It’s no secret that technology has changed the way many of us work, particularly with artificial intelligence coming to the fore and the threat of automation promising to help and hinder many industries.
Digital transformation is top of the agenda for many organisations in 2020 and beyond. As up to 93% of companies say that innovative technologies are essential to meet these digital transformation goals, it’s clear that forward-thinking businesses need to be looking at their devices and systems to ensure they are ready for more digitally-driven change. So how will this impact the recruitment industry and in-house hiring?
For those involved in the hiring process – whether that’s sales or marketing managers, HR professionals or candidates themselves – the use of technology will become increasingly apparent over the next few years. Stay ahead of the curve by reading about four ways that technology is transforming the hiring process.
Social media shakes up the hiring process
Social media is no new kid on the block when it comes to recruitment, but it is now being used more than ever for everything from creating brand awareness and promoting job opportunities to actively advertising roles and seeking candidates, and even screening and interacting with job seekers directly.
Take LinkedIn as an example. It’s been around since 2002 and has nearly 660 million users around the world, making it the largest professional network on the planet. It makes sense, then, that 90% of recruiters regularly use LinkedIn in some way or another, with the social media channel reporting that more than three-quarters of people who recently changed jobs used LinkedIn to inform their career decision.
While LinkedIn remains the most prominent social media platform for job seekers and talent sourcers alike, other networks are proving popular too. Instagram has grown in popularity as a way for companies to show the ‘behind the scenes’ of their offices and workplaces, while Facebook’s paid advertising is still proving successful in attracting people to selected roles and pages.
If you’re a candidate, consider cleaning up your social media presence – restricting visibility of any content you’d rather any potential employer not see – as well as connecting with organisations you’d be open to working with. You never know when a LinkedIn connection request or Instagram DM might result in a new role!
Digital interviews take over – or do they?
Virtual interviewing is being touted as the future of recruiting and hiring, and it certainly has its benefits. It can save time and make the interview process more accessible, limiting bias and reducing the need to physically have all interested parties in the same place at the same time. It’s ideal for introductory questionnaires, one-way videos or screening calls, which hiring managers can then evaluate before offering an in-person interview.
However, while advanced technologies have made digital interviewing more seamless and less awkward than in the past, there are still limitations around the use of this type of interview in the modern world of hiring.
Many employers still want to meet candidates in person before extending any kind of offer, with things like body language and non-verbal cues hard to catch over video. Candidates also tend to like visiting their potential new offices in person to get a feel for the environment and team dynamic. For that reason, we believe digital interviewing will continue to have its place in the hiring process, but won’t replace the function of the recruiter or hiring manager entirely.
Artificial intelligence becomes more prominent
More companies are considering how they can adapt AI in their hiring process, and the technology undoubtedly has its merits. One of the most interesting things about it is that it’s devoid of the unconscious bias that humans have, meaning it can evaluate candidates purely based on their responses and data.
However, this is also a weakness, as robots will never be able to pick up on human characteristics the way recruiters and hiring managers can. AI can help to streamline and automate repetitive, high-volume recruitment tasks, such as using machine learning to auto-screen candidates and remove those that don’t meet essential criteria, freeing up human talent to better utilise their time on tasks such as interviewing, writing job ads or networking with potential candidates.
The future of AI in the hiring process is therefore likely to be one where robotics are employed alongside human recruiters and managers to enhance their existing roles, rather than replacing them entirely. This means candidates may find themselves being automatically screened by a sophisticated programme before being contacted by a (human) professional – the best of both worlds.
Technology makes Recruitment time should be faster
We’ve reported before that it takes an average of 47 days to fill a sales vacancy, a timeframe that is too long when you factor in the high costs of recruiting, the time it takes to get a new hire up to speed and the pressure that puts on candidates waiting for a job offer to come through.
New technologies should help to reduce this time-to-hire and ensure people are being placed quickly and efficiently. Whether that’s more digitalised screening methods, the use of social media to attract new candidates, virtual interviewing or online psychometric testing, new systems and technologies will undoubtedly help the hiring process – and recruitment world – become more streamlined and efficient.
Find out more about the hiring process with BMS Performance
By understanding these four ways that technology is transforming the hiring process, you’ll be well equipped to find and secure your next sales or marketing job – or indeed, find your next sales or marketing candidate. Whatever it is you’re looking for, BMS Performance can help. Find out more about recruitment options or our jobs here.
