Embracing Technology to Improve Your Recruitment Processes

August 9, 2024 – Living amid a digital revolution has truly reshaped the way we interact, especially in business. Technology has afforded faster communication and the ability to connect more easily –– transforming how business is conducted across industries. Achieving success in our ever-changing technological landscape requires a sharp set of skills and the willingness for continual professional development. When it comes to hiring and recruitment, adapting to changes in the industry is fundamental for success, says Kinsley|Sarn Executive Search in a new report.

“As technology continues to alter the way hiring managers attract and evaluate top-tier talent, understanding these emerging technologies is critical to ensure you are identifying and selecting the best-fit candidates for your organization,” the study said. In this whitepaper, Kinsley|Sarn details technological approaches your team can use for every stage of the employee lifecycle –– to improve the quality of hires you ultimately choose to bring into your team.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment is now more prominent than ever before. Algorithms used in modern software can assist with task performance, computing, and problem-solving, thus improving productivity, accuracy, and streamlining the recruitment pipeline, according to the Kinsley|Sarn. “As the use of AI becomes more commonplace, its ability to actively learn has created software that gets smarter and more accurate as time goes on,” the report said. “These AI algorithms can contextualize data and make accurate predictions about candidates and their capabilities, experience, and interest level in working for your company.”

Kinsley|Sarn explains that this proves particularly useful when sourcing an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and/or screening profiles, resumes, and job applications by utilizing relevant keywords and phrases –– allowing recruiters to assess and filter through a larger number of contenders in a shorter time. The firm says that by outlining a detailed, data-based candidate profile, you can automate this early step in the process and increase your overall capacity to assess a larger talent pool than before.

AI-driven talent assessments and pre-employment screenings can also be scheduled and performed online using specific testing software, the Kinsley|Sarn report explains. “As they use advanced algorithms to score candidates, these evaluations gather useful data –– giving you a better understanding of a top candidates’ traits, attributes, and abilities concerning your company’s specific needs,” the report said.

One form of assessment to include is that Kinsley|Sarn points to is psychometric tests, which provide more objective data on a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses. With the right set of data, AI-powered psychometric tests can recognize complex patterns that may not be evident to a human recruiter. In the future, machine learning will continue to improve the algorithms used to analyze results, helping your hiring team narrow down your options with more confidence.

Virtual Interviews

“While not commonly used in the past, the rapid transition from in-person to virtual interviews has altered the hiring process –– and it is one change that is likely here to stay,” the Kinsley|Sarn report said. “As more and more businesses have adopted it in their operations, the benefits of using virtual interviews are overshadowing the fears that initially hindered its  widespread use. One method known as asynchronous interviews conveniently allows candidates to record their answers to a set of preestablished questions. Afterward, these recorded interviews can be assessed by the hiring team at a time that works best for their schedule. Software systems such as VidCruiter, SparkHire, Recruiter.com Video, and XOR Review offer recorded interview tools you can integrate into your hiring process.”

Artificial Intelligence’s Impact on Executive Search

Artificial intelligence (AI) can have a significant impact on executive search by streamlining the process and improving decision-making. AI tools can help identify candidates with the right skills and experience, and can also predict how successful they might be in new roles. The ExeQfind Group often get questions from both clients and candidates regarding the impacts of artificial AI on talent management and executive search. “Talent management and executive search processes are no different from virtually every existing industry in that AI can be expected to bring about change and influence,” says a new report from ExeQfind’s Javier Iglesias. “How much and to what degree of change and influence is yet to be determined.”

Another option Kinsley|Sarn points to is scheduling a live video interview on platforms such as Zoom, Teams, or GoogleMeet. With advanced, AI-powered video interviews, recruiters can use its face-scanning technology to better assess the candidate’s tone of voice, body language, and expressions, plus keywords and phrases that reflect job experience, skills, and future performance.

