When it comes to technology in the hiring process, not only are you creating a memorable candidate experience, you’re also able to keep track of what is and isn’t working regarding hiring top talent. However, if you aren’t using recruiting software/technology to track the outcomes of your hiring process, you aren’t alone.
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According to a recent Recruiting Daily Advisor survey, 51% of respondents say they aren’t currently using any recruiting software. When it comes to using artificial intelligence (AI), 95% of respondents say they currently do not use any AI (other than recruiting software) in their hiring process.
While a majority of our readers say they aren’t using technology, yet, many experts agree that it will be essential to recruiters’ jobs going forward. Which makes us wonder: will technology hurt or help the hiring process in the future?
Randstad US and Future Workplace recently released the results of a new study titled “Technology and the Employee Experience: How Technology Impacts Your Most Important Asset.” The survey of over 1,200 U.S. Human Resources leaders, line managers, and employees focused on the influence of technology throughout the employee life cycle—from hiring to engagement and retention.
Conflicting Views Among Managers and Jobseekers
While technology brings many benefits to the workplace, the study highlights several negative effects. For example, the difference between how managers and employees view the potential impact of technology in the hiring process can be substantial.
As the study points out: two out of three (66%) managers don’t think negative online employer reviews significantly impact their ability to recruit top candidates, but over half (57%) of employees say they won’t even apply to a company with negative reviews.
Company Career Page and Employee Referrals Are Vital
As we know, a company’s career page is vital in the recruiting process. According to Randstad’s study, 71% of respondents say they spend their time job hunting directly through a company’s career page, yet only 58% of managers say their company’s career page lands the highest-quality applicants.
While employee referrals may not be “tech-related,” the Randstad report does touch base on this topic, and the findings are worth noting. According to Randstad, 63% of managers say referrals are the most successful way to source candidates, which is a little less than our findings.
According to our data, 78% of respondents have had success recruiting candidates through employee referrals, in conjunction with the company’s career page. However, Randstad goes one step further and gets the employee perspective, which shows that only 48% of employees actually invest their time in nurturing potential referrals.
Social Media Can Be Effective if Used Properly
According to our findings, only 51% of respondents say they’ve had success recruiting candidates via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, which mimics what Randstad found. According to that data, half of the managers say social media has been successful.
Randstad says you must gear which social media sites you’re using towards the generation you want to recruit, so basically: know your audience. The study shows that Millennials prefer LinkedIn and Facebook, while Gen Z prefers YouTube. Randstad suggests customizing your recruiting strategies for each generation to give you an edge over other employers who are trying to attract top talent, as well.
Emerging Technologies for Hiring
As we’ve pointed out, AI and recruiting software are under-utilized by our readers, even though many experts are claiming it’s the “future of talent acquisition.” Certain technologies used in the hiring process include chatbots, video job interviews, and virtual reality onboarding to name a few.
According to Randstad’s findings, fewer than half of managers say these technologies are effective and even fewer employees say they’ve encountered such technologies during the hiring process. As our findings show, only 49% of recruiters are actually using such technology, which would explain why so few jobseekers have encountered it in their experience.
However, Randstad’s survey finds that Gen Z jobseekers are the most familiar with these technologies and have interacted with them more than any other generation in the study. Randstad suggests that employers will need to find the “sweet spot” for combining new technology with traditional hiring methods to appeal to all candidates.
For those who are using technology in the hiring process, Randstad finds that online skills testing is the most popular technology (63%) currently being used. When broken down by industry, Randstad finds that these digital assessments are being used by managers in manufacturing (68%), IT (67%), and finance and accounting (66%).
While some employers are finding success with these digital assessments, others are saying that tried and true, in-person interactions remain extremely important. Among all generations, a digital hiring experience does not trump face-to-face interviews, and this goes for both jobseekers and hiring managers.
What’s the Answer?
So, going back to the title of this article, is technology hurting or helping the hiring process? It depends. We can safely say it’s helped at least half of recruiters and employers who use it, but it’s only effective if used properly.
What we do know is that a healthy combination of both digital and human interaction can create a memorable candidate experience and, in the end, that’s one of the main ways to attract top talent. But remember, when it comes to technology, you must create a strategy that appeals to the demographic you’re trying to hire. We look forward to what the future has in store for the digital hiring process.