The recruiting process is usually quite laborious and time-consuming, involving multiple exchanges of emails and phone conversations between the company and the candidate. However, using AI and software can reduce a significant part of this workload - so that recruiters can concentrate on other crucial tasks.
In this article, we'll go through the concept of recruitment automation, the benefits of optimizing for it, and tips on improving the entire recruiting process.
Table of Contents
1. What is recruitment automation?
Recruitment automation refers to the process of recruiters automating their tasks and workflows using the power of AI. This involves a variety of activities, such as uploading job postings, replying to emails, or using an applicant tracking system. The purpose is to reduce the amount of workload - as well as to create a smoother, more efficient sourcing process.
2. Why is recruiting automation a must now?
Once upon a time, the words "automation in Recruitment" would either inspire dread over losing one’s job or provoke an unimpressed “Yeah, right!” from the listener.
Today, automation is on its way to becoming a ubiquitous and indispensable feature for recruitment and staffing agencies worldwide. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) now feature widely in the recruitment processes.
And there’s no going back. AI has become a game-changer in recruiting. Contrary to popular belief, their use won't push out humans from recruitment. If anything, it will intensify the human touch and enable recruiters to act more effectively in vital areas of the recruitment process.
Recruiting has seen extensive restructuring to incorporate automation and AI. The transformation is welcome; it has led to better reach and greater efficiency in attracting the best talent.
Read on to find out why phasing out traditional methods of recruitment in favor of automated processes can reinvigorate and revitalize your company, along with proactive recruitment strategies.
Hire better quality candidates
That’s our ultimate aim, isn’t it? It’s always quality over quantity - and this is where you should realize (and appreciate) the benefits of recruiting automation. By using algorithms to screen candidates, staffing businesses can ensure that only the most qualified candidates are considered for positions. This can save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on interviewing unqualified candidates.
In addition, every time a new job opens up which requires a profile similar to ones that have been appointed before, recruiters can go back to the Applicant Tracking System and invite the applicants with a similar profile who were previously rejected. The need for going through the entire process to find a candidate who possesses the right qualities is definitely lowered.
With AI or machine learning, getting quality candidates is that much easier because once an AI learns the factors that make a candidate successful, it will tweak its search criteria extensively until it puts only the best candidates in front of you.
Cut down on redundant workload
With automation, a huge amount of workload that is largely mundane and often redundant (e.g: publishing job-related ads, sending interview requests) is jettisoned. Traditionally, the preliminary screening process can take up to 23 hours for a single hire. On average 75% to 88% of the resumes received for a position are unqualified. If you can figure out how to automate your workflow, you can get the right candidates for the position without having to spend days sifting through irrelevant resumes. This is one top recruitment challenge you can get ahead of.
You can use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to shortlist the applicants who are a better fit for your company. Additionally, algorithms in AI can successfully predict (based on historical data) the candidates from the applicant pool who are likely to succeed at the job.
Reduce time to hire
Automating certain steps in the recruitment process can shorten the total time-to-hire, a critical metric in analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of recruitment activities.
When a huge volume of pre-interview tasks are automated and handed over to AI, recruiters can focus on more important tasks like relationship-building and interviews. Since the first stage of the process is speeded up, the subsequent stages are also fast-tracked. And thanks to a centralized database, all information is stored in one place for better client relationship management and recruitment analytics.
Eliminate bias
Bias is still prevalent among recruiters. It may assume a number of different forms, the most prominent ones being: confirmation bias, similarity attraction effect, and the halo effect. Recruiters may consciously or unconsciously impose gender, political or racial bias when perusing applications.
Fortunately, this problem can be tackled - to a certain extent - by enlisting AI for recruitment. The use of recruitment software helps lower the potential for unconscious bias against certain demographic information of the applicants (e.g: previous school, zip code, etc.) - while at the same time directing the focus onto their skills and merits.
Improve candidate experience
It’s a challenge for recruiters to interact with thousands of job applicants and establish an effective communication channel with each of them individually. A great way to maintain a good relationship with potential hires is to use a chatbot.
A chatbot is a more efficient alternative for all the communication needs of an applicant up until the interview scheduling stage. It can satisfactorily answer the candidates’ FAQs regarding the job and the application process.
Chatbots can collect relevant information from the candidates and rank them on various metrics. They make the recruiter’s job easier and at the same time ensure that applicants are not left in limbo waiting for some form of communication. The chatbot will notify the applicants at every step of the process. Such communication will ensure those job seekers have a positive experience.
Read more: How to Build an Effective Candidate Attraction Strategy in Recruitment
3. How to use recruitment automation tools
Recruitment automation tools can be used to support the staffing process in many ways, including:
Job advertising
Targeted job advertising is one of the top features that recruiters often look for in automation tools. This feature allows them to quickly reach out to ideal candidates - without having to spend resources on ineffective ads.
Social recruiting
Apart from LinkedIn, your potential candidates are also active on other social sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. So, it is important for you to leverage all of these platforms.
Posting and updating job descriptions manually, to all social accounts can be an overwhelming and time-consuming task. This is where automation tools come in handy. Recruiters can set up posting schedules - as well as target audiences and let the tools do their job.
These tools can also assist recruiters in evaluating the background and connections of potential candidates by analyzing their social media data.
Read more: Advantages of Social Media for Recruitment: Best Practices
Pre-employment assessments
Pre-employment assessments provide a great way to evaluate candidates' technical skills, characteristics, and cognitive abilities. By using automation tools, recruiters are better able to keep track of test results and candidates’ rankings regularly.
Interview scheduling
Scheduling interviews for a couple of candidates might be easy, but the moment the number starts going up to a dozen or more, the process starts becoming lengthier and more complex.
Recruitment automation tools can be used to schedule meetings with many candidates at once. This helps in saving time and is much more efficient than manual scheduling.
Candidate nurturing
Regardless of whether you successfully place a candidate or not, maintaining good relationships with them throughout the entire recruiting process is a must. Candidate relationship management (CRM) systems allow you to enhance candidates' experience by sending automatic emails and reminders. This keeps your candidates engaged and ensures they don’t miss out on any crucial information regarding the job they are applying for.
Candidate rediscovery and ranking
By constantly updating candidate availability and contact information, AI tools help recruiters in rediscovering past candidates who might be a good fit for a new position. As with the other features, this helps in weeding out irrelevant candidates and improving the overall efficiency of the sourcing process.
4. Conclusion
Given the current dynamics of the business world, there’s no turning back - recruitment and staffing agencies must either renovate their whole operations or watch themselves fall behind the competition. We hope that the above analysis should provide you with a comprehensive understanding of recruitment automation - and how to adopt it into your daily process.
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