The Human Resources function has undergone a massive transformation in recent times due to several factors. The exponential adoption of remote and hybrid working during and post the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing employee expectations, the ongoing talent war, and the digital transformation of companies.The emerging global workforce has increased the complexity of the HR function. HR processes need to be able to seamlessly work across several locations worldwide, often supporting a remote and hybrid workforce. Companies need HR solutions that can integrate with other backend systems, to provide a unified view of people data. HR automation is also driven by an urgent need to have robust systems in place that enable data-driven HR decisions when it comes to both talent acquisition and retention.
Building the HR tech stack -Top processes to automate
While the benefits of HR automation are many, businesses need to automate and identify the right HR processes to realise true value.
Talent Acquisition: Hiring the best talent is a significant determinant of a company’s future. Companies need to be able to reach candidates in remote geographic locations and conduct interviews. HR staff often spend hours on end screening candidates and conducting tests to shortlist them. With solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), companies can automate candidate screening, conduct proctored talent assessments remotely, and enable video interviews. AI-powered chatbots that are available 24/7 can improve candidate engagement and answer common queries. Virtual onboarding solutions help onboard remote candidates, offering a consistent experience to both remote and in-office recruits. HirePro’s AI-based virtual hiring platform helps companies acquire and onboard the best talent.
A virtual hiring platform enables hybrid or phygital recruitment, giving companies the ability to exploit technology for initial hiring tasks while conducting other tasks such as in-person interviews only where needed. Hiring platforms can also integrate seamlessly with backend systems, thereby improving recruiter productivity and efficiency.
HR Administration: Automation reduces the burden of repetitive HR administrative tasks such as payroll processing, leave applications and approvals, and expense claims. This is especially helpful in a hybrid working model. Chatbots on employee self-service portals can respond to routine employee queries related to leaves, organisational structure, and procedures, thus saving valuable time for HR staff. Timesheet management software can track employee hours, and directly link to payroll management. New employee information can be captured from the hiring portal or from online employee forms that are made available during onboarding.
Learning & Development: Training and upskilling are important for both new and existing employees. Intelligent automation helps identify skill gaps during hiring and appraisals to recommend training that employees should undertake. Apart from this, employees can be encouraged to enrol for courses that are listed on the employee portal. With automation, tedious training tasks such as maintaining training records, tracking employee progress, and sending reminders can be eliminated. Employee onboarding can be streamlined by delivering training materials and procedures to new employees virtually.
Performance Appraisals: Automating performance appraisals leads to data-driven decisions regarding employee promotions, retention, salary hikes, and can provide necessary data in the event of employee termination. This provides transparency to both the organisation and employees, besides being cost and time-effective. Automated workflows reduce the burden on HR staff. Equally, it is important to obtain feedback about employee experience and their pain points. With a 360-degree appraisal system, employees can rate peers, supervisors and leaders, which helps HR leaders understand how employees perceive the organisation.
HR Analytics: People analytics should be right on top of the HR stack. The digital transformation of HR can help gather relevant data related to the core of the organisation – the people. By harnessing the power of data analytics, HR leaders can garner deep insights into employee experience, retention and attrition patterns, and the skills gap. This helps to improve processes, make better talent decisions, and improve employee experience in the long run.
Automating key HR processes results in increased productivity of HR staff, with the benefit of cost and time savings. The integration of applications across processes, appropriate access and authorisation controls, automated workflows, collaboration and the availability of audit trails results in a streamlined process with a transparent and consistent methodology, leading to improved employee engagement and experience.
The utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) to aid recruitment through predictive analytics is finding increased adoption in several organisations. This technology assists recruiters with automated recruiting processes, from talent identification to analysing candidate behaviour. AI applications enable companies to select the most suitable individuals for their business needs and work culture. By using advanced AI recruitment software, recruiters can enhance the quality of their hires.
Organisations do not necessarily need to source suitable talent externally all the time. It is possible to find and nurture existing employees for different roles. This process, called internal mobility, facilitates career growth and advancement opportunities for employees within an organisation. This can involve moving employees across teams, departments, or even geographical locations to match their skills and career goals with the organisation’s needs. Internal mobility programs help retain top talent, improve employee engagement and job satisfaction, and ensure a more skilled and motivated workforce. These programs are particularly important in today’s job market, where employees seek career development opportunities and are more likely to stay with companies that offer such growth.
