Technology can be leveraged to transform many different business processes, including talent acquisition. Automation technology has opened many new avenues for recruiting and reviewing candidates more objectively.
Recruitment has become especially difficult since the start of the pandemic, as more people expect to work at home or at least in a hybrid work model. This has introduced many new factors to consider in the talent acquisition process. The complications of modern recruitment often mean that the process takes longer and can easily go wrong.
Luckily, new technologies are making it easier to maintain open lines of communication, screen candidates based on qualifications, and compare potential hires holistically.
Using Technology to Facilitate Better Applicant Communication
One easy way to leverage technology to improve talent recruitment is by implementing a candidate relationship management system. Job seekers look at the overall experience of getting recruited when they consider taking a job. Having a positive recruitment experience makes candidates 38 percent more likely to accept an offer.
Much of the time, what turns a typical recruitment experience into a great one is good communication. These relationship management systems help recruiters see who needs outreach or whose status needs to be updated, especially since hiring tools do not always update application status. Candidates do not like to be kept in the dark about a hiring decision, especially when they could be applying to other positions.
Something as simple as an email can mean the difference between getting the candidate you want and settling for someone else farther down the list. At the same time, recruiting can be hectic, so technology can be essential for communicating certain points and keeping everyone in the loop. Even if the decision is a rejection, prompt and open communication is always appreciated. That person may even turn out to be a good candidate for a different position down the line. Good communication with a relationship management system leaves the door open for a different offer in the future. Not only can the system store data about the candidate, but it can also automate periodic emails to keep that person aware of different openings at your organization, keeping you on their radar.
Screening Applications More Effectively with Technology
One of the most time-intensive processes in recruiting is resume screening. Research has shown that a recruiter spends on average 23 hours looking at resumes to fill just one position. What makes this time commitment so problematic is that almost 90 percent of resumes submitted for an open position are deemed underqualified. In other words, the vast majority of screening time is spent on candidates not fit for the position. This drains not only time, but resources too.
A solution to this problem is intelligent screening software, which uses artificial intelligence to scan resumes and automate this initial step. The technology will parse resumes and pull the important data points into a candidate database.
Typically, this type of software integrates with an applicant tracking system to record the key pieces of information that can then be reviewed by a recruiter. Sometimes, the software can even implement machine learning to analyze previous hiring data and decisions and determine who are the best candidates. Sometimes, you can use resumes from your best employees to help teach the software what you look for in candidates. The value of this technology is in reducing the time spent on time-intensive tasks with low value to reduce the overall cost associated with each hire. This way, human resources can focus on tasks other than recruitment.
Reducing Bias with Technology for Applicant Assessment
Technology can also be used to eliminate unconscious bias in talent acquisition. A growing body of research shows that bias plays a big role in hiring decisions and that it can unintentionally stunt the growth of an organization by limiting diversity and excluding the best candidates.
At Yale University, male and female participants were enrolled in a study to look at bias. Even after completing a course on implicit bias and objective hiring, both men and women still showed bias in their hiring decisions and were very surprised at this result. These biases primarily had to do with age and gender, but implicit bias can affect hiring in many different ways.
Today, organizations can use pre-hiring assessment platforms to account for skills and relevant characteristics objectively. Candidates are assigned a score based on the review, which helps eliminate some of the bias that can go into recruitment decisions. Of course, these platforms have limitations, but studies have shown them to be more inclusive compared to conventional practices. Furthermore, organizations can more readily mitigate the limitations of these platforms than implicit bias. Many different tools and approaches exist, so it is important to look at the options available and choose those that make the most sense for your organization.
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