Complete guide to technical recruitment software
Introduction
On May 3, 2012, the world was shocked when an activist shareholder of the multi-billion dollar Internet giant Yahoo proposed the possibility that the newly appointed CEO, Scott Thompson, had falsified his résumé with a non-existent bachelor’s degree in computer science in addition to a degree in accounting. Investigations established that he only had a degree in accounting.
Yahoo parted ways with Thompson and called the mistake an “inadvertent error.” But for recruiters around the world, the incident was a nightmare come true.
On a positive note, the incident proved to be an example for why recruitment should always be uncompromising. But finding a needle in a haystack is probably easier than finding the “right-fit” for a job opening. Besides being packed with time-intensive and mundane tasks during the overall process, a “what-if” scenario is an online recruiter’s biggest unsolved riddle.
3 Challenges of tech recruiting
What needs to be measured
For example, if an innovative process (say automation) can save time and money and up efficiency by X%, it can eventually be passed on to the customers in terms of shorter delivery times or savings in the cost; this could be what makes one a cut above the rest.
Challenge #1
Too many to screen from!
Challenge #2
Too many tricksters!
Challenge #3
Determining candidate’s potential for the long run
Résumés and coding assessments help you figure out a candidate’s competence for the role offered. But can they really help you focus on hidden human elements and dig deeper? So, even if a candidate’s resume doesn’t appear to be relevant, he or she still might have incredible soft skills, leadership experience, or other valuable skills your organization might unknowingly miss out on.
What is technical recruitment software?
Technical recruitment software is a widely recognized Software as a Service (SaaS) platform for recruitment screening tests. It is used by recruiters and talent acquisition professionals to automate some parts of the recruitment workflow, such as conducting online tests and assessing test scores. In a nutshell, it helps employers identify candidates who will be a “good fit” for a job profile and company culture.
These assessments help predict a new hire’s on-the-job performance and retainability. Based on recruitment case studies and analysis of employee data, the test results help indicate the extent to which a candidate can evolve into the perfect fit a certain job role demands.
The advent of this software started becoming mainstream in the 1990s as job searches and follow-up processes started migrating online. Its increasing acceptance and usage are part of the revolution driven by the evolving e-recruiting landscape.
According to Capterra, 75% of hiring and talent managers use either applicant tracking or recruiting software to improve their hiring processes.
Soft-skills assessment
Deciding on candidates for the long run is now simpler with psychometric tests and culture-fit testing — fun but vital
services offered by the likes of HireVue.
Technical skills assessment
It’s equally important to have your candidates show how good they can become at honing their “techie” side, and platform providers such as HackerEarth show you exactly how to hire great programmers and developers.
Talent sourcing
As a recruiter, the first big step to a successful recruitment drive is procuring the right set of tools to source top-notch profiles, track their communications, and vet potential hires. These tools also help you with promotions on job boards and social media communities. Hiretual and BambooHR are some of the names you could try.
Recruiting analytics
An interactive dashboard UI to report KPIs and funnel metrics, such as Time to Hire, Sourcing Channel, and Offer : Acceptance Ratio, is a blessing in disguise for every data-driven organization. A good example is RecruitingDash.
Onboarding
What employees experience on the first day increases your retention rates and engagement. Team operations, introductions, welcome emails make
your new hires feel welcome. Some preferred products are HR Onboard and Lessonly.
Features to look for in technical recruitment software
For a talent acquisition professional, the three vital features every recruitment tool should possess are
Software as a service (SaaS)
SaaS is a complete software solution model, where an organization can use it’s services over the Internet, usually with a web browser. All of the underlying infrastructure, middleware, app software, and app data of the software service are located in the service provider’s data center. The SaaS model has become the dominant software model across departments as it allows automatic software updates, flexible feature choices, and cloud-based data collection.
Seamless integration
Abandoning all-in-one HRM systems, carefully curated recruiting software marketplaces have become the favored option for fulfilling specific recruiting needs.
These marketplaces, populated by emerging startups and software agencies taking centre stage, allow recruiting professionals to choose and, compare, from a wide range of options. This allows them to be more efficient, cost-effective, and innovative in finding the right solution that seamlessly integrates with their existing management system.
Smartphone centric
According to the LinkedIn Mobile RecruitingPlaybook, the market trend for applicant tracking systems narrates the story well:
of candidates have applied through their smartphones
of candidates have uploaded their résumés through their smartphones
Similarly, in case of technical recruitment software, the mobile functionality should preferably be two-sided — candidates prefer to be able to take a test on their phones, while recruiters want to be able to access the coding assessment platform and monitor candidates through their phones.
Top HR softwares to have
Besides technical recruitment software, a recruiter must possess other handy tools as well to streamline and automate different parts of the candidate experience timeline. One software solution cannot be designed to provide services for all recruiting functions at once. Therefore, your best bet would be a well-chosen software suite of a variety of tools, referred to as a recruiting stack. A generic stack would comprise the following:
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
An applicant tracking system (ATS) is the recruiting standard for everything, from organizing job applications and processing résumés to tracking interview particulars. These systems allow companies to keep track of the source of the application such as company websites, job boards, or employee referrals. This information holds great value as it allows employers to redistribute resources and efforts among areas where job postings and applications are active. According to a survey by Ongig.com, a total of 99 different ATSs are being used by 3,705 top hirers in 2017. Some of the top players in 2017 were Taleo, Jobvite, and iCims.
