a technologically advanced alternative (and replacement) to paper business cards. It helps recruiters establish a more successful first point of contact with candidates, followed by other engagements. 

As a recruiter, you can quickly exchange your clickable details (as a link or a QR Code), such as name, photo, role, company, email, and other contact information. Additionally, you can use digital business cards to collect details about promising candidates or interact with fellow recruiters (via two-way contact sharing). 

You can use these virtual cards at various touchpoints, such as:

• Job fairs
• Email signatures
• Networking events
• Social media profiles

Let’s learn more about how to get the best out of digital business cards for recruiters.

6 Reasons why recruiters should use a digital business card

Digital cards can level up your hiring strategy in many ways—from improving the way you network at events (both virtual and in-person) to streamlining the candidate experience. 

Here are six reasons to consider creating digital business cards for your recruitment team:

1. Create a stellar first impression

The tables have turned today. Candidates spend time assessing whether a company is a good fit for them in various ways. That’s why you must first make a good impression on potential employees. 

Using digital business cards for recruitment shows candidates that:

• Your organization embraces technology to streamline company workflows 
• You value people’s time and prioritize offering a positive candidate experience

An e-business card can extend your company’s core values and brand identity. You can add links to your website, social media profiles, and career pages—all of which will help candidates learn more about your company, culture, and values.

Plus, digital cards give prospective employees a secure and instantly accessible contact channel. They’re also environmentally sustainable and a cheaper alternative to paper cards in the long run. After all, you never have to reprint them because you can edit them.

2. Make every digital touchpoint count

As a recruiter, you constantly contact potential employees through email and other social channels.

Here’s how you can use digital business cards to optimize communication across these platforms:

a. Email

You can improve your email outreach by adding your digital business card to every hiring email. This will initially give candidates all the information they need, while your email will focus on assertive communication.  

You can add an e-business card in two ways: The first is by directly embedding a card URL in the message. The second method is to share your card as a QR Code in your email signature, like this 👇.

That said, ensure that your card includes links to details such as the job description, company policy, and potential contractual obligations. It also helps to cover contingencies, acceptance deadlines, compensation, and benefits on your card.

b. LinkedIn and other networking sites

You’ll often use LinkedIn’s InMail messages to reach out to candidates. However, since the format involves connecting with profiles you’ve no prior link with, you may lose contact with qualified prospects after the initial stages.

A simple tip would be to share your e-contact card in these messages. Again, you can do it through a URL or a QR Code. 

You can also feature your card on your LinkedIn profile bio and other social networking pages. This will provide interested applicants with direct and seamless access to the recruitment process. 

Beyond that, it would be best to create one digital business card QR Code for all your social media pages. That’ll ensure uniformity across multiple channels and prevent any potential miscommunication of information.

3. Simplify networking and lead generation at events

Most networking events, conferences, and job fairs tend to be hectic. Applicants stream in with multiple questions, and booths are often overcrowded, leaving little room for meaningful professional dialogue.

To counter this challenge, simply set up a plaque with your digital business card QR Code at the booth and direct prospects to it. If the event is more mobile or involves multiple isolated conversations, you can use the Apple Wallet pass to share your card information.

You can also use these wallet passes to network at recruitment events, seminars, and talent workshops. You can connect with fellow recruiters and share your business cards at these events to stay in touch with them.

Ultimately, the more access points you offer, the better. That’ll let you expand your recruitment pool without individually chasing down leads.

4. Analyze, filter, and track applicant data

We get it—it isn’t easy to keep track of all the leads you’ve gathered so far. And it becomes even more challenging if candidates are spread across multiple recruitment channels. A digital address book can help if it comes with your e-business card.  

A digital address book is a centralized list of the information you’ve collected through two-way contact sharing from different events and sources. You can use this collection of leads to identify the most qualified prospects and fast-track the hiring process. 

Let’s understand how to use a digital address book with an example:

As a technology recruiter, you’ve discovered ten recruits from a tech event.

Once you’ve created a designated card for an event, use your digital business card solution’s labeling feature to mark it. For example, you might label the card for tech recruitment as “Tech.”

After labeling, you’re all set to share your card with prospects. The leads collected via this card are automatically stored in the digital address book. 

While analyzing the collected leads later, you can filter the leads that have come via the cards labeled “tech” and focus on nurturing them.

Now, you can:

• Schedule follow-up messages
• Share crucial information or files
• Maintain a consistent line of communication

All of this is done just by centralizing the information from your e-contact card.

5. Streamline the interview process

Approximately 78% of candidates have ghosted a prospective recruiter during the interview. 

Why? A critical factor is the lack of insight into the employer. Most candidates abandon the selection process when they aren’t too confident about the company they’re interviewing with.

This is where you can use e-business cards to build transparency in the interview process. You can share your business card with professional and organizational details in interview rounds to let candidates know who they’re speaking to. 

