Future tech: What’s the next big thing on the rec tech horizon?

By Neil Rose, Co-Founder

The current market situation and the impact of COVID-19 has created an environment that is ripe for innovation, and recruiters and HR professionals who can adapt and make use of emerging technologies will be the ones who will flourish.

There are many areas of rec tech that are worth keeping an eye on, but here are some of my top tech trends.

AI and Chatbots

Chatbot functionality has come a long way in the past few years, and there are many that go beyond simple enquiries. There are some incredible tools out there, such as SmartAI, that can help with everything from talent acquisition to on-boarding and workforce management, or Curious Thing, which uses AI to conduct phone screening at scale to give all applicants a fair go and remove bias from the process..

Online Training

Online Training has, of course, been around for some time, but the most innovative solutions, such as those provided by WorkPro or Go1, really take things to the next level; creating intelligent learning hubs that enable you to engage, onboard and train people at scale.

Voice Technology

Recruitment tools that use voice commands are growing in number, and they are a great time saver. JobAdder is one that's worth taking a look at – you can generate reports, set up job templates and even post jobs in seconds using just your voice – a seriously efficient way to get things done.

Automated Candidate Screening and Communication

Screening and communication tools are becoming more sophisticated and can save you significant time and improve your candidate experience. It's something we're passionate about at Referoo – our reference checking tool is all about making the process simpler, quicker and more effective for HR and recruiters while also offering the candidate and the referee a great experience. 

In a candidate-driven market, these tools are not only critical timesavers, they ensure you get the right candidates on the shortlist. Think about a person reviewing 150 CVs; beyond simply the time it takes, their ultimate selections could easily be influenced by their individual unconscious biases (something we already know to be an issue) or even fatigue. We can all empathise with this scenario - by the time you have looked at even 20 CVs, it can be hard to focus and continue giving each one the attention it deserves.

And the tools go beyond CV screening. Take a look at Vervoe, a platform that offers skill testing software to find the right person based on performance, ranking candidates based on how well they can actually perform the job.

The recruiter as 'agent'

Okay, so not technology, but a trend none the less, and one worth talking about. Think about the model used by celebrities – an agent manages their end-to-end career, identifying their next move based on what is important to them. It might be money, location, working on a specific cause or with an ethical company - whatever their drivers, the agent works to secure the right opportunities to build and accelerate their career.

Valuable professionals, such as HR leaders and C-Suite professionals who have a proven track record, could benefit from recruiters taking on this role. Beyond simply placing them when they are actively looking for a role, the recruiter could be constantly on the lookout for that next opportunity that aligns with their goals. It's an interesting model, and one way our industry could evolve to meet a changing market.  Technology will play a huge role in enabling these shifts – freeing up recruiters to spend time on all-important relationships.   

Making the tech work for you

The benefits of these technologies can be significant – but, as with any technology, it's about the right execution. The key, for me, is to look at your end-to-end process and identify those areas that are time consuming or creating bottlenecks and don't benefit from human connection. You can and should leverage technology from various sources, but you'll get the most bang for your buck by looking at the process holistically.

Most recruiters and HR professionals are onboard with using increasingly sophisticated technologies, but for some there is still an element of caution around what it means for the future of our industry. For me, recruitment and HR will always be people-centric industries, that thrive on personal connections and trust, so it's not about replacing people, but replacing tasks that take our time away from the people side of the business. In the words of recruitment expert, Greg Savage, "Embrace the technology; automate as much as you can. So you can add value where it counts."   

Keen to get your technology working better for you? Contact Referoo to find out how we can help you save time and provide a better candidate experience.