Candidate Relationship Management System
Besides tracking interaction history, you can also add notes and schedule follow-ups. Moreover, such systems come with the valuable add-on of
email integration and dashboard-based analytics. Some widely used options include Smashfly, Zoho Recruit, and LinkedIn Talent Solutions. According to Forbes, LinkedIn’s primary sources of revenue in the 2015 financial year included its Talent Solutions Ads, and Marketing and Premium Account Subscriptions, with Talent Solutions contributing more than 65% of its revenues in Q3 2015.
Now, with more and more recruiters shifting their preferences to cloud-based technologies and social network integration, such a tool is the perfect lifesaver.
Assessment and interviewing software
Recruiter or not, everyone must have come across the extremely popular practice of online interviewing. Be it through email exchanges or through coding interviewing software, a list of conveniences contribute to this trend:
- You can conduct coding tests and interviews for a more geographically isolated population
- Individuals or groups, overwhelmed by physical and health constraints, can still get the job done from the comfort of their homes
- You can watch pre-recorded interviews whenever you want to
- Both the candidate and you incur lesser traveling costs
New software advances using artificial intelligence will give recruiters a run for their money as they provide additional insights on each candidate by assessing their word choices, speech patterns, and facial expressions to predict how well the candidate may fit in a particular role. And this is just the beginning.
According to a recent case study by HackerEarth, Odessa Technologies successfully completed its campus recruitment drive, where they conducted 70+ hiring drives and assessed 10,000 candidates across 40 colleges in just 5 months!
Choosing the right technical recruitment software
BIGGER and BETTER – these words perfectly describe the powerful trend of automation that has taken the recruitment market by storm.
Regulating and reinvigorating workflow is the top priority for a recruiter in today’s recruitment scenario. One’s ability to understand and comprehend the benefits of automated recruitment methods is what gets fast, accurate, and cost-effective results, that is, “perfect” candidates.
In the past, automated screening was sometimes viewed as unprofessional, generic, and cold. Today, it is the de facto choice for recruiters dealing with ever-increasing numbers of candidates, enabling them to focus their time and efforts on value adding tasks.
In spite of this advantage, communicating the final outcome – good and bad – to candidates, is still something recruiters have to do themselves. Luckily, automation can relieve you of this too. As to why adapt to the pleasures of such an unexplored horizon, here are a few reasons:
Software doesn't favour any candidate
Fewer calls, more updates
Recruitment automation in the form of chatbots helps recruiters avoid tedious phone calls, yet provide consistent updates in real-time by asking pre-qualifying questions related to the job requirements and providing feedback, updates, and next-step suggestions. Mya, for instance, is a new entrant to this category.
More intuitive than ever
Some of these recruitment software applications such as the AI-based video interviewing platform HireVue assess digitized interview records and factors such as their word choices, speech patterns, and facial expressions to predict how well a candidate fits the role. This helps the recruiter judge how well the candidate fits the job requirements or company culture.
Better candidate experience
The experience candidates receive during the application process can very often be a deciding factor in determining whether they accept a job offer. Recruitment automation has the potential to vastly improve the candidate experience. The most obvious problem that chatbots get rid of is the “eerie silence” between submitting a resume and hearing back about further steps.
An intuitive research study from CareerBuilder has shown that 67 percent of job seekers have a good overall impression of a company if they receive regular and consistent updates throughout the process.
Remember these points before buying technical recruitment software
#1 Your choice of software should solve your problem
For starters, define a specific recruiting problem you’re trying to solve. If there are several problems, make the biggest problem your only problem.
For example, if your problem is time-intensive résumé screening, your software should be able to automate résumé screening and replicate the shortlisting decisions you’d make yourself.
#2 Your choice of software should get you relevant hires
Most hiring solutions work better for certain roles than they do for others. For example, if a major percentage of your hires is from employee referrals, consider how the solution offered by your software would work out for that source.
#3 Your choice of software should be compatible with your current tools
The design of newer solutions recognize your desire for quick and easy integration, thus helping you avoid repeated assistance from the IT department. For example, resume screening software should undergo a fluid integration with your ATS, without you making that hourly phone call to the helpline number and missing your coffee breaks.
#4 Your choice of software shouldn’t empty your wallet
Ensure a plan in place deciding what priorities you can spend on. Choose a suitable package which would cost less than your previous solution but should be just enough to get the job done. Moreover, take customer testimonials into careful consideration before coming to a decision. At the end of the day, people want great value for their money.
Conclusion
“WORKING WITH A REVOLUTIONIZING TECHNOLOGY IS ONE THING, BUT VESTING YOUR TRUST AND TIME IN AN ‘UNACQUAINTED ACQUAINTANCE’ ANOTHER.”
According to Capterra
“A staggering 94% of HR professionals who use recruiting software said it has improved their hiring process. Only 5% of software users replied that their hiring process has been hurt by software with just 1% claiming no impact at all. These numbers indicate high levels of user satisfaction in the recruiting software space and could also point to low levels of customer turn over between software vendors.”
Any automation should ideally help recruiters find the right candidates for the right roles by removing human error and bias while incorporating human interaction when necessary. Being a part of the candidate-scouting wagon in the year 2018, you must have an e-recruitment kit in your toolbox, because in this vast and opportunist recruitment market, automation is synonymous with smartification.
Summing up, there’s one thing we know for sure: We can never take the “human” out of human resources.