We’re in the era of 24/7 everything. People expect results around the clock, and the staffing industry is not exempt from those expectations. How can a workforce solutions company keep up with client demand without burning out or losing their key recruiting staff?
The traditional role of the recruiter has always been an important one, focused on building relationships with candidates that match their client’s requirements. But in today’s environment, recruiters must effectively source and screen talent 24/7, which is not sustainable for any human worker. When recruiters burn out, they will leave — and leave you without your best connections to top workers.
However, by changing the status quo and integrating the right AI-powered talent marketplace technology into your staffing company’s existing systems, you can leap-frog your competition, effectively recruiting for your clients 24/7 without burning out your most valuable employees.
Why Recruiters Are Burning Out
The pandemic and the ensuing Great Resignation have created heavier workloads for business development professionals, including recruiters. In fact, 67% of them cite this as their greatest source of burnout. It’s for this reason, perhaps, that 45% of recruiters believe that AI and automation will make their jobs easier by increasing their bandwidth for screening candidates and referrals, shortening their screening process, and giving them actionable data on candidates who end up getting placed.
Recruiters clearly need the right tech tools to support them, but companies aren’t investing fast enough. Recent research shows that approximately two-thirds of company hiring managers believe it is very or extremely important for their staffing firms to use up-to-date technology. However, only 32% of staffing industry leaders plan to invest in new technology in the next year.
Ask yourself honestly: Is your staffing company operating as efficiently as it could be? Are you giving your recruiters all the tools they need to successfully maintain strong relationships and improve their fill rates?
It can be hard to know where to start changing your existing processes. So, here are a few tips, based on my experience working both inside and outside of large traditional recruiting firms in the staffing industry.
What to Trim, What to Adopt
First, ditch traditional application tracking systems (ATS) and job boards, or at least reduce your dependence on them. ATS and job boards generally only provide static searches, maintain out-of-date candidate information and require your recruiter’s time and energy to vet candidates. While they were a major technological leap forward 20 years ago, they rely on candidates themselves to update their profiles and figure out how to best present their skills. Even the best talent might not use the same keywords as you do to describe their skills, which means your recruiters may mistakenly pass them over. Plus, up to 30% of candidates in ATS or on job boards are fraudulent profiles, which wastes everyone’s time.
In their place, consider integrating AI-powered talent marketplaces, which match candidates with your open orders 24/7. Job seekers are increasingly turning to these centralized platforms to find suitable matches and maximize job search efficiency. They offer access to a more diverse array of candidates across skill sets and industries, including passive job seekers who may not actively apply through traditional methods. They also leverage advanced algorithms, machine learning and/or artificial intelligence to match candidates with suitable job opportunities, saving time and effort for both agencies and job seekers. As an example, clients using the talent marketplace operated by my current employer, SkillGigs, have reduced their average fill time from 4 months to just a few weeks.
As anyone that has ever been through a technology implementation knows, adopting new tech can be quite challenging for legacy industries like staffing. However, AI-powered talent marketplaces frees your recruiters to do the advanced work needed to determine if a candidate is a good fit for the roles you’re trying to fill. It can reduce recruiter burnout, help you retain your best employees, and keep you competitive in a rapidly evolving market by enabling you to recruit 24/7.