“Once you have attracted and narrowed down your initial search, virtual interviews are a timely and cost-effective way to start the conversation with the candidates you are most interested in,” the Kinsley|Sarn report said. “Although video interviews will never be able to completely replace in-person interactions, they do provide an added level of flexibility and convenience to the preliminary search. By not flying the candidates to a location to interview, or having to wait on travel availability, you can hold meetings sooner and expedite the process. These reduced travel, meal, and lodging costs will directly lower your cost-per-hire and save time, for both the candidate and the employer.”

Data Mining Technologies

The data collected over the years and across industries can generate powerful insights used to anticipate their future hiring needs, according to the Kinsley|Sarn report. The firm says that the key lies in having access to large amounts of relevant data as it will play an integral role in ensuring successful results across the board for your company. Using online datasets from resources such as Kaggle, Google Dataset Search, and Data.gov, give you access to information that will improve your decision-making throughout the search process.

For example, once you know the average time an executive stays in a certain position, it can help you determine when to start investing in recruitment for that position –– be it internally or externally. “Similarly, it can help you predict the right time to reach out and start building a relationship with passive candidates you may want to join your team,” the Kinsley|Sarn report said. “Also, consider using reports and articles from top hiring companies such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn, to strengthen your research findings. Given their position in the industry as a whole, they will offer visibility into the hiring and recruitment landscape.”

Social Media

Kinsley|Sarn also notes that social media is also leaving its mark on the digital era as being an effective method of direct communication. “If used and executed effectively, a business’ presence on social media can improve company awareness, strengthen brand identity, and increase networking opportunities –– allowing you to naturally attract a pool of candidates that share a passion for the values you exemplify,” the firm said. “On the other hand, by looking closely at a potential candidate’s social media profiles, you can gauge the likelihood of a good fit within your workplace culture and values.”

Related: 5 C-Level Roles Being Impacted by AI

As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn is excellent for attracting and engaging with qualified candidates, both organically and through paid advertising. Organizations can publish job posts and access targeted candidate pipelines. One of the most recent features on LinkedIn is the ability for hiring teams and recruiters to pose specific questions where candidates respond through video recordings, in addition to screening candidates based on established criteria such as detailed job experiences and specific technical knowledge.

“The platform also offers products for recruiters, including software and access to real-time insights that help make data-driven decisions,” the Kinsley|Sarn report said. “When incorporated strategically in a recruitment and hiring initiative, LinkedIn can be a productive resource for your HR department.”

Benefits of Incorporating Technology in Recruitment

Technology by definition is developed to simplify tasks. With the power of cutting-edge technology at our fingertips, hiring managers and recruiters can reap the benefits of utilizing it in their departments. Kinsley|Sarn provides the following list of advantages:

• Increases Productivity: Once automation is implemented, you may see up to a 20 percent increase in performance according to Ideal. This will allow your recruiters to focus on the candidates that are the best suited for the job, as well as more significant tasks, such as fostering relationships through networking and delivering on their hiring goals.

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• Reduce Time to Hire: One of the most significant benefits of incorporating AI technology and software in your process is that it cuts back on wasted time, which translates to a faster hiring process. According to Ideal, using AI-powered recruiting software can save you 23 hours of back and forth communication per hire without disrupting your workflow.
• Reduces Hiring Bias: Using technology in hiring can help reduce some of the unconscious biases that shape decision-making. By programming your software to ignore demographic information from interested candidates and relying solely on data points, your department can make decisions that are based on their actual experiences and skills. Because AI can learn these human biases, it is vital to monitor and remove any patterns of potential biases in the software.
• Nurture and Manage Candidates: Attracting the best fit for your organization can be attained if you invest in building trust with your top candidates from the very beginning of the process. Consistent and transparent communication is key when it comes to nurturing candidates through the hiring pipeline –– and technology has diversified the method and speed at which recruiters can accomplish this.
• Lowers Hiring Costs: Finding ways to lower costs is always beneficial to a business entity –– and incorporating innovative technology in your hiring process will ultimately reduce your overall cost per hire. Technological resources can be used to cut advertising, candidate sourcing and screening, and travel costs, all while positively impacting your bottom line.

Related: How to Use AI to Stand Out to Executive Search Consultants

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media