The importance of technology within the recruitment sector

Technology and recruitment go hand in hand. The constant developments in technology have had and continue to have, a positive impact in the world of recruitment. 

Certain technology has transformed work for recruiters and it continues to grow from strength to strength within the industry. For example, thanks to artificial intelligence recruiters are no longer spending hours upon hours scanning CVs to find suitable candidates to interview for a job role. 

Years ago, before social media and the internet, it was harder to reach a wider range of people due to having limited options for job postings. But two decades ago, the world wide web was made public and in 2019 had 4.39 billion users worldwide, it has positively impacted the recruitment process by being able to reach more people. Additionally, it has made research on candidates easier and sped up the process by being able to easily contact people. 

Let’s take a closer look at how specific technologies have impacted the recruitment industry in recent years:

How is social media important?

Social media has significantly impacted the recruitment process. Platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook groups and Twitter have allowed connecting with top talent easier, enabling recruiters to find the perfect person for a job. 

By using the right hashtags and joining relevant groups, recruiters can really leverage the scale of social media to attract potential candidates.

Additionally, social media allows you to really get a grasp on a person’s life before you reach out to them. You can find out their education and employment history via LinkedIn before encouraging them to email across their CV; you can find out their hobbies and interests through Facebook or Instagram to see if they would be a good cultural fit for the company you are hiring for. 

Although social media is a fantastic tool to use, it is important to ensure you do not overstep or that you aren’t too abrupt. Approach potential candidates personally and professionally, explain to them why you believe they would be a great addition to the team – don’t just copy and paste the same message to everyone. Just how you can spot a copy and paste cover letter, many candidates will also be able to spot a standard message. 

The importance of utilising Skype and other interviewing technology

Prior to the internet, when job listings were posted in local newspapers, it was extremely rare to have an applicant based elsewhere, but now, thanks to the advancements in technology, recruiters may receive applications from a variety of locations. 

Due to this, it is likely that at some point a recruiter is going to want to interview someone who is looking for a job in a different area to where they live. This where tools such as Skype come in extremely helpful.

Video interviewing is a great way to shortlist candidates. They are an effective way to have a “face to face” interview with someone, as opposed to a telephone interview. As the recruiter is able to see the candidate, it makes it possible to gauge and asses their behaviour and how they present themselves.

For some job roles, the recruitment process can be quite long, there might be two or three rounds of interviews, therefore using video tools allows recruiters to narrow down the best candidates before their time and money are spent on travel. 

The use of pre-assessment tools

Some job roles may require candidates to pass an initial test before proceeding any further. For example, if a candidate is applying for a management role, the pre-assessment test may ask you questions about how you’d handle certain situations. 

Skills tests are used to help the recruiter to evaluate whether or not the candidate will be able to successfully fulfil the duties of the job. Additionally, the results can be assessed and a decision made quickly and effectively, thus speeding up the recruitment process. 

Companies will often supply a pre-assessment test if they’d like one completed. However, some tips for recruiters if choosing the skills test, ensure that the questions are related to the attributes needed and that the results will highlight whether or not they are the right person for the job role.  

Cloud technology services

Advanced’s most recent trend survey for 2019/20, results  show that 54% of HR professionals are seeing cloud services at work; 

Using cloud software can be extremely useful for recruiters. There are a number of ways recruiters can and should use cloud software before, during, and even after the recruitment process. For example, cloud software allows you to easily organise and store the required data, without needing a hard drive, making it easy to find and accessible anywhere. 

At any one time, a recruiter will be hiring for a number of roles and receive hundreds of CVs, however, only one of these applicants is going to be successful in getting the job, o what happens with the other CVs? Sometimes, due to the number, CVs can get buried/lost. Maybe there was a  fantastic candidate but they weren’t quite right for that specific role. 

With cloud HR software, you are able to store all CVs making it easier to go back to them if another suitable role arises, however, it is vital to ensure all GDPR rules are in place. Other benefits of using cloud HR software are applicant tracking; you can check their position in the process and you are able to offer the job role to the successful applicant with the contract and other information attached.

To conclude, technology is crucial in the recruitment industry. It enables connection with top talent that may have not been come across without certain tech tools. And when used correctly, technology can make a recruiter’s job more enjoyable and more organised. Bear in mind that using technology comes with risks, mainly cyber attacks. Therefore, it is essential to look into insurance and ensure you are protected, were this to happen. Alan Boswell can offer you their expertise when searching for the right insurance for your business.