Platforms such as HirePro have developed a plethora of AI-powered applications that can help execute internal mobility programs across IT giants and blue-chip organisations.
Let us take a look into how the use of AI powered applications can drive internal mobility.
AI-powered skill assessments for talent shortlisting
By utilising AI-powered skill assessments, recruiters can accurately identify the skill sets and competencies that employees possess or have developed during their tenure. This provides opportunities for growth and career development within the organisation. Additionally, AI-powered systems can facilitate employee promotions by identifying and matching their skills and experiences to new roles. This can include moving part-time employees to full-time positions.
Moreover, AI-powered systems can provide recruiters accurate information about potential hires and offer transparency to employees who are seeking a shift from their current roles. These advancements in talent sourcing and screening procedures simplify the recruitment process for organisations.
Personalised learning and development for grooming employees for specific roles
AI-powered applications can provide personalised learning and development opportunities to employees, helping motivate them to acquire new skills and knowledge. However, it is important to note that every employee is unique and requires a tailored approach to their learning and development.
To address this, AI-enabled systems can analyse employee learning profiles using various data sources and predictive tools. Once gaps are identified, HR teams can adapt their training approach to fill these knowledge gaps. AI-moderated learning tools can then personalise the training required, tracking and identifying the learning styles of each employee to optimise their learning experience for the best results. This can lead to improved retention, higher engagement, and a higher quality workforce.
Additionally, AI-enabled devices can help ensure that recruitment processes adhere to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equality, providing a level playing field for all employees. This can help to create a more equitable and diverse workplace.
Facilitate talent matching
AI tools can facilitate the talent matching process, enabling hiring managers to identify and unlock the potential of existing employees. This opens up positions for both lateral and vertical movement within the organisation.
Through AI-powered systems, recruiters can sustain internal candidate engagement and motivate employees to grow in their careers. The full customisation of the internal movement of employees through AI tools can seamlessly integrate with existing internal job boards. This enables talent acquisition teams to easily match positions with current employees and invite them to apply, while digitally moderated systems provide high visibility and encourage employees to take on challenging roles.
Furthermore, talent rediscovery software can provide hiring executives with employees who were previously not selected, and help plan training modules for those who need to upskill themselves to qualify for higher positions. By utilising these AI-powered tools, organisations can better align their employees’ skills and aspirations with the needs of the business, while also creating opportunities for growth and career development.
The use of predictive analytics for career planning
AI-powered predictive algorithms suggest career paths for employees and motivate them to think out of the box. These also emphasise determinant factors such as an employee’s ability to succeed and settle into the new position, ability to lead a team, problem solving, navigating through volatile business environments, minimising conflicts and applying tools and methodologies for the optimum growth of business. Since each role or position is unique in its specificities, using these tech-enabled predictive analytical systems helps to determine in advance the suitability of the hire.
AI moderated tools can help in identifying skill gaps too. With the help of these tools employees can reinvent themselves and be prepared to face challenges. AI-augmented solutions for potential assessment can enhance the validity and efficiency of employee evaluations by utilising predictive analytics, ensuring the reliability of cognitive skill assessments, improving sensitivity in identifying the best candidates for a given role, and promoting a bias-free approach for fairness. By utilising AI-powered systems, organisations can optimise the potential of their existing employees and successfully implement internal mobility programs.
“The organisation is only as good as its employees,” is an oft-repeated quote. Hiring the right people can never be over-emphasised and is not a cakewalk. High volume hiring, the recruitment of a large number of employees within a limited period, is often needed in scenarios like setting up a new business or branch, post-pandemic scale-up, a rapid expansion for a new product, or the ramp-up for a significant global event. Mass recruitment magnifies the hiring process’s arduousness and comes with unique challenges.
