A new piece of research has analysed how effective technology is at attracting larger volumes of candidates to advertised roles, but what it can also add (or take away) from the candidate experience.

ManpowerGroup Solutions carried out a study in response to the revelation that a huge 45% of employers globally are struggling to fill key positions and find the skills they need. This is the highest this figure has been in a decade and an increase of 5% compared to 2017.

To find out what’s going wrong, researchers asked 18,000 people from 24 countries about their experienced of recruitment and what they want and expect from their job search.

What they found was that while tech – from predictive algorithms in vacancy advertising to automated candidate sifting – is being increasingly used to boost efficiency in recruitment, it isn’t necessarily improving the candidate experience.

Why the human element is so important

A significant 26% of the 18,000 people interviewed in the ManpowerGroup study said that face-to-face interviews are their number one choice of interaction with a prospective new employer. A further 61% said that they preferred in-person interviews over digital recruitment methods. This is something for employers to consider carefully, especially those using automated decision-making processes which could eliminate a candidate who really impresses in person.

On this finding, the organisation’s workforce solutions director Jill Bassett elaborated:

“There is no real substitute for seeing and feeling the connection, or the lack thereof, with a company and its culture. Personal contact can positively differentiate one employer from another.”

This is a crucial point to note in an increasingly competitive marketplace, especially in the world of IT, digital and tech recruitment. When salaries are evenly matched (or you are outgunned by your competitors), candidate experience can be the only way you can stand out from the crowd and attract and keep the best candidates.

Another piece of research, the What People Want report by Hays, supported this idea that candidates crave the ‘human’ element during recruitment. Its researchers found that 69% of respondents wanted someone they could contact during the process, while 48% were put off a role because the organisation made a poor first impression.

How tech can improve recruitment efficiency

The report didn’t dismiss the importance of tech in recruitment entirely. Far from it, as it highlighted many areas where technology can be extremely useful and valuable for both candidates and recruiters. For example:

• Using social media to broadcast jobs and offer company insights
• Video interviewing – which 9% of candidates were found to prefer
• Tech tools such as predictive algorithms and contextual re-targeting, which can help employers to create highly personalised job ads (based on factors such as career interests, articles read online and browsing history)
• By using tech to personalise job ads and related content, the efficiency and accuracy of the recruitment process can be improved. Candidates expect an efficient, well-designed online ‘journey’ which can make the process and paperwork as easy as possible.

To start your search for the best IT, tech or digital talent, using innovative strategies and specialist resources, contact the experts here at SOLOS Consultants.

 

photo courtesy of Stuart Miles @ freedigitalphotos.net