words Al Woods
The swift emergence of new recruitment go-to’s including remote teams and global operations have inevitably led to changes in the ways organisations bring talent on board. As the ability to seamlessly tap into expansive talent pools particularly becomes fundamental for securing the best recruits, companies need to either ride this wave or face faltering processes. The trouble is that the more complex the world of recruitment becomes, the more difficult this HR fundamental is to get right.
Manual processes like the human-led handling of CVs and application forms are particularly falling out of favour in a world where approximately 118 applicants apply for a single role (only 22% of whom will be invited for an interview). Instead, increasingly crucial technological applications and software are driving the helm of recruitment fit for modern requirements. Here, we consider just five of those technologies that are most worth taking note of in 2022.
# 1 – Recruitment CRM
By allowing for the simplified management of all recruitment processes, recruitment CRM (candidate relationship management) systems make it far easier to build and manage even large pools of job candidates. This now typically cloud-based software is especially useful for reducing time-to-hire, simplifying access to candidate data from all platforms, and generally ensuring the best pairing for every single job role. All of this is made possible thanks to the extensive collection of candidate databases that include everything from contact details to CVs and even past interactions. Real-time reporting functions that align this information with existing job listings and overall recruitment KPIs can then help to remove otherwise tedious manual processes. The use of collaborative hiring that ensures close candidate bonds and immediate interactions can especially ensure the quality of any hire without necessarily needing the same amount of legwork as would once have been necessary to make that possible.
# 2 – Applicant tracking system
While often used interchangeably with recruitment CRM, an applicant tracking system (ATS) is another kind of recruitment software that is generally more concerned with recruitment processes overall. Admittedly, crossovers are inevitable as advances in CRM systems increasingly also take care of these considerations, but an ATS will most commonly work alongside a recruitment CRM to track candidates throughout their advancement. The ability to simplify everything from the application process to the submission of feedback has particularly seen ATS solutions implemented by as many as 90% of Fortune 500 companies, each of whom benefits from reduced work where recruitment is concerned, and also processes that appeal to the best candidates on the market at any time. High-quality ATS solutions will especially use cutting-edge developments including human language processing and automation to screen and sort resumes using keyword matches and other algorithms, ensuring the right matches, and removing what was once one of the most tedious recruitment processes.
# 3 – Talent intelligence platforms
Even once a group of high-quality candidates have been selected and vetted, talent intelligence platforms that empower recruiters to make better decisions regarding talent throughout the employment process simplify even the fine print of recruitment. This is made possible through both the process of combining external and internal candidate data sources, and making sense of that data through AI that ultimately ensures a clear, holistic overview of strengths, weaknesses, and potential across even large numbers of promising candidates. In particular, the ability to highlight things like experience, specific combinations of skills, or even specific person-job matches that would be impossible to achieve otherwise can prove beneficial. When used alongside strong candidate databases like those offered by a recruitment CRM, this can particularly continue to ensure recruitment ease, while removing obstacles such as difficult decisions between ultimately well-matched candidates.
# 4 – Video interviewing tools
While it’s something that most of us are already aware of, the fast advancement of high-quality video interviewing tools is also changing the face of recruitment tech right now. The fact that 86% of companies had to turn to online recruitment during the pandemic has especially fuelled the need for faultless, well-implemented video interviewing processes that keep top talent interested. Platforms that can schedule interviews and even prepare candidates in advance are proving of particular use, while the ability to trust in high-quality video and audio that guarantees the functionality of those pre-planned interviews ensures that both parties can share a better impression. Video interviewing tools are also crossing over into the realm of what many of us more commonly expect from software like ATS, with some solutions even automating reference checks and conducting interview analyses after the event.
# 5 – Testing and assessment tools
Even with video interviewing tools increasingly offering assessment capabilities, there are platforms out there that offer solely this responsibility on a far wider scale. Pre-hire assessment tools that measure candidate responses and handling of a wide range of criteria are especially useful for helping employers to take the pulse of candidates even when recruitment is conducted on a remote basis. Meanwhile, the use of predictive assessment software that can assess candidates based on a range of future job behaviours like teamwork and communication can help to highlight strengths and weaknesses that have never before been possible to map so easily, but which can play a huge role in ultimately deciding who gets the job.
Conclusion
Recruitment software, just like tech in every other department, is experiencing a major period of growth and change. While this may seem like a novelty right now, investment into tech-led insights and processes that are only set to become more commonplace over the coming years is quickly becoming an industry standard. The fast implementation of software that simplifies remote recruitment is particularly essential for staying ahead right now, while the ability to select top talent despite distances is dependent on things like automation and wide-ranging assessments to ensure wise decisions. For recruitment managers, that means keeping on top of trends like these, and the future tech shifts that will inevitably emerge off the back of them. Otherwise, high-quality recruitment could all-too-quickly become a thing of the past.
