4 ways automation is changing recruitment. Probably forever.

Technology has always had a transformative effect on the recruitment industry. When the internet went mainstream, how people searched for work changed permanently and the industry has never been the same since.

Facilitated by this new online environment, technological innovations have come thick and fast over the last 20 years and each has forced recruitment companies to re-evaluate their business models.

One of the more recent arrivals, is automation technology. This technology, which reduces manual, time-consuming, and mundane tasks to the click of a button has been utterly transformative for almost every sector it has infiltrated. It’s effect on the recruitment industry is proving just as impactful.

In this piece, we’ll demonstrate four ways the industry is being transformed by the awesome power of automation.

1. Advertising jobs

An increasingly common usage of use automation technology in recruitment is programmatic job advertising - the purchasing of digital advertisements using software.

Automated advertisement placing allows recruiters to target ideal candidates across the internet whilst saving money on ads which produce little or low no return on investment.

Recruitment-specific automation can also enhance brand messaging. More and more, recruiters are leveraging advertising automation tools to push out branded content that is more appealing and drives higher engagement than the standard job posting.

These augmented posts can be configured to include content that highlights different employee experiences of an organisation and provide a clearer picture of their culture and values.

2. Automating the CV screening process

Manually screening CVs remains one of the most labour-intensive tasks for recruiters. Hours can be spent poring over CVs for just one hire even though, generally, most do not meet the job specification requirements.

Though the screening process has long proved the most stubborn of bottlenecks, automation technology is now available which clears the blockage with remarkable efficiency.

The software automates the screening process by ‘learning’ what the requirements for a role are then ‘learns’ what qualified candidates look like based on previous appointments.

Using a variety of employee datasets, the software discerns which candidates went on to become successful employees and which did not. By applying this learned knowledge about employees’ experience, skills, and other qualifications, the software automatically and quickly screens, ranks, and grades new candidates.

For the industry, this functionality can have a profound effect on overall productivity. Automated CV screening allows consultants to re-focus their time and energy on higher value priorities. This might include having deeper conversations with candidates to assess their personalities and culture fit and achieve more accurate fits for candidate and client alike.  

Maintaining quality relationships with candidates throughout the entire recruitment process is vital. It can’t be reserved just for when they’re actively being interviewed and considered.

Candidate nurturing tools, more commonly referred to as candidate relationship management (CRM) systems, allow recruiters to engage candidates through email automation.

Automated email streams nurture the candidate relationship from beginning to end by ensuring engagement remains consistent and interest in positions isn’t lost.

Automated reminders can also be sent to keep candidates up-to-date on next steps such as scheduled interviews and when assessments are due.

4. Rediscovering and ranking previous candidates

For most roles, recruiters usually have multiple qualified candidates but – ultimately - can only hire one. However, no recruitment company can afford to lose track of candidates, especially those who possess compelling profiles.

Very few recruitment companies don’t cultivate a talent pool of past applicants who may be qualified for future roles, but the process tends to be clunky and inefficient.

Automated candidate rediscovery and ranking stands as a far superior alternative. This particular type of automation technology can be used to identify past candidates who may be a good fit for a certain role, as well as for scoring and ranking candidates.

Not only does the technology perform these tasks with a razor-sharp accuracy, but with a speed that slashes the time needed for the selection process.

Final thoughts on automation in recruitment

Recruiting automation can greatly enhance high-volume recruitment processes and help make the experience more efficient and pleasing for all parties involved.

It is not designed to replace consultants, but rather to free them from the manual tasks so they can transfer their attention to really getting to know candidates and fully applying their interpersonal skills.

In a job market that has been so severely disrupted in recent times, recruiters need ever more creative ways of competing for and placing the best talent. Automation facilitates this with outstanding proficiency and is on course to change how recruiters work. Probably forever.