In the past decade, we’ve seen technology advance at an unprecedented rate. Technological advancements have permeated all sectors of activity, from entertainment, consumer behavior, healthcare, and even recruitment.
The way recruiters and HR professionals go about filling open positions is changing – and changing fast. To keep up with these changes (and even stay ahead of the curb), we’ve highlighted a few technologies that have the biggest impact on the hiring process and, specifically, how they affect job seekers in the tech industry.
AI and Predictive Analytics
Recruiters and HR managers use AI to take on menial, time-consuming tasks such as sifting through resumes, sending rejection letters, and scheduling interviews. AI (or machine learning) software can analyze millions of resumes, and job offers instantly. This technology then detects patterns and makes predictions about what kind of candidate profile is likely to succeed at a given job.
What this means for you
In today’s job market, in order for your resume to be reviewed by a recruiter or prospective employer, it must first pass through the discerning filter of AI and its predictive analytics. For the jobseeker, this presents a two-edged sword.
On the one hand, the specific terms the AI algorithms are looking for are the same terms used in job offer postings. So, you can peruse job offers on the AI-powered jobs portal Lensa to know exactly what to put on your resume. On the other hand, since you need to appeal to the AI algorithms, that doesn’t leave much of a place for creativity or a unique out-of-the-box approach to drafting your resume.
AI-Powered Skills Assessment
Intuitive machine learning AI programs such as Vervoe take candidates through job simulations and skills assessments to separate the proverbial wheat from the chaff.
Jobseekers of prior generations relied heavily on referrals and credentials. While today, those same referrals and credentials will get you past the AI algorithm resume filters. But HR managers are placing a greater emphasis on quantifiable test results developed specifically for them.
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What this means for you
Gone are the days of charming your way through the hiring process. You must demonstrate your tech skills in work simulations and skill assessment tests. The good news is that there are platforms designed to help you prepare for these trials.
LinkedIn offers several skill assessment tests that premium members can take as often as need be – with tutorials to help you pass. For developers, check out the Codility Developer Training Demo Test or the Codility Pi Code Challenge. You can also get a sneak peek at the kinds of skills tests recruiters in the tech industry use by checking out the Vervoe Skill Test Examples and Templates.
AR and VR Job Fairs and Training
Link to the royalty-free image by XR Expo
Tech companies that are looking to recruit top talent will use the latest in recruitment technology to appeal to tech enthusiasts. This is why we are seeing more and more AR and VR enter the hiring process. Familiarizing yourself with this relatively new format will help you get an edge on your competition. Prepare for a virtual career fair ahead of time.
Consequences of Smart Recruitment Technologies – Intended and Unintended
The intended consequence of introducing the latest technological advancements is threefold.
- Appeal to tech enthusiasts and set your company as a leader in technology.
- Refine the candidate search to increase the chances of finding a good fit.
- Relieve HR managers from menial, time-consuming tasks so their energy can be better spent on innovation and increasing the candidate experience.
Whether companies are achieving those desired results is up for debate, some companies fare better than others. And as the technology gets better and more and more HR managers get accustomed to incorporating it into the hiring process, we can expect the success rate to improve.
To date, there are a few unintended consequences that are worth pointing out.
- We do it because we can. This seems to be the motto of many professionals in the tech industry. The more features a software program or system has, the more likely we are to see those features being put to use. The concept of “less is more” is relegated to a bygone era. In many instances, the hiring process has not been simplified, but rendered unnecessarily complex as a result.
- Binary results (pass vs. fail, true vs. false, etc.) have trumped more creative or personal outcomes. Today’s jobseeker is less likely to impress a prospective employer with a unique personal story. Instead, he or she will need to “impress” an algorithm by satisfying the predetermined outcome it is looking for.
The Promotion of Remote Work Opportunities and the Gig Economy
In recent years, we have seen a tremendous boom in remote work opportunities. And as a consequence, platforms and software have been developed to serve this relatively new way of working. These new technologies make remote work possible and help make remote workers more productive. Thanks to these technologies, more and more companies are willing to embrace remote work – many favoring it or relying solely on remote workers.
The increase in remote work opportunities means that tech companies can fill their open positions with contract or freelance workers, as opposed to the more traditional stuff comprised exclusively of salary workers. This gives workers in the tech industry added mobility and flexibility. But these benefits often come at the expense of job security.
Fighting Hiring Bias
Recruiters and HR managers are susceptible to conscious and unconscious biases that hurt diversity in the workplace and decrease their chances of getting the best candidates to fill their open positions. The advent of AI technology in the recruitment process allows recruiters and HR managers to make better data-driven decisions (provided the algorithms are regularly audited for recruitment bias).
Disclaimer: The author is completely responsible for the content of this article. The opinions expressed are their own and do not represent IEEE’s position nor that of the Computer Society nor its Leadership.