Challenges
Increased competition: Due to the technology revolution, specialists in AI and machine learning, data analysis, IoT, and robotics are in great demand. Climate change is leading to growth in renewable energy and other environment-related sectors, creating a talent supply gap. Organisations are vying with each other to acquire talent with these in-demand skills, making it tough to recruit them.
Time constraint: When hiring at scale, the need for quick deployment is a given. The demand for speed strains the whole recruitment process leading to shortcuts. These shortcuts cause lapses like incomplete verifications, personality and role mismatches, expensive hires, and unmet expectations. The long-term detrimental impact of poor recruitment practices is recruitment debt which leads to skill gaps, attrition, rehiring expenses, decreased productivity, and damaged employer brand.
Applicant volume: Resume screening, even for a limited number of positions, can get tedious if the response to the job posting elicits a whopping response, as might happen in the case of highly valued employer brands. So, when it comes to mass recruitment, thorough scrutiny of a deluge of resumes can get so overwhelming that errors and omissions seem inevitable. Ensuring a meticulous and quality screening might be prohibitively expensive.
Decentralised hiring: When there are many positions across departments and levels to be filled, the recruitment is bound to be a multi-team and multi-location exercise. This apportionment in the execution risks inconsistency in evaluation, selection, and duplication of effort. There is a greater chance of teams getting their lines crossed, leading to delays and mix-ups. The consequence will be an erratic candidate experience and an erosion of employer brand value.
Some other challenges faced are quality of hire, inefficient use of resources, and candidate ghosting and drop-off.
Strategies
Process guidelines: Chalking out guidelines lends structure, consistency, and a roadmap to be followed by everyone involved in the recruitment process. It is essential for multi-location, multi-team, or decentralised hiring initiatives. It ensures a stable and uniform candidate experience through standardisation and streamlining of the process, improving the employer brand value.
AI-enabled assessments: Any delay in conducting assessments is bound to have a domino effect when it comes to mass recruitment. An AI-embedded, intelligent assessment solution is the optimal method to conduct an effective, efficient, and comprehensive evaluation with a quick grading turnaround time. These solutions can be customised as per role, industry, expertise, or type – functional, aptitude, technical, or behavioural. Different types of questions like MCQs, audio, video, reference to context, and psychometrics are available. Automated and intelligent proctoring is another helpful feature. Smart proctoring can detect frauds such as impersonation, candidate change, cross-conversations, and blocked cameras through image verification, and continuous audio, video, and image monitoring. Browser monitoring is used to check for switching of tabs and inactive test windows and to block screen sharing or mirroring.
Automated resume screening: When done manually, resume screening is tiresome, repetitive, and time-consuming. Manual screening can monopolise scarce resources and is the perfect use case for intelligent automation. AI-enabled resume screening solutions scrutinise resumes contextually and learn from past hiring history to optimise the matching of candidates to vacant positions. Quicker and error-free processing and better precision over time is the highlight of these self-learning systems.
Candidate experience and employer brand: Automated solutions facilitate candidate re-discovery, programmatic advertising of jobs, recording and analysis of recruitment process metrics, and communication with candidates via email and Whatsapp. Thoughtful application of technology enhances post-offer engagement with candidates improving their experience and leading to a stronger employer brand.
HirePro offers one of the leading, cutting-edge AI-enabled recruitment platforms. We are an invaluable partner in your effort to put together exceptional and outperforming teams. Please write to us at sales@hirepro.in for a presentation.
High-volume hiring is a competitive talent acquisition strategy that many organisations employ to fulfil their extensive workforce requirements. While large organisations adopt this approach to sustain their business, many small or mid-sized organisations also leverage high-volume hiring to meet specific business needs effectively. For example, high-volume hiring can help such organisations scale up their teams to facilitate expansion into new geographies or establish new business units to aid rapid business growth.
Typically, when organisations hire in large numbers within a short timeframe, it is called high-volume hiring. The volume can range from dozens of people in a week to thousands within a few months. A recent HR research institute survey titled, The State of Hourly and High-volume Hiring, said 73% of organisations surveyed are currently engaged in high-volume hiring. Notably, 97% of those already engaged in high-volume hiring indicated they intend to continue doing so in the next two years. Also, 65% of these organisations plan to increase their budgets for high-volume recruiting. These findings indicate that it will remain popular in coming years.
