2016 was pretty big when it came to politics, technology and of course; celebrity deaths. So it’s quite easy to see how you may have gotten distracted with what was happening in recruitment – you’re only human.
Now that we’re half way into 2017, it’s clear to see what technology trends are shaping the way the recruitment landscape is advancing. Technology is becoming an important part of our everyday lives and it’s use in how we work should be no different.
Where do you start?
At a first glance, the amount of resource out there may seem intimidating (and at times, gratuitous). Continuous innovation is great, but can feel overwhelming when in a company that still relies on traditional methods.
Which is why i’ve put together five trends which are not just popular, but also actionable. Hopefully helping you to cut through the endless supposition out there, and provide you with ideas you can get started with today. And in a role where onboarding new staff is a time-consuming (and sometimes, dated) process, it’s important that you up-skill to avoid inefficiencies creeping into your daily routine.
5 technology trends for recruitment
- Embrace social profiles as applications
Ease of application needs to be paramount as we continue to move into 2017. Your potential candidates live on social. Aberdeen Group have found that 73% of 18-34 year olds have found their most recent job through social media[1]. It’s where they will look for your roles and it’s the easiest way to interact with them. By making it so your applicants can auto-fill their information from their LinkedIn or Facebook profile to your applications, you’re streamlining a process that can usually be seen as repetitive and time consuming. The easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to complete the application. This also gives you insight into their personal profiles, keeping your system’s information up to date. - Mobile recruiters
Year on year mobile use has been growing[2], which means the majority of your applicants will be using a mobile device to search for your roles. and having a mobile optimised site won’t be enough to support your potential candidates preferred ways of applying. As applicants will need to upload files, like their CV’s, covering letters or forms of ID to register their interest, the mobile experience needs to ensure it’s catering to this. Linking properly with sites such as Google Drive or Dropbox will keep the process short and smooth and the amount of required questions to a minimum will mean applicant’s return to your site in the future. - Video recruitment
The rise in use of video in business has steadily grew over the course of 2016 and has continued to increase even more in 2017. Utilising video interviews will benefit recruiters hugely concerned with reducing the amount of time spent interviewing candidates in the early stages of high-volume recruitment campaigns. As video interviews can be conducted remotely, recruiters can much easier cater to applicants schedules, and therefore allocate time easier, whilst still being able to identify high calibre candidates. And by reducing time spent finding suitable candidates, recruiters can focus more on developing suitable candidates for clients. - Inbound recruitment marketing
Recruitment tactics will need to start reflecting marketing tactics in order to attract the top talent as we move into the second half of 2017. And as the marketing sector has started to adopt; inbound tactics are proving to be more effective than previous outbound tactics. This should be done through content strategies that draw candidates to your company with pieces that reflect their interests and that they can identify with. Keep them easily accessible by sharing on platforms like social media. - Updated internal processes
Spending time hunting through piles of CV’s or application forms slows down response time in an age when most answers are a click away, and more importantly; expected to be a click away. Eliminating paper not only updates your methods and reduces the amount of paper your company consumes. It also reduces the time and money spent managing admin whilst protecting document from going missing, ensures your information is easily searchable and kept backed up in a centralised location. This can be achieved by adopting solutions such as electronic signatures for signing off documents, CRM systems specific to recruiters needs or social media management tools.
Initiate, improve and innovate!
So, try them out! By modernising your approach to hiring staff, you’re not only ensuring that your company isn’t wasting time, but you’re directly improving employee productivity and engagement whilst creating a better talent strategy, which inevitably helps your current and future team members.
About the Author:
Jessie Davies is a Marketing Manager at Signable and also goes by the title “Content Queen”. Signable is an electronic signature platform that helps businesses get their documents finalised faster. As Content Queen she ensures that Signable’s customer’s resource for support, educational content and industry updates are always available and clear. Jessie also makes sure the Twitter feed is full of hilarious reaction gifs and sarcastic comments.
References: [1] Source - Millennial Job Search from Aberdeen Group: Getting Social Media Recruitment Right [2] Source - Mobile Use Statistics, Smart Insights: Mobile Marketing Statistics Compilation
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