Ensuring Recruiting Technology Is an Opportunity, Not an Obstacle

Recruiting is more challenging than ever. High-quality candidates are out there, but they’re spread across multiple job sites, mobile platforms, and referral platforms. On average, locating the best and brightest now costs companies $4,000 — an all-time high.

The other challenge? Job seekers now have the same mentality as online shoppers: Sixty percent of candidates have abandoned an application because it was too long or complicated. Recruiters face the twin challenge of finding the right candidates and attracting the top talent.

Technology is the cause of — and the solution to — this problem. Now that most recruiting efforts occur inside digital channels, technology can be applied to optimize the process for recruiters and job seekers alike.

The right application of technology improves lead cycle times and enables a greater level of engagement between a recruiter and a job seeker. Technology is also able to automate the most time- and labor-intensive parts of the process, liberating hiring managers to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Technology is undeniably an asset; the hard part is maximizing how that technology is used.

Recruiting Technology Best Practices

It’s up to individual recruiters to identify the specific features, functions, and applications they need to meet their goals. But it’s up to all recruiters to apply best practices to those technologies in order to extend their effectiveness:

• Know your audience. Job seekers are not impressed by technology alone; they’re impressed by technology that actually applies to their needs, wants, preferences, and personalities. Implementing technology is always more effective when a recruiter understands who the technology is trying to reach. Use that knowledge to align a prospect’s journey with the recruitment approach across multiple touchpoints and devices.
• Segment your recruits. Not all of your recruits will think identically, even when they’re applying for the same job. Recruiting technology should not be used to execute a generalized approach. Rather, it should be used to break recruits into segments based on demographics, experience, education, or other variables. Think of technology as a way to both streamline and refine your recruiting approach.
• Customize your messaging. Every disparate audience you’re attempting to reach will be compelled by a different message. Some will want to hear about the company culture; others will be focused on responsibilities or salary. Technology allows you to develop unique messaging for different audiences, and then automatically deliver it when and where appropriate. At all times, your company’s best face is pointed forward. And, as one marketing head put it, “Strategic messaging will help you organize your vision and your values so you have a simple message and story that sparks interest in those who share your values and who are inspired by your vision.”
• Explore known candidates. Recruiters often restart the candidate search from scratch every time they need to fill a vacancy. But the ideal candidate may already be in the system because he or she previously applied for a job. Technology should be able to extend out into the hiring sphere while scouring the company’s own data for hidden talent.

The ROI Potential of Recruiting Technology

Best practices don’t always or obviously lead to best results. In the case of recruiting technology, however, there’s compelling evidence that the right use of technology leads directly to better outcomes.

One recruiting agency introduced an automated platform to help it manage a database of 100,000 professionals. The platform aligns the outreach approach with the candidate journey and applies lead scoring to identify the candidates most likely to proceed through the funnel.

According to an in-house LMO case study, the results of the implementation were overwhelming: The number of bad leads dropped from 75 percent to 42 percent. Conversely, the number of quality leads rose from 12 percent to 20 percent. Finally, disengaged leads were recycled within the system rather than weeded out.

Recruiting technology is both essential and advantageous. But having the newest and most advanced technology is not what ultimately dictates success. The recruiters who excel focus less on what technology they use and focus more on how they use it.

Mike Kapetanovic is the agency president for LMO, an independent, full-service marketing communications firm.