However, when even recruiting in small numbers is becoming arduous, high-volume hiring can throw up many challenges that can test the mettle of talent acquisition teams. Here are the top three challenges quoted in the HR research institute survey quoted above:
Not enough candidates (36%)
Reducing time to hire (34%)
Managing high-volume manually (34%)
Challenges plague every hiring stage, such as sourcing, screening, scheduling, assessing, and onboarding. Any strategy that organisations adopt must address the bottlenecks identified in the various hiring stages. Other than the three challenges mentioned above, rendering good candidate experiences, keeping processes bias-free, ensuring the quality of hire, and reducing cost are all significant concerns in high-volume hiring. What can turn around high-volume hiring outcomes are some carefully crafted strategies.
Let us look at ten strategies that can help organisations master high-volume hiring.
Automate and use recruitment tools
As mentioned above, managing high-volume hiring manually and time to hire are among the top concerns. The solution to these lies in automation. Adopting recruitment automation tools such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), customised online assessments and interview platforms, etc., can help manage the scale and reduce time. The above-quoted HR institute report mentions that 75% of organisations use job/competency assessments in high-volume hiring.
Using functional assessment for high-volumehiring helps them make more accurate hiring decisions. It also speeds up the process. When AI-powered tools provide analytic insights to back the process, it aids bias-free decision-making to enhance effectiveness. Moreover, AI-powered online assessment platforms with remote proctoring helps keep the online assessments fraud-proof.
Focus on employer branding
Strengthening employer branding can help organisations attract talent and solve the lack of candidates issue. Some innovative approaches to employer branding are to ensure that the website, social media channels, and all other digital presence sends a positive and authentic message. It can include some positive employee stories and testimonials that help attract candidates who seek specific attributes in their future employer. Organisations must align their CSR initiatives towards diversity and inclusion and other social issues that matter to Gen Z, and spread the word around the same. Monitor company review sites where ex-employees post their experiences and maintain a good reputation.
Implement employee referrals
When asked which tools and strategies were most effective in high-volume hiring, 53% of respondents in the HR research institute survey quoted employee referrals. It is a good strategy for organisations to incentivise their employee referral program to make it a success and also increase the satisfaction levels of current employees. Talent acquisition teams must leverage their networks and ask employees to leverage theirs to refer suitable candidates. This strategy can also reduce the time and cost of hire.
Conduct exclusive job fairs
Conducting exclusive diversity fairs or specific skills-only career fairs can help attract more candidates. For example, some people may feel more comfortable attending such fairs. This approach can also help organisations gain the reputation of being an inclusive employer. Specific skills-only career fairs can attract good talent from one domain, making it easier to filter and fill those positions in large numbers.
Work with an RPO provider
It seems 89% of organisations outsource some aspect of high-volume recruitment, according to the HR research institute survey. It also mentions the most common outsourcing partners as online talent platforms or RPO providers. Indeed, working with an RPO provider is an effective way to manage high-volume recruiting. They have the expertise, professional network, etc. Some credible RPO providers have proprietary hiring platforms, tech-enabled tools and specialised services to deliver accurate and consistent results. HirePro’s AI-powered recruitment platform and interview services are examples. Also, RPO partnerships can be based on SLAs to reduce risks and derive maximum benefits. RPO gives organisations many benefits, such as time savings, cost-effectiveness, employer branding, process streamlining, improved quality of hire, and more.
Explore flexi-staffing
Recently, we have seen that India Inc. has shown an increasing preference for flexi-staffing. Flexi-staffing helps organisations to effectively bridge talent gaps during business uncertainties. Freelance or gig workers have the relevant skills and experience to deliver from day one without much training. This approach is a big plus for organisations to increase productivity metrics while reducing costs. It helps fill roles faster. In a recent 2022 Future Workforce Report by Upwork, 78% of hiring managers who work with independent professionals (freelancers) said they are confident about finding the talent they need. It is this confidence that is aiding the rise of flexi-staffing. Organisations must analyse all open roles and see which ones can be filled quickly through professional staffing.
