Apr 02 2024
Gone are the days of drowning in resumes, a growing mountain of talent acquisition tasks, and slow hiring times, because recruiting automation has entered the HR tech space.
What is recruiting automation? It’s simple: infusing automation into the recruitment process with the goal of reducing the burden of manual tasks and helping recruiters become more efficient.
Whether you’ve already been tinkering with this TA technology for some time or you’re new to it and it has sparked your curiosity, we’re here to explain all things automation to help you bolster your hiring process and get the right people hired, faster.
Automation is transforming the workforce all around us
Both traditional and modern talent acquisition processes benefit from automation. From uploading resumes for traditional, desk-based roles to triggering onboarding activities like training and document signing, automation can positively impact every stage of the hiring process.
From the candidate side, automation usually means a smoother, less clunky application process, one where recruiter interaction is minimal unless it is requested by the applicant. This can cut hiring times drastically, getting new hires to their first day in a matter of days.
Recruiting automation is particularly effective for organizations that need to hire at scale and don’t necessarily have the bandwidth or manpower to manage a high volume of applicants. With an automation-enabled applicant tracking system (ATS), recruiters can hand over some of their duties to technology and focus their efforts on more strategic activities like sourcing and retention.
Why recruiters are turning to automation
Recruiters for organizations of all sizes and industries are adopting automation to simplify, expedite, and streamline their hiring processes. Among the advantages of recruiting automation include the following:
- Faster hiring. Automation takes manual tasks and makes them simpler, more seamless, and, therefore, faster.
- A better candidate experience. By removing the need for recruiter involvement, candidates can move through the hiring process faster, resulting in a smoother job-seeking journey.
- Reduce human bias. Automation addresses unconscious bias that may arise when using traditional hiring processes. With automation, recruiters can program sourcing parameters that focus on skills, experience, and certifications, contributing to fairer hiring practices.
- Higher-quality hires. Automating basic hiring tasks allows recruiters to focus on more strategic parts of the hiring funnel, such as building relationships and assessing candidate fit.
What exactly is high volume recruiting? Click here to learn more.
How is automation changing the recruiting process?
The age of sifting through resumes and moving candidates from one stage of the hiring journey to the next is long gone. Automation presents the opportunity for a transformed recruiting process through the following functions.
Candidate screening and background checks
Hiring teams can automate candidate information verification, such as employment history, educational qualifications, and professional certifications, to ensure accuracy and streamline the hiring process.
Assessments
Recruiters can trigger assessments to be sent automatically to candidates when the time is right. These assessments can evaluate candidates’ skills, aptitude, and cultural fit through online tests or simulations, providing valuable insights to aid in the selection process.
Chatbot communication
Automation-powered chatbots can engage with candidates, answer frequently asked questions, provide information about the company and the hiring process, and assist with scheduling interviews.
Interview scheduling
Some systems can also leverage the use of a chatbot to set up interviews with recruiters via calendar integrations.
Learn more about how to automate interview scheduling for more efficient hiring.
Onboarding
When it’s time to onboard your new hires, use automation to provide personalized training modules or resources, enabling them to quickly adapt to their roles and enhance their productivity.
How to automate recruiting, end-to-end
If you’re wondering how to infuse automation into your existing recruitment process, you’re in the right place!
See below for a few ways to start experimenting with automation or build upon what you’ve already automated.
Assess current processes for bottlenecks and pain points
If you’re just starting out with recruiting automation, this can be a perfect opportunity to audit your current processes to see where your candidates and/or your recruiting team are getting held up. What’s slowing things down? What could be more efficient? Where are people getting stuck? Once you have this information, you’re ready to explore automation capabilities.
Choose a platform that integrates into your current tech stack
A high volume hiring platform like Fountain might be one way you decide to automate steps that are causing bottlenecks. Fountain seamlessly integrates into existing processes and turns manual, time-consuming tasks into faster steps that require less recruiter involvement.
Use conversational AI to improve candidate engagement
Today’s frontline candidates expect a smooth and swift hiring process, so keeping them engaged is key. Conversational AI can help achieve this through automated messaging and chatbot responses to frequently asked questions.
Leverage predictive analytics to make data-backed decisions
Once your automated processes are up and running, be sure to have a data and analytics program set up so you can track your progress and continue to find ways to improve.
Read 11 steps any high volume recruitment process should have.
AI-powered recruitment technology
It’s hard to avoid AI these days, and despite the hesitation to use AI in hiring, it’s one of the best ways to use automation to increase efficiency. A modern recruiting automation strategy would benefit from AI for certain functions, like candidate communications, job board posting, candidate assessments, and onboarding activities.
For everything you need to know about AI in hiring—from terminology to legal implications to practical uses—download our free AI toolkit.
Recruiting automation with Fountain
Fountain is a multi-product solution powered by AI and automation. The Fountain platform works with existing technology stacks to create a seamless applicant experience that saves HR teams time and resources.
Thanks to AI and automation, Fountain helps streamline workflows for recruiting, advertising, and managing jobs across thousands of job boards and markets. For example, Fountain’s automated messaging enabled Bojangles to save 230 recruiting hours in 2022 and decrease time-to-hire by 80%!
