Technology Should Enhance, Not Replace The Human Element In Recruiting

Technology is becoming more important to recruiters as both employers and job candidates rely more on email and social networks to connect to each other. But how do recruiters maneuver so that their use of technology does not replace the very important human element needed in the recruiting process? Let’s take a look at a few tips:

1. Remember that technology will not be able to solve very human issues such as a candidate’s nervousness before an interview or the sticky situation of telling a client that a job candidate has declined their offer. When confronted with human emotions such as fear, angry, nervousness or disappointment, recruiters should make sure they are not using automated forms and responses.
2. Understand which parts of your recruiting process are better automated than handled by human hands. For example, accepting resumes through a candidate tracking system might be more efficient and effective than sifting through the initial thrust of applications by hand.  On the other hand, once you have a batch of equally qualified job candidates, comparing their skills and experience manually may be better than allowing a software program to do it for you.
3. Make sure that every software program you’re using for your recruiting business has a specific purpose.  Too many technological gadgets which add very little value to your process can actually reduce efficiency and effectiveness.  All parts of your process which are manually handled should be a part of an overall system which incorporates both “human” and “technology” aspects of your recruiting process.