Optimise processes for candidate-first experiences
The HR research institute survey had an interesting finding about the technology most widely cited for effectiveness. It said 62% of people access recruitment tools via mobile devices. Therefore, organisations optimise their websites and career pages for mobile access to ensure they are accessible to a large audience. Hiring processes must be short and speedy to suit the preferences of Gen Z. Otherwise, they lose interest and drop out. Ensure constant and relevant communication at all hiring stages to keep up the connection. The job descriptions must focus on the roles and responsibilities to provide complete clarity to attract suitable candidates. Despite all the automation, never undermine the power of personal touch in hiring. It helps build a connection that keeps the candidate interested till the onboarding stage.
Rediscover talent pools
In high-volume hiring, there is a need to manage a continuous talent pipeline. It is only possible if organisations diversify their sourcing avenues to find new talent pools and revive old ones. One option is to rediscover talent pools from within the system. For example, examine previous applications, revisit previous referrals, and contact ex-employees to see if they suit the current open roles. Such candidates can be identified and approached proactively to participate in the process again. Another tactic to consider is train-and-hire schemes which came out as the most effective high-volume hiring strategy in the HR research institute survey (57%).
Create a dedicated team
High-volume recruiting needs a different approach. Only a dedicated team with the right mindset can succeed in this. The high-volume recruiting hiring may have to start with a few good hires for the recruitment team. This team must be able to arrive at relevant strategies, identify issues and plug them, maintain the pace, monitor, and course correct as often as needed. High-volume recruiting must be driven with a single-minded focus to achieve the set goals.
Identify, measure and track performance metrics
To ensure continuous improvement, it is essential to identify, measure, and track a few performance metrics periodically. Unless stakeholders analyse the data and study the relevant insights, organisations cannot take corrective actions to improve the results of their high-volume hiring. For example, employing programmatic advertising that combines data and technology can ensure that job Ads reach the right audience and optimise the Ad spend. However, stakeholders won’t explore improvement options unless they track the Ad spending metric against set ROI. Some other key metrics, organisations that can be tracked are conversion rate, diversity goal, drop-off rates or triggers, cost-per-hire, etc. Use analytics to make data-driven decisions that are objective and provide desired results. This approach will also help compare the performance against industry benchmarks.
In conclusion
High-volume recruiting is a different ball game that needs a dedicated mindset and approach. However, research and carefully crafted strategies can help organisations overcome the challenges that hamper success. Here is what organisations can focus on to ensure consistently favourable high-volume hiring results:
Ensure quality of hire even as options to diversify sourcing are explored
Nurture employer branding and build a compelling employee value proposition
Leverage data analytics and technology for improved outcomes
Explore outsourcing and alternate staffing options
Create superior candidate experiences
These bullets effectively summarise the ten strategies discussed above and organisations can adopt the ones that suit their specific needs best.
Remote hiring has become a popular practice for recruiting candidates ever since the pandemic enforced lockdowns and social distancing norms. It has opened doors to the global market for recruiters and candidates.
Candidates preferred this mode of recruitment because they could go through the hiring process conveniently without the need to travel. Besides, they would be more at ease in a location of their comfort than in a formal setting.
Recruiters also found the method convenient because they could hire the best talent from any geographic location using fewer resources.
The online recruitment process entails:
Shortlisting potential candidates from a large list of those who have applied for the position based on their qualifications, skill sets, and experience.
Putting the shortlisted candidates through online hiring assessments to gauge their proficiency.
Based on their performance in the online assessments, qualifying candidates appear for an online interview.
The final selection is made based on their performance in the tests and interviews.
At a glance, the entire process looks simple and foolproof. However, reality is far from this!
There has been a steep increase in fraudulent candidates. “LinkedIn estimates that nearly 15-20% of candidates are dishonest in the way they present themselves.” Data also indicates a 92% increase in candidate fraud since the onset of the pandemic. Such fraud in hiring assessments can cost a company dearly in terms of time, money, and resources. A bad hiring decision can cost the organisation 30% of the employee’s first-year salary.
What is fraud in hiring assessment?
Fraud in hiring includes any type of false information or cheating in hiring assessments. Frauds may be committed in different ways.
