Technological advances have revolutionized workplaces, rendering them unrecognizable from the offices we inhabited a mere 20 years ago. In the same way, the day-to-day operations of a company have changed due to technology, and so too has the way we attract, assess, and ultimately recruit new employees to a business.
The changes and growth of modern recruitment technology have made it easier than ever to find qualified candidates, assess their skills, and screen them quickly and accurately. Data-driven analytics have also been able to improve the prospecting process, making it more efficient than ever before. Whether you’re completing an online Master of HR, using AI to assist in sourcing talent, or attending interviews via Zoom, we can see the influence of technology in every aspect of modern recruitment. In this article, we examine some of these benefits and technologies that have had an impact on the hiring and recruitment of new employees.
Reduced administration for applicants and recruiters
In the online retail world, Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots are often on the frontline of providing customer support. They excel at answering basic questions and can often resolve basic queries that would otherwise have had to be handled via human interactions. In a very similar manner, some automation exists in the recruiting world that can reduce the amount of heavy, manual activities that were previously required to be done by recruiters.
Automated tools and search engines are now able to quickly and efficiently scan through potential candidates on online job boards, social media networks like LinkedIn, and even competitor company websites for the people best suited to a job, completing the prospecting process in minutes rather than hours. AI-powered recruitment solutions can reduce this pool of candidates even further by assessing their relevant skills, cultural fit, and their potential for success to provide an optimal shortlist of primary candidates.
This technology is beneficial to both the recruiter and the candidates – for the recruiter, the tedious manual work is no longer a burden, while candidates are more likely to be interviewed for positions they are best suited to.
Data analytics and predictive hiring
As AI can help determine the suitableness of a candidate, data analytics can also help businesses make data-driven hiring decisions. Advanced analytical tools can gather vast amounts of recruitment data to provide insights into hiring trends, candidate sourcing channels, and even candidate performance, to help refine recruitment strategies to achieve optimal hiring results.
A data-driven approach will often ensure organizations are making more accurate hiring decisions, reduce their employee turnover rate, and ultimately improve overall company performance.
Automated Applicant Tracking Systems
Automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are programs designed to help organizations manage the recruitment and hiring process of new employees. ATS software can help automate time-consuming tasks such as creating job descriptions, job postings, resume shortlisting, scheduling interviews, performing background checks, candidate tracking, and even generating offer letters and contracts.
ATS software allows recruiters or HR teams to manage high volumes of applicants quickly and efficiently, to allow more time to focus on the most qualified candidates. It also allows them to easily track the progress of a candidate through the hiring process in a centralized location, as well as provide visibility to the candidate about the status of their application. Some ATS programs may also offer onboarding components such as creating a new employee profile and ensuring a better-structured recruitment-to-hire workflow.
Video interviewing and remote work
The widespread adoption of remote work seen after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic also saw a significant rise in the use of virtual/video interviewing during the hiring process. Video became essential to conduct interviews, but has since lingered as it allows recruiters to quickly and easily review multiple candidates regardless of their geographical locations.
Video interviews save time and eliminate travel costs for candidates, making it easier to schedule and conduct interviews. It also allows for a more consistent experience for all applicants, and interviewing from the comfort of their own home can also help reduce the anxiety and nerves that sometimes accompany the process. It may even help better identify a candidate who is going to be a good cultural fit. Finally, it also opened the doors to the possibility of remote hiring, which allows a business to tap into a much larger talent pool, as well as provide candidates with greater job offerings.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have come a long way in recent years. A computer-generated simulation of an image, environment, or experience that you can seemingly interact with has many applications, one of which is recruitment.
Many companies are now using VR to provide prospective employees with a realistic preview of a job, a company’s culture, and even the actual working environment. It has been used to create virtual tours of companies, and to recreate a job simulation, giving candidates an actual feel for the day-to-day activities they are being hired to do. VR is a fun and interactive way to make the recruitment process more engaging and enjoyable for candidates, while also providing a realistic view of the reality of a job.
Technology has significantly impacted the modern hiring process. With reduced costs due to the shortening of time filling a role, a higher quality of employees with less likelihood of high turnover, and an easier transition from recruitment to hiring, companies are ultimately benefiting. It is important to note, however, that while technology continues to support and enhance human operations in the recruitment process, it has not yet fully taken over and perhaps never should. While engaging with the right technologies is beneficial for all involved, a human touch during these interactions is an almost vital component that can never truly be replaced.
