Do you still remember how you landed your first job? If you’re somewhere in your 30s, that means sending a resume to an email address or going to an office and handing your resume to someone in charge to receive it (usually, a receptionist at the lobby). Today, these trends are all but forgotten. Imagine applying for a new job right now. That means, among others, you must sign up to an online job board, update your profile on a professional networking site, and maybe even create a video resume to impress your future employer.
Of course, there are pitfalls to using technology to recruit people. Artificial intelligence-powered systems can miss potential candidates who will be a good fit for your organization. The traditional resumes may not have what these systems are looking for. As such, those who are not adept at using technology to apply for jobs will not be shortlisted. The technology is so sophisticated that people must keep up with it for them not to fall through the gaps in the systems.
But for companies, the promises of technology in recruitment are endless. An applicant tracking system for HR can narrow the list down to one (or more, depending on the parameters you set) from hundreds and thousands of applications. It can send requests for job interviews, draft contracts, and keep everyone updated on the recent hires. The seamless process it provides helps organizations recruit the best people for the job and satisfy new and old hires alike.
Data Overload
Too much data can either be good or bad for businesses. This means you have a lot to sort out, but it also means you have more information than you’ve ever held before. Technology can help you make sense of this data. Companies want as much data as they can receive because it lets them learn about their market, whether in sales or recruitment. However, if you don’t know what to do with data, you risk getting overloaded with tons of it, which doesn’t help the business at all.
That’s why good technology will be like human machines. They will be able to determine which information is useful for the company. In the past, you’d have to hire someone to make sense of the stored information. Today, as technology becomes more customizable and able to fit into whatever situation, organizations have an easier time transforming data into actions.
Global Reach
Do you want to hire someone from outside the state or country because you believe they have the right tools and skills? Technology has made that possible. Over the past decade, outsourcing employees from all over the world has become more possible. There are no geographical limits anymore. You can scan job boards and professional networking sites without worrying about where those people reside.
The world is your oyster. You can tap any market, reach out to any job sites, and find employees who have the right skills to do the tasks you need. This makes your business more competitive as you’re able to look for employees with a specific skill set.
Bias
There is obviously bias when hiring managers determine whether a candidate should be called in for an interview based only on a resume. Sometimes, hiring managers also tend to be more conscious about diversity issues in the workplace. They will intentionally hire people from diverse backgrounds instead of focusing on the skills they can contribute to the organization.
New technology can help eliminate conscious and unconscious bias. An applicant hiring system can ignore gender, race, religion, age, and other factors when shortlisting candidates for an interview with the right parameters. There can be nothing fairer than that process.
Flexibility
Companies that are comfortable with technology gain more in terms of allowing their employees to work from wherever they desire—co-working spaces, their homes, or a coffee shop somewhere. This gives employees more “control” over their career paths as they feel they are not on “required duty” to go to the office and report for work. This sense of ownership makes them more productive.
You’ll find that top talents are more likely to apply for job vacancies in your organization by offering a flexible working schedule. They are even willing to leave their loftier positions for a spot in your company. This will create more opportunities for success.
It’s hard to deny the advantages of using technology in the recruitment process. However, every company must understand that it also presents challenges that they must be ready to address. Technology, after all, does not work on its own. Organizations must work with it hand in hand.