In the past few years, different industries have applied various techniques to simplify recruitment procedures and make them more efficient for the digital age. These techniques largely involve automation, more specifically the use of automation software or apps to speed up repetitive or mundane tasks. Beyond reducing the time needed to hire and onboard candidates, automation can help recruiters better assess prospective candidates and eliminate biases that hinder them from hiring the best people.
All in all, automating processes relevant to the acquisition cycle can change the game in recruitment, especially for niches with high turnover rates and a need to constantly fill labor gaps. That said, here are some of the key technologies that are changing recruitment as we know it and how employers can maximize them for better talent acquisition:
1. Creating Personalized Recruitment Campaigns
A well-made recruitment campaign can attract the right people for the job, which makes everything easier for both the candidates and the recruiters. Thus, it would be a good idea to use tech that can automate the task of creating effective recruitment campaigns. Specifically, those that are personalized enough to suit specific industries and roles.
A real estate brokerage, for example, needs to consistently hire talented agents. To address this need, agencies can produce real estate recruiting ads built from pre-selected templates that are easily customizable for different purposes. A real estate recruiter can then use these adverts and post them to different job boards and other platforms like social media to better reach prospective candidates. A tool designed with these features is a great time-saver; plus, it allows recruiters to target the right people through personalized messaging.
2. Using Intuitive Pre-Screening Tools
With the vast ocean called the internet, it can be difficult to sift through thousands upon thousands of data needed to vet potential candidates. Through automated tools, recruiters can simplify this phase of the process by conducting pre-screening procedures within a few minutes.
For example, recruiters can use intuitive software to analyze professional profiles and social media to source candidates who would be a good fit in terms of skills and experience. Then, all that’s left to do for the recruiter is to review the shortlist of candidates to see who has the right personality, attitude, and skills for the job.
One increasingly prevalent technology that a lot of recruiters use nowadays is an applicant tracking system (ATS). Companies can integrate intuitive recruitment tools with their ATS and industry-specific databases to sift through hundreds of CVs and narrow down ideal candidates based on a variety of factors.
It’s also possible for recruitment tools to sort and rank candidates based on the results of pre-screening questionnaires, making it easier to greenlight certain applicants for the next stages of recruitment. Automation-driven tools are ultimately built to handle large volumes of data, which is always useful for assessing a wealth of information about hundreds of candidates.
3. Simplifying Assessment Tests
Some niche industries may require specific assessment tests to determine the suitability of candidates. This stage can add to the tediousness of the hiring process. With the help of cloud-based tools designed to consolidate pre-employment assessments, however, recruiters can simplify this aspect of acquisition and eliminate the need for manual checking. Not only is this faster, but it’s also less prone to human error.
A cloud-based tool that covers tests such as logical reasoning and personality tests can be useful in shortlisting candidates that best fit the job more holistically. What’s even better is that the candidates can do these exams from their own devices. So, there is no longer a need to be physically present at an office to do these assessments.
Note that a recruitment tool should ideally generate detailed reports and deliver highly personalized evaluations that would be useful for employers and candidates. This should include even those applications that would eventually not push forward.
4. Scheduling Interviews and Streamlining Communications across Channels
Back in the day, the interview stage of recruitment was solely done by meeting with applicants in person. Today, with the boom of remote collaboration tools, employers and candidates can save themselves the time and hassle by conducting interviews.
Through automated tools, employers can efficiently make interview appointments based on a mutually agreeable time. Ideally, a recruitment tool should be able to facilitate various modes of online communication, including chats, calls, and video interviews. Overall, having a tool that puts a premium on digital communication can be highly useful. This is especially true for jobs that need to be filled urgently or companies that need to onboard a large number of employees in a short amount of time.
5. Organizing Onboarding Procedures through Collaborative Tech
Finding prospective applicants is already a chore, but the challenges don’t stop once candidates are hired. There’s also the onboarding stage to worry about. That’s because, when done ineffectively, the onboarding stage could lead to candidates dropping out before they have been fully integrated into the team.
With an automated and collaborative interface, human resource teams can smoothen the candidate’s onboarding journey. An all-in-one tool can make it easier for recruiters to require certain documents, including government clearances, academic records, and documents from previous employers.
In addition to due diligence checks, such tools can be useful in guiding new hires in all stages of their employment. An intuitive productivity and collaboration platform, for instance, can set milestones for employees, such as completing the training phase early or moving past the three-month probationary period. Overall, simplifying the onboarding journey through tech is a great way to prevent candidate drop-outs due to unaddressed follow-ups and other issues down the line.
Final Word: Automation is a Solution, Not a Hindrance
Although automation is becoming increasingly prevalent in various industries, some people still believe that the old way of recruitment is the best way. It’s fair to say that tech can never replace excellent recruiters, particularly those who rely on their sharp analyses and judgment to select the right candidates. What’s important to understand is that automation makes life easier for recruiters by helping them do their jobs more efficiently. The tips mentioned above are only some of the ways that automation can do so, but we can expect more innovations as technologies become more sophisticated in the future.