Some examples are:
Inflated resumes where the candidates make claims regarding their experience, job titles, etc., that may be false.
Fabricating certifications.
If the job role requires the candidate to work remotely, candidates misrepresent themselves in video interviews to get a desired job.
Data shows that 21% of candidates cheat in a controlled testing environment.
There are instances of impersonation where someone else appears for the online assessment in place of the candidate.
Candidates may also cheat in the following ways to get the desired job:
Someone else shows up for joining instead of the candidate who applied and is hired.
During a virtual interview, a candidate may lip-sync the answers provided by someone else or refer to a cheat sheet that is concealed from the camera.
In a written assessment, a candidate may copy and paste from online sources.
Another individual takes the test/interview through a remote keyboard and monitor.
There have been several instances where candidates have been coached over phone calls to answer interview questions.
Fraudulent hires can tarnish the reputation of a business with severe repercussions. The organisation will find it difficult to attract quality candidates, and may also find it difficult to retain existing candidates. There are several instances where individuals commit fraud to be employed so that they can access the confidential data of the organisation. Hence, businesses need to prioritise fraud prevention in hiring and develop secure hiring strategies.
What are the ways to prevent fraud in hiring assessments?
Scrutinise the applications: There are some tell-tale signs that may indicate a fraudulent candidate.
Some of them are:
a. The resume includes too many unrelated skills that are in demand.
b. The candidate may not provide a permanent address in the resume.
c. Make sure all the dates relevant to graduation, employment dates in previous jobs, job titles, etc., are
consistent. Any anomaly is a red flag.
d. It is a good idea to match the details in the resume with the candidate’s social profiles.
Background checks: Recruiters must conduct a thorough background check to verify details such as educational qualifications, employment history, criminal history, and more. Many organisations hire professionals for conducting background checks.
Verify recommendations: It is a good idea to cross-check the credibility of the candidate with the references provided.
Document verification: Checking all the documents such as resumes and transcripts in detail helps identify discrepancies.
Follow up a skill-based assessment with a skill-based interview: Following a skill-based test with a skill-based interview reduces the chances of fraud. This is because the interviewer can ask questions based on the skill test. If there has been any impersonation, the candidate will be exposed.
Anti-cheating assessment strategies: Strategies like disabling copy and paste or setting a time limit for answering the test can minimise assessment fraud.
Don’t allow headphones/earbuds: You can prevent the instance of a candidate being provided answers by someone else during a virtual interview by asking the candidates not to use headphones or earbuds.
Outsourcing: Engaging the services of a recruitment agency helps minimise hiring fraud because they are well-experienced in the field and have integrated security measures in the hiring process.
Fraud-proof assessment tools: The most effective method to prevent online hiring fraud is by leveraging AI-based assessment software. A hiring platform overcomes all the shortcomings of manual hiring methods and reduces online fraud.
Why use a hiring platform?
A hiring platform manages functions like finding and attracting candidates, screening resumes, conducting assessments, sending offer letters, onboarding, and more. It helps businesses optimise their hiring processes.
Recruitment software uses cloud technology that enables users to connect with their smartphones from any location. It takes over all the repetitive tasks, enhances the speed, and reduces errors. Automated hiring also eliminates biases in the hiring process.
Recruitment software includes several tools like ATS, CMS, etc. The software receives applications from multiple sources. It captures vital candidate data from the applications. It also provides several insights such as candidate response, how many people viewed your advertisement, and more data points.
How do hiring platforms prevent fraud in hiring assessments?
AI-based recruiting software can detect different types of fraudulent attempts in hiring assessments. AI algorithms interpret various data points like facial expressions, body language, gestures, voice, and more. They provide vital insights to the recruitment professionals which help them make informed decisions.
