How HR Tech Can Turn You Into a Strategic Talent Advisor

As technology transforms every aspect of work, perhaps no business function will benefit more than talent acquisition. Each year sees an influx of new tools and services to help companies attract, source, engage, screen and hire talent. These solutions are creating a new breed of recruiters with better candidate insights, deeper reach into talent markets and greater efficiency in their daily activities.

According to Randstad Sourceright’s 2019 Talent Trends Report, 92% of human capital leaders believe technology enhances the attraction, engagement and retention of talent. This is a significant improvement since 2016, when 79% said the same. Given the rapid introduction of transformative new solutions in the past three years, this number is no surprise.

Smarter technology, smarter recruitment

According to HR industry analyst Josh Bersin, the evolution of artificial intelligence promises to further transform how companies hire candidates. He cites pymetrics as an example of how cognitive and neurological algorithms can be used to identify skills and determine which candidates are best for certain roles.

Other examples abound. Let’s say a company needs to hire software developers but isn’t sure which applicants are best qualified. HackerRank helps assess candidates’ skills and abilities through both real-time and offline coding tests. Video interviewing tools like Montage allow candidates to conduct video interviews at their convenience and can help remove unconscious bias from the process. And to further save recruiters time, AllyO offers an AI-powered chatbot to screen and engage candidates, while processing high volumes of candidates more quickly.

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But what does this really mean? Why are these tools important? Smart technologies are taking over many of the transactional, low-value tasks recruiters once owned, giving them the capacity to play more strategic roles to help managers make better talent decisions and guide candidates through better career choices. This reality is highlighted by a marked change in responses to a key question in our Talent Trends research from years past. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, 68 percent of respondents said that technology made recruiting simpler and more efficient. In 2019, however, 81 percent say the same.

5 tips for assessing the impact of HR tech on your talent strategy

While more talent leaders acknowledge the benefits of technology, their apprehension about the speed of digitalization is also growing. Overall, 60 percent say they have trouble keeping up with digitalization, compared to 2016, when only 48 percent said the same. To ensure that your talent-acquisition function captures the value of the latest technology, consider these five tips:

  1. Create an advisory panel. Assemble a mix of recruitment specialists, IT and suppliers as an advisory panel to help ensure that the most impactful technologies are identified and implemented.
  2. Evaluate current technology. Conduct a LEAN  review of your talent-acquisition process to optimize technology use and determine how the talent team can be upskilled on new functionality.
  3. Select adaptable solutions. To get the most from your talent-acquisition technology, make sure each solution has a migration path forward to cover future needs.
  4. Provide proper training. When implementing a new solution, invest in change management and training to make sure the technology is used effectively.
  5. Get outside expertise. To get the most out of your technology investments, turn to vendors that have experience with these technologies for implementation support and best practices.

The HR teams that identify how technology can enhance the talent experience and meet recruitment goals will have a significant advantage over their competitors. Lead this advantage and become a strategic advisor by creating a new breed of talent leader.  Not only will you be able to provide your organization with the best talent more efficiently, but you’ll also be seen as a crucial strategic advisor with the expertise to overcome current and future talent challenges.

Kimberly Fahey

Kimberly Fahey
Kimberly Fahey is senior vice president of global client delivery at Randstad Sourceright, where she designs custom talent solutions to help organizations achieve business goals through smart people strategies.

Kimberly Fahey

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