Using technology to attract the best candidates

Using technology to attract the best candidates

Technology has completely revolutionised the recruitment landscape, changing the way professionals are searching for roles and consequently how employers are advertising to attract them. For recruiters and employers alike, the ease of the application process through the use of technology is especially important in ensuring successful talent acquisition in the competitive market for top candidates.
If you are an employer across the UK looking to hire, it may be time to embrace some of these new technological innovations which can help place your career opportunities just a click away from skilled professionals in the market. Social media, video marketing/screening and mobile applications allow us to engage with candidates like never before, so it’s important to understand how these changes have altered the recruitment process and how they will ultimately affect your business.

Mobile phones

Mobiles today are much more than just a telecommunication device, and with access to the internet they enable us to shop, do our banking, search for career opportunities and even apply for new jobs. In the UK, mobile users check their mobile 0.4tn times per year according Deloitte’s 2016 ‘There’s no place like phone’ report and stats released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate that around 70% of adults accessed the internet using their mobile phones in 2016, with 8/10 people going online every day. This is a large actively engaged audience with huge reach potential and the opportunity to be in almost constant, and immediate contact with prospective candidates. 
Job seekers can already search for vacancies and apply for roles via mobile devices, looking forward, individuals will be able to negotiate employment offers and select whether to accept or reject said offers, plan and participate in live meetings and easily match their skillsets with relevant vacancies using their phone. It is therefore imperative to provide hiring managers the ability to create and advertise vacancies, review applications and arrange interviews from their mobiles.

Social media

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – just a few of the vast number of social media sites that dominate our daily lives. The 2016 ONS internet access report highlights that 91% of those aged between 16-24 and 89% of 23-34 year olds are accessing these social media platforms. From this it is easy to see the potential for connecting with suitable candidates. The introduction of advertising and business profiles has meant companies can join their customers and potential candidates on these sites to actively communicate by engaging in conversation, sharing information, answering questions and advertising services. LinkedIn is especially ideal for companies to engage with professionals as it allows job vacancies to be posted and interested candidates to directly apply using their profiles.
Today, it is often not sufficient to simply advertise a role on an online job board as this can result in an influx of hundreds of CVs from unsuitable candidates, particularly when advertising on the larger sites. With the Scottish unemployment rate currently sitting at 4.4%, employers can maximise their target audience by accepting LinkedIn profiles as applications, at least for the initial stage of regular job openings. This speeds up the recruitment process by eliminating the need to tailor CVs and can provide a more accurate summary of a candidates’ working experience.

Videos

Traditional face-to-face interviews are no longer the only method of candidate screening with telephone interviews increasingly common for fast hires and video now being used to evaluate potential candidates in the initial stages of a recruitment process. While the use of interviewing and pre-screening via video is certainly not new to the recruitment industry, it is an increasingly popular choice becoming a more staple aspect of the overall process. Online videos account for 50% of all mobile traffic as viewing videos, as opposed to reading text or static pictures, has become widely accepted, so it can be used in every aspect of recruiting.
Videos are significantly more engaging for viewers than plain word text. They can evoke emotion though use of sound, image and dialog making it easier for candidates to gain a clear perspective of the company’s cultures and values. In addition to this, by offering Skype meetings to candidates, busy professionals have the opportunity to interview for a position from anywhere at any time, where previously they may have not been able to apply at all.
Each business is unique and different methods may work better for some than it will others. To make these new technologies work for you we have developed key tips for innovative recruitment.

Top five tips for recruiting in 2017

  • Website optimisation for mobile phones - ensure your website is mobile friendly and has the ability for users to search for and apply to jobs within your site.
  • A strong and active presence on social media – be active online. Ensure your target audience is aware of your brand and expand your reach through these social platforms. 
  • Accept online profiles as initial applications – allow candidates applying through sites such as LinkedIn to submit their profiles in place of a CV in the early stages of recruitment.
  • Video promotion – connect with your audience through video; send messages about your brand, highlight job opportunities and provide useful information using an engaging format.
  • Video screening and interviews – introduce video applications into the initial stages of your recruitment process and provide the opportunity for those unable to attend face-to-face interviews to meet via Skype.
Scottish businesses in 2017 can navigate the challenges of an increasingly competitive candidate-driven market by catering to the growing mobile and social media-based audience. We welcome any discussions on the above topics and are happy to give advice on how you could make the best use of these tools to find the right professionals for your business.
If you would like to discuss how we can help you with your recruitment needs please contact us today.
Jonathan Crichton
Managing Consultant, Page Personnel Finance - Glasgow
T: +44 141 331 7960