Leverage Talent Technology Tools for Recruiting Edge

There’s no question that advances in technology have made job recruitment more efficient and effective. Digital tools have increased productivity, reduced time spent performing tedious tasks, enhanced communication and improved candidate data collection.

“Hiring companies and recruitment professionals today have more digital tools than ever to help attract top talent and improve the candidate experience,” says Aerotek Managing Director Blair Kennard. “Embracing innovation is helping us make smarter decisions, better engage workers with in-demand skills and navigate digital channels of interaction.”

The cumulative effect is clear; employers that leverage these improvements can revolutionize their talent acquisition process.

Fulfilling candidate expectations

Technology adoption has become the norm among all demographics. “People are averaging more than three hours a day on their phones,” she adds. “Driven by their use of technology in all aspects of their daily lives from shopping, ordering food and rides to social networks, job seekers have high expectations for how technology should enhance their job search. They anticipate the hiring process will be fast, transparent and easy, and it’s our responsibility to live up to that standard. We must ensure the digital recruiting process takes advantage of the opportunity to meet candidates where they are online, in order to provide a positive experience.”

In fact, speed-to-hire has taken on new importance for job seekers as well as employers. A survey by CareerBuilder found that candidates are becoming more reluctant to participate in lengthy hiring processes:

• 20% won’t complete an application that takes them 20 minutes or more
• 76% want to know how long it will take them to finish an application before it starts
• 66% said they will wait less than two weeks to hear back from the employer before moving on

Kennard recommends that employers take a hard look at their recruitment process to identify and mitigate any roadblocks or repetitive steps to ensure that potential candidates aren’t motivated to look elsewhere.

Connecting companies and candidates quickly

“Digital recruiting allows companies to access a larger talent pool while at the same time more effectively targeting candidates with niche skill sets,” Kennard says. “Artificial intelligence and machine learning enhance what employers know about candidates to quickly reveal the best match between a job opportunity and a candidate.”

AI can be used to screen application materials, like résumés and assessments, in order to recommend which candidates recruiters should contact first. These systems do more than automatically search résumés for relevant keywords. For instance, AI might learn to understand and compare experiences across candidates’ résumés and then rank the applicants by how closely they match an opening.

Improving communication and candidate experience

Technology also supports an improved candidate experience by eliminating the communications gaps that have traditionally left candidates unsure of their status or the next step in the process.

According to a 2019 Allegis Group white paper, “Stepping Up: Workforce Practices That Raise the Bar on Business Performance,” many candidates have unmet expectations with regard to the communications they expect to receive from hiring employers:

• 73% want acknowledgment their application was received
• 55% want status updates on where they stand in the job application process
• 63% want the reason behind declining a candidate for a job opening

Technology tools can ensure HR or hiring managers hit communications milestones and build deeper relationships with the workers that they seek.

Want to learn more about trends in recruiting, retention and the role of technology in workforce management? Access 2020 Staffing Imperatives: Workforce Strategies Every Employer Should Know or contact Aerotek now.