How Technology Can Assist In Recruiting

As the workforce evolves, so too does the recruiting strategy that companies must implement to attract new talent. The fact is, the composition of the current and upcoming generation of employees is drastically different than that of previous generations, both in terms of demographic and focus.

Technology and the Internet have redefined the ways companies interact with their customers as well as their employees, and in some instances the lines are beginning to blur. Cloud, mobile and Web apps have empowered HR professionals with a new online training platform that can more efficiently impart skills, but have opened new doors to the recruitment process as well.

Recruitment is a focus
The HR profession has been developing and shaping itself to meet the needs it perceives companies will have in the face of the changing workforce. Overwhelmingly, this has taken the form of recruitment-centric development in recent years. A report conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management found that the number of recruitment specialists within the HR profession rose from 6 percent in 2007 to 11 percent in 2012. As Business2Community reported, 81 percent of companies surveyed indicated that tracking down top talent would be their primary HR focus moving forward.

The age of the millennial is upon us. Wired reported that by 2015 this demographic will comprise the majority of the workforce, and by 2030, a full 75 percent of workers will bear the millennial brand. This means that an understanding of what makes this generation tick, and knowing how to attract them, will be a key priority for companies that want to get ahead.

Technology is the key
One of the defining features of the millennial generation is its ubiquitous connection to technology. The digital natives are more technologized than any generation before them, constantly plugged into PCs, smartphones and tablets. Reaching out to millennial workers will involve reaching them on their own level, and that means adopting new HR technology for recruitment and training.

One key area HR professionals are starting to explore is social media. More than just the province of cat pictures and Starbucks selfies, millennials have adopted social media into almost every part of their lives, and HR is no exception, Forbes stated. The primary advantages of social tools are their capacity for sharing and collaboration – millennials are at their best when they are creating and working toward a common goal with others, and flexible social solutions can provide them the capacity to do that.

Mobility
Millennials don’t restrict themselves to their personal computers. In fact, mobile has been growing as a platform, and CNN reported that in January 2014, mobile apps actually overshot desktop Web access as the most-used platform.

Companies will need to invest heavily in their mobile HR strategy to remain competitive. Mobile apps are convenient options for offering one-touch or paperless employee solutions, but even if you don’t devise your own proprietary app, simply optimizing your current Web-based HR services for mobile can be a huge step in the right direction.

Recruiting from the marketplace
Internet technology has given consumers new ways to interact with their brands, and in turn, companies now have access to a whole new talent pool: their customers. The Guardian explained that looking to your social and online channels for potential candidates isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Your most loyal users are likely the ones who would fit in best with your company culture, and as brand ambassadors are already enthusiastic about your product, service or mission statement. The source even suggested that metrics and usage patterns can help employers determine previously unknown factors like innovation or leadership.