Not only that, but you can also add a Google Maps link to the card to help candidates quickly locate your premises for an in-person interview. A map link itself assures candidates of your organization’s physical presence. 

Here’s a basic template for an interviewer’s digital business card:

6. Move beyond a 3.5″ x 2.0″ space

Reports suggest that 75% of job-seekers actively consider an employer’s brand before they apply for a position.

Now, picture the standard 3.5″ x 2.0″ paper business card. 

Can you squeeze enough information in there to convince a candidate that your company is the right fit for them? The answer is most definitely no. 

You won’t have to deal with this issue when using digital business cards for recruitment.

Simply embed a link to a landing page to educate candidates on your brand and talk about your:

• Mission statement
• Organization values
• Growth opportunities
• Team member welfare schemes

This way, you aren’t limited by space and can include as much information as possible. Even better, everything is entirely customizable even after you’ve shared the cards. 

Want to swap out links to provide specific information to a candidate? Check. Wish to update your card design to a more trendy format? Easy. All it takes are a few simple clicks.

Best practices for creating a digital business card for recruitment

Ready to create digital business cards for your recruiters? Check out these best practices before creating one:

1. Tailor the information based on the role
2. Share relevant company details with candidates
3. Use virtual cards for employee onboarding

1. Tailor the information based on the role

As a recruiter, you want your digital cards to capture specific candidate information. The only way to do this is to tailor the card details to the individual you share them with.

You come across a prospect, for example, who’d be an excellent fit for an executive role at your company. Would you want to share your e-contact card and direct them to a generic application form? 

No. You want to point them to a page with a detailed description of the position you’d like them to fill.

In short, you must create cards based on your hiring role. 

This will help convey that you’re eyeing a particular candidate for a specific opening. It’ll also tell them that you’ve put some thought into their suitability at your organization. As a result, they’ll take your offer more seriously.

2. Share relevant company details with candidates

Studies show that company websites are the most effective employer branding tool. 

Fortunately, a virtual business card can help you use this to your benefit. All you have to do is add links to pages that elaborate on elements such as:

• Internal departmental practices
• Organizational culture
• Policies for workplace inclusion
• Benefits and compensation packages

Let potential candidates know the kind of company they’d be applying to. What are the values that you prize the most? What does your business offer that others don’t? 

It also helps to include links to recent company achievements, PR headlines, charitable endeavors, etc. This will help build a positive brand perception and position your organization as a workplace.

3. Use virtual cards for onboarding

Once you’ve recruited a candidate, create an e-contact card for them during onboarding and orientation. The reason for this is two-fold:

1. It helps new employees feel like a part of the company from the start. They get access to company tools and necessary training resources and have a designated identity within the organization.
2. The second reason relates to referrals and social sharing. Your company is in the spotlight when your team members exchange their contact details professionally.

Essentially, card recipients gain access to your website pages. They might even stumble upon a position that they find appealing. If nothing else, it helps expand your recruitment network by embedding your business details across a vast talent tool.So, the faster you create cards for your new employees, the better it’ll be. Try doing it in the first two weeks of joining since 70% of new hires are more involved and decide whether they want to continue in the role.

Level up your recruitment efforts with digital business cards

Paper cards aren’t relics yet. But they will be soon. 

That’s why you need digital business cards: to stand out in the crowd, quickly share your contact information, and collect candidate information. 

To choose a good digital business card platform, consider design and customization options, contact-sharing capability, and security features. You should also check out different ways to share your digital cards. 

Make an informed choice based on your requirements and simplify your recruitment workflows with digital business cards.

Frequently asked questions

1. What should recruiters include on their digital business cards?

You should create digital business cards for recruitment based on the context you’re hiring for. For example, if you want to fill an executive role, tailor the information to offer a detailed description of the position. 

In general, it’s best to include multiple links to communication channels, custom meeting links for interviews, and educational material on company culture.

2. Are digital business cards for recruiters worth it?

Yes, virtual business cards can streamline your hiring process. For instance, two-way contact sharing can help you seamlessly communicate with applicants. Managers can also use those details to track candidate data in the subsequent recruitment stages. 

Other benefits include boosted referrals, enhanced employer branding, and better networking opportunities.

3. How expensive are digital business cards?

Different e-business card solutions offer different pricing. At Uniqode, we structure our pricing plans to cater to businesses of all sizes. For instance, our “Team” plan costs a monthly fee of just $5 per user. 

That package includes bulk card creation functionality, dedicated analytics, two-way contact sharing, an integrated contact manager, and more. We also offer a custom enterprise-level solution for 250+ users.

• Author Details

Author Details

Shreelekha Singh

Shreelekha is a freelance writer for B2B SaaS brands. She specializes in creating product-led content backed by hands-on research and expert insights. On days when she’s not at her desk, you’ll find her watching sitcoms, football, and dog videos.

hey@shreelekhasingh.com