How tech will change passive recruitment in 2018

Nursing our New Year’s Eve hangovers and regretting the eight tonnes of chocolate we ate over Christmas, we struggled in to work this morning with slight headaches, giant extra-hot extra-strong coffees and really, really tight jeans. Opening our emails, we found thousands of applications from active candidates who speak fourteen languages, are the perfect cultural fit (for everything) and have experience using all the latest technologies in rapidly-growing, global startups… We wish.

Many things will change in 2018, but the shortage of active candidates will not be one of them.

    The scarcity of tech talent means the need to reach and engage passive candidates is as urgent as ever. Thankfully, sourcing passive candidates is becoming faster and more intuitive because of advances in AI and Big Data. As the price of recruitment software continues to drop and interfaces become more user-friendly, companies are incorporating data-driven techniques into their recruitment strategies. And it’s working.  

How tech will change passive recruitment in 2018: Here are the four biggest tech trends to keep an eye on this year.

 

1. AI

Prediction: We might get AI. We won’t get a pet robot dog. Although robot dogs probably won’t make it into our office this year (unfortunately), it won’t be long before AI software will be sourcing passive candidates on our behalf, or at least helping us do it. 62% of companies will be using some form of AI by the end of next year. This compares to only 38% at the beginning of 2017. AI software can already:

• pull candidates from external databases
• find relevant candidates in existing ATS applications
• automate the screening process already

We’re just watching and waiting for it to get cheaper and easier to use. Black Friday AI sale, anyone?

 

2. Big Data

Prediction: We won’t get a Big Data Engineer either.  Does anyone else feel like data is getting so big it’s actually getting harder to evaluate? We’d love a Big Data Engineer as much as we’d love a robot dog. Unfortunately, employing someone just to look after Big Data is still beyond the budgets of most startups. Luckily, all you really need is your ATS and a coffee. We’re not data experts, but we use data to find developers. Check out how we do it. By the end of 2018, data will be helping internal HR teams gain a better understanding of what makes existing employees, teams and departments successful. HR teams will be using this info to create targeted job descriptions and ads to search for the most relevant profiles. Think Tinder, but for recruitment. A world where recruiters can match a candidate based on their cultural fit, skills and experience could be just months away.  

3. Social media aggregation and distribution

 Prediction: Social media will reign supreme. Again. Social media has become such an integral part of recruitment, it’s hard to remember a time when Facebook, Google and LinkedIn weren’t helping us reach and engage with new networks. Candidates are already rejecting traditional CVs for online portfolios and digital profiles. We bet it won’t be long before traditional resumes disappear altogether. As a result, the growth of automated social media aggregation and social job distribution technologies will continue into 2018 and beyond. “People aggregators” can help give recruiters a more holistic view of a potential candidate (and therefore identify the most relevant passive candidates). But they can also give rise to unintended biases, and this is rightly set to continue as a hot topic in 2018.  

4. Video conferencing and VR

 Prediction: The world will get a little bit smaller. Thanks to massive advances in video conferencing and virtual reality in 2017, it’s now as easy to hold meetings with employees based on the other side of the world as it is with the people sat right next to you. Read why VR is the candidate engagement tool you’ve been looking for.  As physical offices shrink and remote working grows, the location of active and passive candidates will become even less of a barrier in the hunt for talent in 2018 – great news for recruiters and sourcers.   Last year, we placed more international tech talent than local EU candidates in top European startups. They have outstanding experience, great qualifications and a shedload of enthusiasm. Plus, they’re easier to bring on board than you think.  

 

Putting the tech into tech recruitment

It’s more important than ever for recruiters and sourcers to embrace tech. Luckily 2018 is the year it will all get a little cheaper and easier. Except perhaps for the office robot dog and Big Data Engineer.   So how will tech change passive recruitment in 2018? Recruitment software will help us find and hire passive candidates. It will also tell us when teams are stretched and what experience and skills are missing. What tech can’t do is communicate effectively with potential candidates. Although chatbots and automated scheduling are going some way towards easing the pressure on recruiters’ schedules, we’re still a long way from any form of automated recruitment.   Need help finding passive candidates? Get in touch.   Image: Diana Hlevnjak @ Shutterstock