Job boards, professional networking sites, online applicant systems and the growing use of Artificial Intelligence solutions – these are just some of the technological innovations that have transformed the recruitment landscape in recent years.
But these innovative digital touchpoints achieve little if the all-important human touchpoints get lost along the way. So how do we harness the power of technology while safeguarding and enriching the experience of both the candidate and the hiring manager? Here are our five top recommendations for you.
1. Develop a fan base, not just a talent pool
Think Google. Or Manchester United. Or Apple. What they all have in common is a passionate fan base – people who identify with the product in ways that are emotional rather than purely transactional. These organisations have something more important than customers; they have evangelists who actively champion the values, vision and goals of the business. As a recruiter, it is essential that you create your very own fan base. Invest in building relationships, sharing knowledge, encouraging feedback, building a sense of community and articulating why your organisation matters and how it makes a difference to the world.
2. Create a seamless digital workflow
The availability of technical recruiting tools can be a bane as well as a benefit. You have tools that help you produce effective job postings, channels such as LinkedIn that make it possible to target potential candidates with real precision, online assessment tools that refine you shortlisting process, and much more. We recommend that you set up a seamless digital workflow, using platforms with open APIs and good integration capability, to automate as much of the recruiting process as possible. That will leave you more time to think, plan and develop coherent recruitment strategies.
3. Capitalise and build on your unique strengths
Let’s face it, the recruitment market can feel like Kings Cross station on a Friday evening: very crowded and very noisy. How do you make yourself stand out? Ultimately, you do it by delivering practical results and establishing yourself as a recruitment specialist with unrivalled knowledge of your market, candidates and clients.
That takes more than hard work. It takes a commitment to continuous learning and a determination to stay ahead of the curve in terms of technological and market developments. So network widely in your industry. Take advantage of training courses and other educational resources. And make the best use of available recruitment tools improve the candidate experience and position yourself as one of the most responsive and switched-on players in the field.
4. Listen to the changing heartbeat of the industry
The recruitment rules that worked yesterday may not work today – at least, not in the same way or to the same extent. As more millennials enter the job market, they are clearly bringing with them changing expectations of the online recruitment experience.
This so-called “Instagram Generation” certainly rely less on job fairs and other traditional recruitment media; but they also expect companies to have something more than just an attractive recruitment website. They demand active engagement, two-way communication, peer-driven insights into your organisation and a level of authenticity and transparency beyond the wildest imaginings of yesterday’s HR professionals. And that process of change is getting faster, not slower. So monitor the online heartbeat, pay attention to your target audience and select the right channels to reach them.
5. Be surprisingly human with AI
The recent history of recruitment is a story of increasingly intelligent automation – and 2019 is seeing the latest development in this process: Artificial Intelligence.
This emerging category of HR technology is designed to reduce or even remove time-consuming activities like manually screening CVs and identifying the right candidates from a large talent pool. For example, collaboration with online assessment providers allows recruitment platforms to integrate online assessment tools that combine traditional statistical analysis with cutting-edge techniques including learning algorithms and artificial intelligence.
But that’s just the beginning. AI is already being used to create more effective online recruitment campaigns by deciding when, where and how to place your ad based on your candidate’s profile and online behaviour. And the extraordinary development of facial recognition technology means that a recruiter can now analyse a video of your face in order to assess your expressions and get an insight into personality traits including integrity, earnestness, passion and a tendency for argument.
If this is a brave new world, the bravery lies mainly in our willingness – as recruiting professionals – to explore and experiment with innovative technologies. The role of AI is going to increase, but the importance of the human factor will only increase as well. After all, it is BY using technology to save time and improve efficiency that you make space for your human input to add value as a recruiter.
Pixid provides next-generation recruitment technology from ATS through to VMS. Contact Us to find out more.
