In an era of unprecedented disruption, hiring and recruitment is also set to change. Undoubtedly, the pandemic has had a significant impact on business operations as applicants and recruiters tried to acclimatize themselves to hybrid business models. However, these changes are unlikely to be temporary and could very well be the harbinger of how the hiring and recruitment process is set to change in 2021.
The pandemic has accelerated the pace of digital transformation in almost all industries, compelling businesses of all sizes to accelerate their digital initiatives. Approximately 56 percent of the managers intend to use automated technology within the span of a year whereas 24 percent of businesses have already started using AI for their talent acquisition needs, according to a Sage report.
Like 2020, even 2021 is set to bring some major disruptions to the hiring and recruitment process. Based on insights from Forbes, let’s take a closer look at how hiring and recruitment is set to change in 2021.
Digital hiring is the way forward
With remote working becoming more mainstream and widespread, employers are looking at a global talent pool for remote jobs. The use of AI and automation has been necessitated by recruiters to sift through this large talent pool. The benefits of employing this technology is with regard to time savings, improved recruiting consistency, and efficiency at all levels in the pre-and post-hire talent acquisition process. Businesses have also discovered all of this can also be accomplished without sacrificing the vital human link that workers always crave.
An article from the Economic Times highlights that hiring at scale, IVRs (Interactive Voice Response) and Chatbots are used to do the first level of candidate screening and assessment rounds. AI too should play a major role for online application tracking and recruitment processes. Companies are also heavily investing in Associate Tracking Systems.
Changing roles and skill-sets
Companies today are being forced to revamp their core capabilities, target markets, and even their inherent company values and culture to achieve success in a fast-changing world. By leveraging digital hiring tools like virtual interviews and pre-hiring assessments, recruiters can garner a better feel for an employee’s job fit for existing business needs.
In 2021, candidates are required to demonstrate an ease with technology as well as espouse a flexible and adaptable approach to work with strong communication skills. In time, these tools, roles, and skill-sets are expected to become more streamlined. This will eventually have a positive impact on employee performance and satisfaction in the long-run.
Being digital with a personal touch
Human resources has always been a people driven process. Despite the new efficiencies AI and automation unlocks, employers fear that AI and automation driven recruitment and hiring would make their company seem impersonal. However, automation can delegate repetitive, process-driven tasks to a bot, freeing up people’s time to be more available and hands-on. Rather than replacing the role of the recruiter entirely, intelligent automation can supplement it by filtering through data quickly, transparently, and without error.
Through data, objectivity, and predictive models, AI-driven tools can also aid in the elimination of bias. OutMatch’s video interviewing technology is one example of how automation can help level the playing field for all applicants.
The road ahead
Digital hiring solutions such as digital assessments, video interviewing, and online reference checking should be viewed as long-term hiring strategies rather than a quick fix for the Covid-19 era. The fact of the matter is that recruitment strategies today have become leaner and more agile coupled with the technologies in use. The emphasis today is on skill-set, adaptability, and compatibility rather than location.
