Looking ahead to 2030, it could well be a year straight out of a science fiction novel. Technology is making inroads everywhere, already marking its presence not just in production but even in recruitment. While this may create the fear that HR technology will be all about algorithms and robots, the human presence is not going to go away – it may in fact become stronger.  

Artificial intelligence (AI) is, for instance, working its magic, and when combined with cloud technology, it allows for improved candidate analytics. Other such technologies too are on the horizon, though their implementation must not be without a strong focus on onboarding new candidates, as well as reskilling and upskilling existing employees.  

Here are the top trends toward more humanization of hiring in 2030:  

• Strategic talent acquisition: The best HR leaders understand that organizational transformation cannot happen without HR transformation and technology. The role of HR will be key to managing organizational disruption and visualizing the future. 
  

Successful transformation needs candidates who have both soft and hard skills, and they will be hired largely by teams and people within the company. Digital skills are important but costly to hire for, which is why upskilling and reskilling are in focus. External recruiters will help to bring in very specific skillsets not available or manageable within the organization. 

• Cloud-based talent analytics: Recruiters need to look at how well a candidate aligns with company culture, not just at his or her skill levels. The best HR leaders understand why this is important, especially for hard-to-measure aspects such as innovation, which is why they are looking toward analytics in the cloud. 
  

This becomes critical for highly-qualified candidates, and companies need to work hard to use HR technology in a way that they get better results at lower costs. Predictive analytics works with machine learning to better sift through resumes, pulling data from various sources, and making better recommendations. The system can also use profiles of past high performers to understand what qualifications must be sought in new hires.  

• From entry-level to leadership: Hiring for diversity remains important for HR transformation, as it brings in profit and improves the company culture. Inclusion and equity remain important themes, bringing in candidates at the entry-level and moving them up over time into senior leadership roles, instead of picking senior people from outside the company folds. Hiring such people from the campus itself will help in creating an internal wave toward diversity growth. To this end, technology could help to find candidates who have the right skills and are from institutions known to have a diverse student base. 
  

• Targeted recruiter communication: Recruiters have to communicate better and in different styles as per the candidate. It is important to engage with the candidate and have a productive conversation – for instance, how the recruiter interacts with a highly analytical person as against someone who is very emotional. 
  

Technology-driven interview processes cannot do without personal touch and one-on-one interactions. For instance, for candidates staying away from the HQ location, leadership in HR could depute a company representative to meet the candidate personally and create a more positive experience.  

• Merged messaging: Companies must look at a unified, positive experience for employees, candidates, and customers. Leadership in HR must ensure the experience of candidates and employees gets as much importance as that of the customer because the right candidates who become great employees drive an excellent customer strategy. This will require a mix of technology and the human touch, to create an overall experience that entices the best people to join.