Some days ago we hosted a roundtable discussion where we were joined by recruiters from medium and large enterprises across the United Kingdom, in an effort to get to the bottom of a question we’re forced to face more and more often – how do we optimize our time with the help of technology? Is this even possible or should we stick to the good old spreadsheet approach?
Don’t get me wrong – spreadsheets are great and technology certainly cannot replace the human factor, knowledge and intuition, yet there’s always room for automation and making use of smart recruitment marketing tools that would, essentially, make life easier.
Here’s what we’ve been talking about…
A growing trend we’re noticing, is that with the ever-changing media landscape and media consumption behaviours, recruiters’ roles have evolved tremendously and they constantly need to adapt and apply a multidisciplinary approach in order to be successful.
Think sourcing, choosing the best media outlets to reach your target audiences, booking that media and last but not least – tracking your KPIs – I think it’s a safe bet to say these are points on your weekly agenda! And indeed, many of the questions that came up during the session were around simplifying job marketing efforts and getting better reporting, expanding knowledge and capabilities re: new tech on the market, making the most out of the recruitment budget and reaching passive or diversity candidates.
What’s our take on the matter? Read on!
So where does that leave us? Where and how do we even begin making technology changes with big impact in the long run? Not to worry – here’s an overview of our expert steps you can already take to help you get started and be successful in the long run.
1. Less is more
When we look at the job marketing landscape, you might notice that there’s always something new on the market – a new tool, platform or system that promises to help you speed things up, do better, do more – be more successful in other words. That’s true, to an extent, especially when we talk about the essentials – having an ATS for example – as basic as it might be.
However, some TA teams tend to always go for the next “big” thing, which often leads to a schedule packed with 1 hour demos, a list of endless new accounts that need to be set up in order to test the product, and 5 new tools which are rarely used… Who needs this, really? A recruiter who has to source 20 candidates as of two weeks ago or a TA director who has to develop a post COVID-19 strategy and re-organise the hiring process? That’s correct – neither!
This is why you need to be smart about the way you choose new tools – if it’s something you absolutely see yourself using on a daily basis – go for it. If it’s something you’re not sure about – don’t clutter your daily routine and keep it simple!
2. Quality over quantity
This one largely goes back to my previous point. While less is more when it comes to the tools you use, you also need to make sure you have the right ones which have the capability to really support and enable your TA teams. Think about investing in technology that would generally raise the quality of the work and the candidates that come into your funnel. One way to go about this is to first raise the team’s data literacy.
To be able to do that, you need to set up the right KPIs and build consistent mechanisms to help with the process. Ultimately, this would lead to a better experience with the candidate journey and better overall reach to the qualified candidates.
3. Set your priorities
Often, we’re faced with not one, not two, not three, not four … well you see where I’m headed with this – challenges on a daily basis when it comes to finding the best talent. On one hand, there’s the competition with a well rounded employer brand and all the passive candidates who’re not open to new positions just yet, there’s the lack of knowledge and experience from the recruiter’s side in new markets and with new roles – and finally, there are the often lengthy and complicated internal hiring processes that we’re painfully familiar with and can end up dragging for months before anything happens.
Our tip? Prioritise smart! Start with the basics:
- To face the competition, get your story straight and put your employer brand out there – candidates won’t know why they should join your company unless you tell them.
- Help the TA team step into the candidates shoes – having a new perspective can go a long way and educate and inspire (like Nationwide here did), and ultimately bring in the talent you’re looking for.
- Keep it simple – look for ways you can simplify your processes rather than adding on to them and over-complicating things. If you’re unsure about the best way forward, start with a few small AB tests.
4. Connect with peers
Do some investigative work! Make the most out of your network and see what your peers are doing in terms of tech and tooling – there’s a good chance some will pop out more than others, so this is a good starting point when you’re looking for ways to improve process flow and optimize time spent.
Finally, remember you’re playing the long game: there’s no quick fix when it comes to claiming back 14 hours of your week, but with small and calculated steps you will get there!
We’re always happy to help you get started…
