Interview with Jason Heilman, Co-founder of Herefish by Bullhorn

Why recruitment automation is the method of choice in modern talent acquisition

For most companies, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the pace of change at a scale seldom seen before. Recruitment professionals, in particular, have not only had to contend with a shifting jobs landscape but also with changes in how they perform their own jobs. To keep up, they must make use of technologies like automation.

Automating highly structured, mundane tasks throughout the entire recruiting process means recruiters can spend less time keeping their ATS updated, administering NPS Surveys, and managing calendars. As a result, they can spend more time having meaningful conversations with candidates, clients, and sales prospects. Realising the power of automation offers innumerable advantages.

Why now is the best time

The current pandemic has turned the world of work on its head, and recruitment firms find themselves having to process more candidates with fewer staff members. Realising the power of automation offers numerous ways to increase efficiency and solve many of the headaches they currently face.

To determine what your business needs, first consider the potential limitations in your processes and how automation can address them. Recruiting automation can assist your team in a two-fold manner: via an automation platform or through products in your tech stack that automate key processes. Both options offer formidable yet simple solutions, so don’t let the fear of the unknown hamper your aspirations.

Potent productivity

Automation could potentially save the average recruiter an hour a day by automatically updating records, creating tasks, adding notes, and notifying record owners of crucial changes. That amounts to 260 hours in a year per employee which, in a firm of 50, adds up to 13,000 hours annually! Imagine what your firm could do with so many extra hours over 12 months.

Companies experiencing a growing workload usually need to increase headcount, but in the current economic climate, it might not be viable. However, Bullhorn data indicates that the effective rollout of automation increases submissions by 13 percent and placements by 11 percent. So automation can be used effectively to raise the productivity of existing employees and scale processes and communications more effectively – without turning clients away.

Streamline the experience

The most central part of recruiting in a modern job market is a streamlined experience. It can be the difference between losing a top candidate or filling the role. A frustrating experience will prompt candidates and clients to go elsewhere, so firms should continually fine-tune their experience. Automation is the ideal vehicle to make continual improvements.

A contemporary automated system can automatically send a personalised welcome email to new applicants or a text message on a contractor’s first day. By adding thoughtful micro-touches throughout the recruitment process and automating touchpoints, recruiters can create a unique experience, thereby reducing the drop-off rate significantly.

Recruiters can use automated systems to track applicants and get notified when a highly coveted applicant completes actions like submitting an application, clicking a link or email, or visiting a particular job page. Another benefit is that hiring managers can be kept in the loop with regular automated email updates and the opportunity to assess new hiring needs or address concerns.

Pull your data into shape

Data that isn’t up to date can have a severe impact on a firm’s recruitment efforts. Even a straightforward task such as automatically changing an applicant’s status from passive to active can improve the success rate significantly. Firms that take it up another notch can fill a sparse-looking ATS with a talent pool full of well-suited and engaged candidates.

Supported by a robust data set, automation can help duplicate the efforts of your best recruiters and help you focus on relationships. Plus, with the aid of machine learning, a firm can configure its automation solution to match candidates with vacancies from its ATS for use in any outbound communication. This automated communication and data-gathering can help staffing professionals process new profiles more quickly and match them with potential openings.

Another bonus is that automation can keep a firm’s marketing platform integrated with its CRM. Cleaning up your ATS will also accelerate searches in your system.

Take the leap

At a time when the seemingly contradictory demands of doing more with less are expected of recruiters, automation is the ideal solution. It can eliminate many of the most monotonous tasks on a recruiter’s to-do list, including those of salespeople and marketers, thereby enabling them to focus on revenue-generating and relationship-building activities. If you are part of the approximately 75 percent of recruiters that still haven’t added automation to their professional arsenal, now is the time to do so.

For more information, visit: https://www.bullhorn.com/blog/author/jasonheilman/