In our initial blog post, Pontoon COO Mike Drolet discussed how each organization is unique and will have different proceses that automation can solve.
All organizations, however, have fundamental factors – such as geography, industry, size and culture as well as the organization’s goals and technology readiness – that will drive how automation fits within their framework.
Locale most certainly matters. Aidan Kelly, senior consultant at Pontoon, highlights his perspective from Europe. “At a tech savvy organization in Germany, automated interviews would likely have alienated applicants with candidates lost to the process,” he says. “And there’s a Worker’s Council that mandates data protection with CVs.” Local legislation and regulations will dictate what is and is not possible with automation and we have to be keen to those boundaries.
As with location, culture and language surely follow. Is the automation culturally acceptable? In Japan, video interviewing is not allowed. But if using legally allowed automation, the tool language must be Japanese. Germany also requires the tool language be in German. There are, of course, other countries with language requirements but not all tools are ready for these requirements.
What about candidate usability? Absolutely. Luke Kohlrieser, technology consultant, reveals how even some roles/departments within an organization use technology differently. For example, take digital marketing candidates; they would likely move easily through an automated process while finance roles (using a different sort of automation) may not find the same ease of use – but nonetheless are all operating under one organization.
Some organizations with aging and retiring workforces are transitioning from their more mature workforces to hiring younger, more tech-reliant employees. Operating in a “hard copy” environment is less likely to attract the attention of, or appeal to, tech-ready candidates.
In the UK, Annie Hammer, vice president, technology, sees the greatest usage of automation with the college-aged demographic, saying, “They are regularly using FaceTime and Google Hangouts, and I would rate them as our early adopters.”
However, as we evaluate technology usage, we are finding that automation and ease of use/convenience transcends age boundaries. A large portion of the job seeking population has come to expect a consumer-grade experience on par with Google and Facebook whenever they are online, and automated; user-friendly experiences are essential to attracting top talent. Minimizing cognitive load increases usability and can help avoid candidate drop off.
What are the two most important factors when considering recruitment technology? Is it culturally acceptable (and compliant)? Does the tool deliver the required language?
Our experts concur culture and languages are most essential.
Strategy and phased approach
Organizations should have an overarching recruitment strategy that aligns with their technology readiness and objectives, while also accounting for regional and local differences.
And our experts concur; a phased automation approach is best!
It is important to kickoff technology usage with an assessment of the organizational/process maturity regarding automation. Realistically, organizations will all start at different points on the automation continuum.
After identifying the automation maturity, the next step would be identification of the core inefficiencies/business challenges and designing a process to tackle those first. As an organization moves forward, it can initiate a more strategic approach, and leverage a solid foundation of more sophisticated process automation applications and drive implementation of innovative solutions.
Tailoring the recruitment process is a must
Here’s how you get there from here:
- Choose your tools and solution partners wisely.
- Define the factors as it relates to what you do and where you do it (culture and language are key).
- Outline an overall (and possibly global) strategy that addresses workforce needs and inherent legislation.
- Implement your automated recruitment strategy with a phased approach structured to address organization and program readiness.
- Reflect.
- Revise.
- Optimize.
Please join us for our next blog in the series: Driving Recruitment Efficiencies through Automation.
MORE: Tailoring the Recruitment Approach with Automation — Identifying Opportunities
