Words are not dead. But they sometimes need a helping hand.
Thankfully, we have emojis! The tool of choice in the digital age, emojis allow us to communicate all of those tonal and emotional nuances that get lost the second we hit send. The recruiting community, especially, loves them, as it’s proven that they can have a positive effect on the recruitment process, from pepping up job postings to streamlining candidate correspondence.
“Very few people enjoy reading overly formal emails,” says Mandy Watson, founder of Ambitions Personnel, a recruitment agency in the United Kingdom. “Candidates are much more comfortable responding to recruiters if they feel the process is informal. Emojis are an easy way to do that. A picture is worth a thousand words, after all.”
But with thousands of emojis to choose from, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to cherry-pick the right one. To celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17th — yes, the date that appears on the calendar emoji — we’re scrolling through a few of our favorites, as well as some that we’d like to see get more love. So come, let your emoji flag fly.
Unicorn
A close relative of the purple squirrel, the unicorn has been galloping through our texts and Twitter feeds since the Unicode Consortium let it out of the barn in 2015. An enduring symbol of whimsy and fantasy, this popular Animoji is also shorthand for candidates whose skills and experience are so rare that they seem almost mythical. Some have taken their love for unicorns to the extreme, like this recruiter who hosts emoji-filled unicorn talent shows on YouTube, where top talent share their career stories.
When to use: Sparingly! Remember, unicorns are special. They’re not just horses with horns.
Ninja
Ninjas put their pants on one leg at a time, just like us. Except when their pants are on, they pretty much exclusively kick ass, moving stealthily from project to project flexing their skills with razorlike precision. After emerging from the shadows a decade ago, they’re back with their own emoji. Data ninjas, fitness ninjas, corporate events ninjas, recruiting ninjas — they’re all out there. Question is, can you find them? (Yellow flag: Ninjas are scary, and they can even frighten away potential candidates. Use with caution.)
When to use: In advanced LinkedIn job searches.
Rocket Ship
Recruiters use so many rocket ship emojis that you’d think there was a spike in astronaut jobs. Truth is, no symbol conveys success and ambition quite like a bullet-shaped spacecraft blazing into the beyond. Rocket ship says speed, it says growth, it says come take the ride. The cofounder of this recruitment firm was so amped to announce job openings at his company that he dropped one into his LinkedIn post:
When to use: When you’re serious.
Ghost
Not all emojis are meant to make you feel warm and fuzzy. Despite its goofy grin and marshmallow arms, the ghost — also known as disappear — can be used to describe those times when a job applicant abruptly cuts off communication, or ghosts you. A new survey conducted by Robert Half shows that 39% of hiring managers say that candidate ghosting is worse than it was two years ago. Takeaway? Expect to see a lot more ghosts outside of Halloween.
When to use: Anytime your unicorn or ninja vanishes just before an offer.
Search & Pray
Sometimes a single emoji won’t cut it. For overburdened recruiters trying to fill jobs during the Great Reshuffle, every day can feel like a challenge. “If the labor market today is a golden age for workers, it is a lump of coal for recruiters not able to adapt to the new world we live in,” says Pete Lamson, CEO of HR services company Employ. Tough words for tough times. But you have a choice: Let them eat away at you or text yourself this mashup emoji as a reminder that landing top talent requires an eagle eye and a little bit of faith. The same as it always has.
When to use: Every day.
Superhero
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a superhuman lifeform juggling open reqs, insane timelines, and a million competing demands. If the ups and downs of the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that recruiters are the true superheroes. So why not honor them accordingly, with a thank you message featuring the coolest caped emoji of the bunch. It’s a small gesture that can go a long way. Take our word for it.
When to use: On May 30, National Recruiter Day. Or any of the 364 days leading up to it.
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Topics: Industry humor and fun
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