The concept of looking for ways to automate manual tasks using AI is far from new, but the range of tools for recruiting automation keeps expanding, and it's becoming an essential part of hiring in any company of any size. Embracing recruitment automation can help you fill 64% more vacancies.
Let's take a look at why companies rely on recruiting automation and some of the most impactful benefits it offers.
What is recruiting automation?
The term recruitment automation, or hiring automation, describes technology for streamlining the different stages of this process, from sourcing to hiring quality candidates. Recruitment automation software involves such tasks as applicant tracking or interview scheduling.
All companies are constantly looking for ways to optimize their operations by increasing speed, precision, and results.
Recruitment is the type of job that entails many repetitive and time-consuming manual tasks. However, most of these small tasks are high-impact because they eventually lead to hiring the best-performing talent that will bring you desired business results.
To achieve this, everything matters: where and how you source talent, what data you use to make better-informed decisions, and even what experience the company provides to candidates.
That's why speed is not the only goal of recruitment automation. Artificial intelligence is now being used to shape and improve recruitment in general.
Applicant tracking system (ATS)
An applicant tracking system is a type of software that companies use to track how candidates are doing throughout the recruitment and hiring process.
Using ATS allows recruiting teams and hiring managers to sort through resumes, select top talent, keep track of their recruitment journey and contact information, and rank qualified applicants against job criteria.
Why recruiting automation matters
The amount of information about vacant roles, applications, and other recruitment-related things is challenging to manage. The recruiting teams rarely have enough time to carefully analyze all of this information, which can result in poor recruitment decisions and, eventually, results.
Hiring automation is not only about increasing the number of potential candidates or how quickly you find qualified talent. It's also about the quality of the hire.
Quality of hire is one of the most valuable metrics for measuring the success of the new hire in the company by evaluating the value they contribute over time. Automation can help you make better hiring decisions by sourcing only the best candidates and providing you with data-driven insights throughout the recruitment process to enhance your decisions.
Recruiting automation examples
Talent sourcing
Recruitment automation tools such as applicant tracking systems optimize talent sourcing tasks. You can find and filter qualified candidates from various sources based on selected criteria and automatically post and analyze job postings on various job boards.
To source talent and analyze job postings, some companies leverage public web data from the largest professional networks.
At Coresignal, we provide millions of employee data records. Large amounts of fresh data on professionals from around the globe allows you to find best-fit talent according to your criteria by applying filters that matter to you.
Candidate experience
Automation tools can send emails, texts, and other notifications to keep candidates informed about upcoming steps like interviews or important information that will help to prepare for them. Recruitment software is also beneficial for automating the process of sending and signing any necessary documents.
Good communication will improve candidate experience and, at the same time, allow talent sourcers to focus on tasks where the human touch is needed more.
Candidate relationship management is complex, but it's important to both sides, the person applying for the job and the company. When it's done effectively, the company creates a better image as an employer and builds a good talent pool.
Sometimes, companies identify past candidates as a good fit for vacant roles. If the communication regarding the recruitment process was smooth, the company's expectations were clear, and the candidate felt good despite not being selected for the role, they will likely be more open to discussing working for the organization in the future.
The benefits of recruiting automation
To put it simply, recruiting automation software helps companies hire more quickly and improves the hiring process in general.
Saves time
With traditional hiring methods, hiring takes around 42 days. Talent acquisition automation will reduce the time used for sourcing, hiring, and nurturing candidates. Overall, all stages of the recruiting process involve tasks where AI can assist and significantly speed them up.
Increases quality of hire
The collection of relevant data is one of the two main ways to increase the results of the quality of hire metric in your organization. For this purpose, it is helpful to use recruitment process automation tools like an applicant tracking system.
It helps to avoid bias
Research shows that around one-fourth of hiring decisions are made within the first 5 minutes of a job interview, which proves that we tend to hire based on quick and often very subjective impressions during the interview process. Employing technology to help with that is a smart choice.
Some experts question the possibility of creating a completely objective artificial intelligence, especially after such viral news stories like the one about Amazon's decision to get rid of recruiting tool that "didn't like" women.
However, it still helps to minimize the human touch in certain recruitment steps to avoid bias, for example, during resume screening.
If you simply need to check if candidates have relevant experience or education, an automated tool will do that for you quickly, efficiently, and without the risk of favoring certain candidates based on looks, similar interests, job experience, mutual friends, etc.
Predictive hiring
Predictive hiring technology allows companies to anticipate the success of potential candidates in a specific role. This recruitment solution is usually built on historical data. There are multiple ways how you can implement it to get the desired results. For example, you can determine where you should source the best-fit candidates for your organization based on historical data about your workforce.
Contributes to higher candidate engagement
Prioritizing candidate experience is one of the talent acquisition trends that are in the spotlight this year. Companies often fail to keep candidates engaged and create a positive experience for applicants simply because talent acquisition teams lack time for effective and timely communication.
If you ghost candidates, they will likely ghost you as well. Using automation, you can at least avoid being the ghosting side - candidates will be informed and guided through your recruitment process with automated communication.
Empowers recruiters
Recruitment is not all about sorting through applications to find the one resume that matches your criteria. Recruiters own the entire recruitment process, which requires building a good strategy and maintaining good relationships. Saving time on simple tasks that can be automated allows them to dedicate more time to bigger goals and more impactful tasks.
Conclusion
There's an extensive list of benefits that automation provides for recruiters and organizations, the most critical being time-saving. Human touch is still essential in this process. Still, specific tools can assist talent acquisition teams in finding the best candidates quickly and effectively by providing them with data-driven insights and the freedom to focus on impactful tasks.