Types of frauds AI can detect:
Impersonation: AI bots leverage facial recognition and ID verification technologies to detect if someone else is taking the online assessment. Cheating: Recruiting platforms can prevent instances of cheating in an online assessment. The AI-based software monitors the activities of the candidate taking the test. It can detect spurious activities like copying and pasting data, accessing prohibited sites, and using unauthorised devices during the assessment. Identify plagiarised content: The AI algorithms analyse the text in the answers provided. It compares the text with known data sources to identify plagiarised content. Any external help sought: One of the common online hiring assessment frauds is when the test taker collaborates with someone else. The other individual helps the test taker in answering the questions. AI bots can identify such situations by monitoring the external environment of the test taker. They pick up cues such as background noise, and screen activity to identify such frauds. Identify multiple attempts: A test taker is expected to clear the test in a single attempt or a specified number of attempts. However, candidates may take multiple attempts to pass the test. The recruiting software identifies the IP address, location, etc., to detect anomalies.
There are a myriad of hiring platforms available. However, it is imperative that you vet the tool carefully by comparing it with others before investing in one.
One of the leading names in the arena of recruiting software is HirePro!
HirePro is an AI-based recruitment platform that includes several features that make it well-suited for different types of recruitment functions. It automates processes like application tracking, online assessments, virtual interviews, virtual onboarding, and more. The platform can be customised according to your sourcing needs.
HirePro is a flexible platform that integrates seamlessly with most applications. It streamlines data flow to provide relevant information. It is an end-to-end functional assessment platform that prevents hiring fraud and saves organisational resources. It also helps brands enhance candidate experience by offering customised responses according to their needs.
Conclusion
As businesses opt for online methods of recruitment, they become vulnerable to different types of fraudulent activities. Fraud in the hiring process can impact a business’ reputation and also waste its resources. Therefore, foolproofing the hiring process is a must. AI-powered recruiting platforms are highly effective in preventing hiring fraud. Bots monitor the assessment process and identify inconsistencies. Hiring platforms like HirePro facilitate a cost-effective and secure hiring option that saves time and money.
High-volume hiring usually comes into play while recruiting freshers as part of campus recruitment drives, or when there is an urgent need to fulfil sudden resource demands. Companies in the IT sector often need to conduct recruitment drives to hire freshers from university campuses or experienced resources for projects. Seasonal demands for resources in retail or hospitality may require en masse hiring. Streamlined high-volume hiring offers several benefits such as cost and time savings, simplified logistics, and optimum utilisation of resources. However, recruiters can get overwhelmed by the volumes. Applications arrive from multiple channels. Conducting talent assessments for shortlisted candidates can be a complex task due to the sheer volume of candidates. Consequently, recruiters don’t necessarily make the best choices due to the number of candidates to be processed in a short time frame.
Talent assessments are crucial to hiring the best-fit candidates. During The Great Resignation, companies found that employees quit simply because they were seeking better opportunities not just in terms of pay, but in terms of work-life balance or cultural fit. Unlike earlier, the hiring process should assess candidates on the basis of skills, values, and cultural fit, so that costly hiring decisions can be avoided.
Benefits of automated assessments for high-volume hiring
Talent assessments need to be tailored to specific job roles. Personality and behaviour assessments are used to evaluate candidate fitment, while technical aptitude is evaluated based on skills assessments and job simulations. For IT technical roles, coding assessments are used to determine candidate skills in specific areas. High-volume hiring can benefit tremendously with automated talent assessments. Let’s see how.
Higher efficiency and productivity: With automated assessments, recruiters can focus on their real jobs – recruiting talented people. When assessments are scheduled online, recruiters have more time to plan other activities. Talent assessment tools that leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) provide features such as automated candidate verification and online proctoring. This is especially useful when there are a large number of candidates. With results that are automatically communicated to recruiters and candidates, the screening process is faster and requires fewer resources, resulting in reduced time and cost to hire.
Improved flexibility and scalability: With online talent assessments, companies can reach a wider candidate pool including in remote areas. Candidates can choose where and when they can take the assessment, giving them an immense amount of flexibility. Hundreds or even thousands of candidates can be assessed at a single time as well. Candidates have a better experience that boosts the employer brand.
Improved collaboration: When automated talent assessments are integrated into the hiring platform, an automatic workflow ensures that selected candidates move further up the process, while candidates who did not qualify are informed by the system. Since the assessment scores are available in the system, they can be used to match these candidates to other job roles which have different criteria, thereby reducing redundancy in the process. Candidate relationship management becomes a breeze. Candidates have an improved experience with a smooth and consistent process.
