How will recruiting technology change the hiring process?

The recruitment process is evolving. This means that everything considered so-called 'traditional' will morphe into a new and advanced process.

How?

Recruiting technology is the technological process that occurs within talent acquisition. Designed to complete tasks automatically rather than manually. This can be achieved through IT implementation and the usage of automation and AI to carry out recruitment tasks.

As the topic area is vast it can have many different components that affect all aspects of the hiring process. Some of which are...

1. CV screening

Hundreds of CVs, multiple live job vacancies and limited resources mean recruiters are stretched and pushed to their limits. A scenario that many talent acquisition teams face on a daily basis.

This is however, without the implementation of CV screening technology. With this, job applications can be reviewed thoroughly and concisely within a matter of minutes, to match candidates against new job vacancies. CV screening software is programmed to detect keywords surrounding the applicant's skills and experience. To successfully remove unconscious bias from the initial job application filtering process.

It is then a recruiter's decision to decide which matching candidates will advance to the next recruiting stage.

2. Candidate sourcing

Common sourcing techniques include contacting passive candidates (as they make up 85% of the global workforce), external job adverts, internal database searching and social media.

Whilst these methods are and will most likely remain popular for hiring top talent in forthcoming years, there are tech tweaks that can be made to improve the process.

For example:

• Multi job posting functionality within an ATS – an important addition to an ATS, to ensure maximum vacancy exposure at the click of a button.
• Automated candidate database search – automation usage to automatically search the database and match prehistoric candidates against new job opportunities. Save time and money searching externally for new talent.
• Employee referral technology – Get rid of that excel spreadsheet and remove manual employee referrals with automation. Track, manage and generate referral recommendations from LinkedIn, Facebook and email talent pools.

3. Video interview technology

Interviews are tricky. They are the most time-consuming stage of the hiring process and require great intricacy. Traditional techniques depend on human opinion and often scoring systems to determine accuracy and fairness.

However, although these are fairly common practices there is still room for improvement to take further action against unconscious bias. For example, pre-recorded video interview software is designed to standardise the initial interview process. It works by asking the same exact set of questions to each potential candidate. To which they are then required to record their answer in their own time, on their own device and even from the comfort of their own home. This saves time in arranging and conducting a face to face interview when application rates are high.

Benefits include…

• Acts as a pre-screening method, whilst still getting to know potential candidates
• It is easier to create comparisons because the interview style is not conversational
• Minimises bias and re-focuses the interview attention back onto their answers

Remember: technology is not there to alter the whole interview process but it is there to add and build upon current methods.

4. Data

Recruiting technology produces data and lots of it. Accumulated via different methods such as resume screening, pre-employment tests (eg., skills and cognitive-based) as well as interview methods to help make those all-important hiring decisions.

This is vital because data helps make more strategic hiring decisions. Crunching the numbers can help determine:

• Room for improvement
• Errors
• Hiring patterns

Understanding the hiring metrics

The time it takes to hire can indicate an area for improvement. For example, if candidates spend significant time filling out an online application form this could suggest; difficult, long or repetitive questions. That can frustrate the applicant and potentially increase the chances of them abandoning their job application.

Data is valuable in helping suggest why something happens, in order to put preventive measures in place to stop it occurring again in the future.

5. Clued up candidate

Candidates are incredibly conscious of their potential employers. Their company culture, brand image, values and overall hiring experience can be accessed from the simple touch of a button.

The modern recruiter knows that a successful hiring process keeps the candidate at the heart of all decisions. Which is why maintaining a positive candidate experience is essential in any recruitment strategy. A strong candidate experience helps maximise the candidate journey promotes; engagement and communication as well as improve and maintain employer brand image.

Personalisation – use recruitment technology to re-engage with previous candidates and automatically offer new job opportunities that fit their skill set.

Assistance – automatically respond to candidates with personalised messages and job updates to ensure they are kept in the loop during their hiring journey.

A successful recruitment technology strategy will allow technology automate administrative duties. This will ensure the recruiter can invest further time and resources into the communicational side of their role to maintain a high level of candidate care.

About the author

Rosie is a Marketing Manager for CiiVSOFT. CiiVSOFT develops recruitment automation for global talent acquisition teams.