As the unemployment rate continues to rise, the role of recruiters is becoming increasingly vital to recovery efforts. But ensuring you can find the right person for each role with such an influx of candidates can be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
It’s incredibly time consuming but also a pivotal part of delivering value to clients and candidates, so finding the balance is critical. This is where your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can do some of the heavy lifting.
We are constantly seeing innovations in the recruitment tech space, and we are seeing some exciting developments across all stages of the recruitment process that save you time and money. The key is to look for platforms that integrate with your ATS so there’s no double-handling and your ATS remains your single source of truth.
#1 Invest in a self-service portal
With today’s influx of job seekers, it’s critical that your ATS is up to date with candidate’s contact and profile information but calling candidates and updating this can be an admin nightmare. The answer lies in self-service portals.
These cost-effective tools can be easily customised to fit your ATS and allow you to email your database with a link to update their details themselves. You can even automate this email to be sent at regular intervals – so it really can be a set-and-forget process to keep your database up to date.
#2 Check out AI-powered pre-screening tools
Today’s tech can take the hard work out of the pre-screening process and ensure that you move the right candidates on to the next stage. The features that are best suited to you will really depend on the needs of the role and the client, but one growing trend is the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI-powered tools apply machine learning to review applications and find the best matches for your role, doing what would take a human many hours in just minutes. You can also use this technology to search your existing database, helping you identify whether you already have the right candidate on your books.
Another benefit of these tools is that they can eliminate unconscious bias in this early stage, creating a more equal playing field and increasing the chances that you’ll get the right candidate in front of your client.
#4 Automate standard communications
Regular communication during the process is critical to a positive candidate experience. In fact, in a large-scale survey of candidates, 81% said more communication and regular status updates would greatly improve their experience.
The good news is that your ATS can do most of this work for you. By automating status updates, you can ensure you keep candidates informed at every stage. The key is to look for small ways to personalise these, with the candidate’s first name and including your email signature, for example, so it feels less like a broadcast email. This will not only save you time and ensure that your candidates have a more positive experience, it can also grow your business. According to an IBM Workforce Institute study, 61% of candidates who are kept well-informed will become an advocate for your brand.
#5 Get (more) comfortable with video technology
Video interviewing can help you get a feel for how a candidate will present without spending all your time meeting your longlist. For some roles and clients, sending pre-recorded video interviews can be a helpful step to maximise the time spent in in-person interviews.
The technology really came into its own when we were all forced to make a quick shift to virtual working earlier this year, but we have only really scraped the surface. It’s about so much more than simply replacing the in-person interview with a Zoom call. From pre-recorded interviews to assist in screening stages through to intelligent tech that analyses body language, it’s worth exploring your options.
While I am not necessarily sold on the idea that it can entirely replace the in-person interview just yet, as remote working continues to rise, it’s likely that video will play an increasingly important role. Right now, it can be used to your advantage, particularly in the early stages of the recruitment process and getting more comfortable with the tech today will put you on the front foot for tomorrow.
#6 Take a look at online reference-checking tools
It’s a common lament in the recruitment and HR industries: Reference checking is time-consuming, referees can be hard to reach, it’s difficult to know if they are legitimate and hard to extract real value from phone discussions.
Online reference checking tools first cropped up a few years ago, but with today’s innovations they are more intuitive than ever. Look for a flexible solution that can integrate with your ATS, offers secure storage and ensures referees are genuine. One worth checking out is Referoo. This home-grown reference checking tool was started by two recruiters who were frustrated with the reference checking process and they apply this first-hand knowledge to address the real challenges recruiters face.