Naturally, when a new set of technologies emerges within an industry, we can feel threatened by the implications. The first set of reactions tend to focus on jobs being “replaced” or technology taking away that human element. Companies that embrace technology to complement recruiting efforts will be best positioned to attract and retain top talent within their respective industries. 
Complementing the Human Element
This is not a technology vs. human debate but more how the two become incorporated in order to be effective. Talent acquisition (TA) is one of the biggest areas of focus for any company in the world. Companies need top talent in order to be successful. If companies had to go back to the days of “everything manual,” talent processes would grind to a halt.
With that being said, robots and artificial intelligence (AI) can’t make hiring decisions for us on their own, and companies still need to present themselves in a genuine way, which requires the human touch. However, when technology is used to complement the human aspect of TA and recruiting, the results can be incredible. Companies with the most effective TA processes will have a competitive advantage over their peers.
How Technology Can Help Improve the Recruitment Process
Here are a few ways technology can complement talent operations:
Sourcing: There are several technologies in the marketplace that help identify talent a company should target with its hiring teams. This can range from highly specialized talent profiles to more volume-based/seasonal recruiting, whereby a lot of talent is needed at one time.
Résumé matching: Companies with high volumes of candidates can’t expect their internal teams to be able to do all the legwork in reading thousands of résumés and matching them to respective jobs. Tools are available to do some of the heavy lifting and filter down the number of résumé matches that have to be looked at by internal recruiting teams.
Candidate relationship management: This has become one of the hottest areas in talent/recruiting over the past 5 years or so. Companies are building internal talent pools and pipelines so they can pounce on candidates when they are ready to make a move from their current position.
Interview scheduling: First impressions are important, and most companies today still schedule interviews 100% manually. Using technology can standardize this process and reduce time to fill. Also, a more responsive company from an interview standpoint will make a better impression on incoming candidates.
Assessments: Whether it’s a coding test or a pre-interview, assessments are a great way to prequalify candidates.
All these areas still need a thoughtful talent team behind the scenes. Right now, embracing these technologies gives you an advantage. In a few short years, embracing them will be a requirement to stay competitive.
Luke Switkowski, the CEO of Kognitiv Workday Support, is an expert in all things logistics and Workday. Starting Kognitiv gave Switkowski the space to find and implement a consulting model that made sense logistically and validated his theories on its structure while fostering a work culture fueled by collective team successes and never-ending support for one another. Mark Grignon is the President and Cofounder at Kognitiv Inc., based in the United States. As President and Cofounder, Grignon oversees the firm’s fleet of consultants and manages all sales and business development.