The expectations of candidates going through the recruitment process are growing as this vital, first interaction with your potential employees can tell the candidate a great deal about the company and the people who manage it.

If your processes are slow, bulky, paper driven or reliant on a resume, the prospect may take that as a sign of how the company does business. And that isn’t a good look in the 21^st century. Our lives, our experiences, everything is online. Employers need to follow suit and create a recruitment process that offers the same digital experience they’d get in making a major purchase or researching a new product.

To do this, companies need to look at the materials that inhabit the transaction. Take, for example, the business card. It’s a valuable tool at conferences, job fairs and even in a first interview. But how effective is it? Research shows that close to 90% of business cards are thrown away within a week of being given to someone.

As HR professionals revealed through polling questions during a recent Blue Social presentation as part of our annual HR Tech North America Digital Summit, HR’s people focused nature positions it as a bridge between people and the business. With that in mind, it’s up to HR teams to find the best ways to connect with and highlight the value of the company to potential prospects, while simultaneously finding new and effective ways to vet candidates.