The automation of part of the recruiting process is finally looking like a reality thanks to significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
New technologies are indeed making it possible to automate tasks, to speed up the recruitment process and improve the quality of hires.
This is good news for recruiters. Even for those who fear automation will replace them. That's because we're seeing that these tools are automating tasks, not jobs.
Technology comes along with the source throughout the recruiting process and facilitates decision making at the time of final candidate selection.
The stages of recruitment vary by company.
Now, whether they are divided into 4, 5 or 6 sub-parts, the first step of the recruitment process always remains the attraction of candidates. It is decisive for the next step, as sources often do not have the time to scour all possible candidate profiles on LinkedIn or elsewhere.
So the strategy deployed around the employer brand must be effective in draining a certain number of applicants to job openings.
Automated tools consistently convert candidate leads and generate a pipeline of talent that naturally leads to the next step : the application.
Last year, McKinsey estimated that these technologies would increase productivity in the recruiting industry by 0.8 to 1.4 percent per year just by building automated scenario models. That's dizzying !
The talent acquisition funnel can be mostly automated at the top end. For example, it's possible, once you've established the job description to post the ad on a job board and let the programmed system organize the subsequent pre-selection steps up to your ATS.
Automated data analysis, planning, budgeting, targeting and distribution of job offers is then done without supervision. Combining this with matching software resumes are sorted and promising candidates are automatically pre-screened based on information given by experience, skills and other qualifications...a breeze !
The automation reduces the length of the recruitment process on average to just over 31 working days, (compared to 2 to 5 weeks with "traditional" ).
This time saving is a big plus in the tech sector, in particular, where Agile allows for rapid growth.
In just a few years, we've seen the rise of chatbots, initially installed as simple plug-ins on a site to later become true HR assistants.
These chatbots can now interact fluidly through natural language and are connected live to CRM or ATS.
Other conversational tools exist via text through machine learning that automatically improve job descriptions based on interactions.
These modern Marketing methods applied to recruitment campaigns are even more effective when they build relationships with potential candidates through the creation of personalized content (Inbound Recruiting).
In its most accomplished form, Inbound Recruiting is a way to automate much of its attractiveness, going further than the methods described above, including going as far as the ZMOT. This "Zero Moment of Truth," where the candidate forms an opinion about your employer brand even before the first interaction with a physical person from your company, is a critical moment in an ambitious attraction strategy.
With quality content, it's possible to take action to make your employer brand the most attractive upstream.
Then, by using conversion tools like Landing Pages, Inbound Recruiting allows you to automate your lead generation candidates.
Finally, sending automated emails (Marketing Automation) based on your Candidate Persona allows you to automate the nurturing phase, which is essential to identify profiles that are likely to join you.
At the end of the process, recruiters will mechanically have qualified profiles who have expressed a desire to be called back. A significant time-saver!
During the interview phase, it is also possible to use automation for scheduling appointments, thanks to technology that identifies the best time for all parties involved (sending reminders and rescheduling if necessary) through a shared calendar.
Together, these solutions provide insight into candidates, the positions they are seeking, the areas they are interested in and the skills they possess. With the data, recruiters can target and automate the search for candidates, actively or passively - without even making a phone call or sending an InMail!
The automation of processes is progressing and it is a safe bet that it will be widely adopted in the next decade.
The method of talent acquisition at the top of the funnel is critical to the end result. By intelligently automating the process and delivering relevant content to candidates, hundreds, if not thousands, of man-hours each year are saved on talent attraction alone.
But the benefits don't end there. By creating an optimized conversion tunnel, the quality of the hiring process is improved and the candidate experience is enhanced.
Potential candidates are more engaged and easily get their questions answered, while providing valuable information for the database.
The company and the candidate are better informed, the recruiting process progresses quickly, and the best talent selected is interviewed.
The talent acquisition funnel environment is also benefiting from automation in ways previously unimagined.
In fact, beyond saving recruiters time, improving the candidate experience and streamlining the process, automation can help identify and eliminate possible biases.
Artificial intelligence can do this by analyzing many more criteria than those typically displayed on a resume.
Information about age, gender, or credentials gets "diluted" in the data stream. This solution is timely, especially at a time when pay equity, diversity and inclusion are hot topics!
Hiring should leave nothing to chance. Automation allows you to find the best possible candidates in a short amount of time. Why would you deprive yourself of these tools?