Can technology really enhance hiring outcomes?

Paul O’Loughlin

There is one thing for sure in today’s economic climate and that is the pace of change is only accelerating! Whether it is good, bad, or you feel completely inert to the changes that are happening around us, innovation, workplace practises and recruitment processes are changing the way we think about our working environments and of course the way organisations are driving productivity through the workplace. This is all evolving at pace and not just because of the pandemic, but the COVID-19 crisis has given this all one hell of a push!

It is still quite evident from the lack of commuter traffic on the roads that a large proportion of the workforce is still working from home, and apparently, the flexible arrangement of working from home that we have all experienced during the current crisis is here to stay. The utilisation of zoom type technology has gone through the roof as we have had to become well versed in conducting meetings “on-line”. Safety in the workplace has taken on a new meaning because of the risk associated with contracting the virus at work. Better to be safe than sorry!

Much of the solutions-based technology that has been developed over the past 12 months is allowing us to remain safe whilst performing our jobs, and the recruitment industry is at the forefront of this evolution in many respects. The identification and selection of talent is becoming more automated as ai begins to take a real foothold in the industry, and why would’t it. Of course, you will never erase the benefits of face-to-face engagement but the need to rationalise time wasting processes as well as costly low productivity work functions is under the microscope. Matching candidate skills against position descriptions, evaluating cultural fit and suitability and many other core recruitment functions is becoming more and more automated as the race to find that silver bullet which allows an organisation to source the best people faster for less is very much a talking point in the boardroom. Competition for talent is going to become incredibly intense as we crawl out of the COVID-19 malaise. Before we were struck down by the pandemic the demand for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers across infrastructure and mining was unparalleled. We are heading back in that direction so do not be under any false pretence that it will be a buyers’ market beyond the short term because infrastructure and mining are already screaming out for people. Unthinkable as it might seem, but the airline industry as well is back in the hunt for talent as the skies begin to be populated with aircraft once again.

Technology in recruitment has been around for many years but the changes that I have been privy to over the last several years and in particular over the last 12 months is revolutionary. Being able to source people anywhere in the world, in real-time, from one location and possessing a framework that allows you to see at a glance how each and every vacancy is tracking, is what we have developed at Ubidy. Being in total control of recruitment outcomes whilst mitigating risk not only associated with “poor hires”, but health issues such as COVID-19, reducing “spend” per hire is what we have developed. So, when we use our catch cry, “Global Talent On Demand”, it is the underlying tenant of a swift and cost-effective recruitment tool which has been born of a need to rationalise recruitment practises and processes whilst securing the best people!

Technology is enhancing the recruitment industries ability to provide better talent acquisition outcomes. For any workplace not to embrace it will be left behind in the race to engage the best available talent!

Ubidy | Global Talent on Demand