Navigating the Recruitment Tech Landscape: A Comprehensive Guide

Recruitment technology has come a long way and has revolutionised the way organisations identify, engage and hire talent, but in equal measures it can be a minefield. I wanted to pull together a roundup of the types of technology to consider when hiring, to help TA teams and hiring managers build the best environment for their hiring strategies to succeed.

There are 4 key areas to focus on when considering recruitment technology: Attraction, Selection, Engagement and Management. Each stage can be enhanced by technology.

Attraction:

When you are weighing up what technology to use at this stage, you need to consider what is important. I would say getting to market fast, accessing a diverse group of candidates and expressing your employee value proposition is key. And across all stages you need to consider candidate attraction. At this stage however, if you are including agencies into the supplier mix then you need to look at including submission portals. I would advise looking out for key features at this stage that cover off:
 
Diversity and Inclusion – Does the technology help you write gender neutral, compelling job adverts?
Advertising - Does it plug into programmatic advertising across a wide variety of inclusive channels. Programmatic advertising uses automated technology for media buying and can be a very cost-effective way to maximise your advertising spend. 
Career site – A career site will uniquely showcase your brand and employee value proposition. 
Talent Mobility - You may want to consider talent mobility as part of your attraction strategy. A good talent mobility platform will recommend internal vacancies to suitable candidates, create career paths and offer relevant skills training as well as opportunities for mentorship. 
Referrals – Does the technology facilitate internal/external referrals?

Selection:
The selection stage of the recruitment process is critical for identifying the most suitable candidates for a job opening. Technology can greatly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of this stage. There has been much made of the use of AI within the selections process. Although there are clearly many benefits (time/cost to fill, time saved for hiring teams) there are still concerns around system bias entered subconsciously during the coding stage. This is just something to consider and drill into with the supplier if you are wanting to go down the AI route.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS):

The most important technology to consider during selection stage is an applicant tracking system. ATS software helps manage and streamline the application and candidate screening process. It stores CV’s, tracks candidate progress and allows for easy collaboration among hiring team members. ATS software simplifies the management of a large volume of applicants, speeds up the initial screening, and ensures consistency in the evaluation process. For consistent and large volume hires I would argue that this is a non-negotiable piece of technology.

Video Interviewing Platforms:

Video interviewing platforms enable recorded or real-time video interviews. The beauty of using video is that all candidates can be screened with the same criteria and hiring managers get a flavour of the personality and body language of a candidate rather than using the CV and a phone call to complete the initial assessment. The available video platforms usually allow you to set pre-determined questions and the responses can be sent to the hiring panel for evaluation. The more consistent a process can be for all candidates, the more inclusive it becomes.

Pre-employment Assessment Tools:

This category of technologies assesses a candidate's skills, knowledge and/or personality traits. They may include coding tests, personality assessments and cognitive ability tests. Using these kinds of tools provide objective data for evaluating a candidate's suitability for the role.

A quick word of warning however, over-reliance on these tools can lead to skewed results as some tests make candidates nervous. One thing to consider is accessibility, some neuro-divergent candidates that are perfectly capable of thriving in a role can be put off these kinds of time pressured tests as they don’t perform well under pressure and lastly poorly designed assessments can introduce bias.

Culture assessment tools:

There are a whole host of tools to help you assess how a potential hire will impact team or company culture. I wouldn’t advise looking for tools to help identify “culture fit” as such, as this can create herd thinking which kills creativity and productivity. Rather, use these tools to help assess hires against company and team values and how potential hires can complement or impact these measures. A good platform will also help with existing staff retention and productivity as they seek to assess and motivate based on values and mission.  

Engagement

Having a robust candidate engagement process ensures an Enhanced Talent Pool:

Engaging candidates in a positive and personalised manner builds a talent pool of interested and qualified individuals. This pool can be a valuable resource for future hiring needs, reducing the time and effort required to source new talent. Not only this but candidates feel valued and respected and so results in a positive candidate experience. One of the issues with a longer recruitment process can be dropouts, when you have a good engagement programme in place and the technology to support it, candidates feel part of the new business before they start, and it keeps them interested. A 3 month notice period as an example is a long time without any communication from the new employer so ensuring that you have a good engagement platform helps with buy in before a candidate starts.

Management

The management phase of the recruitment process involves onboarding new employees and ensuring a smooth transition into their roles. Technology plays a crucial role in simplifying administrative tasks, improving communication and facilitating the integration of new hires. Here are some examples of technology used during the management phase:

Onboarding Software:

Onboarding software streamlines the administrative tasks associated with bringing a new employee on board. All the forms can be stored electronically so document management and task checklists add to process flow. A good platform reduces paperwork, accelerates the onboarding process and ensures compliance with legal requirements.

Employee Self-Service Portals: These portals allow new hires to complete various administrative tasks, such as entering personal information and bank details. They allow employees to take ownership of their onboarding process and reduces HR's administrative burden.

Learning Management Systems (LMS):

Most companies will have mandatory training for all new starters. LMS platforms deliver training and development programs to new and existing employees. They offer value not only because they track progress and ensure compliance with mandatory training, but also help hiring managers suggest areas where their team can upskill, offering up courses to suit and keeping them motivated and engaged at the same time. With more people working remotely, these platforms accelerate training, provide a centralised platform for learning and ensures that employees acquire necessary and enhanced skills.

At this point you can consider HR Management Systems (HRMS) as part of the management process. HRMS platforms manage employee records, benefits and payroll. They can automate many HR processes, including time tracking and leave requests. Like most technologies these increase HR efficiency, reduces errors in payroll and benefits administration and provides a comprehensive view of employee data.

If you get your tech stack right (and remember what is right for one business is not necessarily right for another), you will see improved candidate experience, which has a positive knock-on effect towards employer brand, fill rates (time and cost) and the quality of your hires. You can expect a smoother onboarding process, continuous improvements as people feedback, referral opportunities, a positive impact on company culture and you can expect to make more data driven decisions around hiring and HR.  The future of recruitment is likely to witness further technological innovations and predictive analytics, blockchain for verifying credentials or augmented reality interviews are just a few examples of what's on the horizon. Organisations need to stay agile, but at all costs human, and adapt to these changes to remain competitive in the talent market.