Data-driven decision making: High-volume hiring can be fraught with errors due to several pressures faced by recruiters. With automated assessments, the scores fed into the system and the data can be analysed in several ways. This leads to deeper insights, such as, for example, all candidates lacking skills in specific areas, which would be useful to tweak the recruitment process further down the line. Any unconscious bias is eliminated, leading to an improvement in diversity with an equal opportunity for all candidates.
Hiring at scale can be challenging, and with the plethora of automation tools available, it’s easy to get consumed by a tool that promises the most features or is the best priced. Companies need to carefully consider their specific requirements and needs for high-volume hiring. HirePro’s AI-powered online talent assessment tools offer precise functional assessments and exhaustive coding assessments for diverse requirements. Automating talent assessments in high-volume hiring eases recruiter burden and lets them leverage their expertise and experience to hire the best candidates.
November 29, 2023adminBlogsComments Off on Beat high-volume hiring blues with automated recruitment assessments
Your two brightest talents have quit, just a year into their jobs, citing dissatisfaction with their roles. It is not an unfamiliar scenario in today’s job market. Is there a smarter way to select talent that will also stay?
Enter Predictive Analytics, a data-driven approach to recruitment, where algorithms crunch information across varied metrics and recommend candidates who best “fit” your organisation – and this in far less time than it would take your recruitment team with more precise results.
That is not all. Take a closer look at what Predictive Analytics offers:
Predictive tools can develop a rich candidate pool
Maintaining a talent pool of passive candidates – workers who are not actively seeking jobs but could switch in the near future from their current positions – is a must-do for recruiters to respond quickly to hiring needs. Predictive tools crawl through vast amounts of data across diverse sources – social media activities, company newsletters, online profiles, etc. – to select candidates with the appropriate skills and attributes. Using this information, recruiters can direct their marketing strategies towards the most promising sources.
AI delivers highly accurate evaluations
An engaged and aspirational workforce is an organisation’s best asset – matching candidates to job roles however, always presents challenges. Here is how AI can help:
Predictive tools analyse data on former and current employees to closely match candidate skills with job requirements.
The technology provides these inputs way before a candidate is interviewed and assessed, shortlisting only well-matched individuals.
Moreover, predictive tools can combine varied metrics to forecast a candidate’s future performance.
Altogether, for companies, the payoff is substantial in terms of saved costs, time and the resources that would have been required to conduct conventional recruitment exercises that are long drawn and less reliable.
Time-to-hire speeds up with predictive analysis
Time to hire – the period spanning initial contact with a candidate up to the time he/she accepts an offer – is an important metric in the hiring process that throws light on the efficacy of your recruitment strategies. Predictive analysis helps HR managers track the time spent in filling vacancies, spot delays and streamline the process, thereby tightening time to hire schedules.
Analytics help to boost retention rates
The time and resources spent by organisations to replace high-quality talent comes at a considerable cost. Vacant positions are also detrimental to productivity.
There is enough evidence to prove that most cases of employees quitting can be prevented. Predictive analytics can play a critical role here by closely matching a candidate’s skills and attributes to the available position. Selecting the “right” individual for the job promises greater satisfaction at work and hence, deeper engagement with the organisation.
More payoffs from using predictive tools to understand employee turnover:
-AI-generated analysis offers valuable insight into a worker’s average tenure with a company. A high turnover is a red flag indicating flaws in the company’s recruitment processes or deeper organisational fault lines such as unfair practices, poor office culture or falling company brand value.
-Predictive tools can also review employees’ attributes to (a) forecast who among them are likely to quit and (b) how their absence will affect the company’s bottom line.
Leverage the power of predictive technology
Predictive tools are only as good as the quality of your data. As you feed in more refined data as per the needs of your business on factors that make for reliable hires and take appropriate actions, the AI will “learn” to predict candidates’ attributes that make for successful recruitment.
Predictive tools can produce unexpected inputs. For instance, you may be surprised to learn that your best hires are not from the university you favour as a talent source. Such information can help you divert time and resources to other universities whose students are a better match for your organisation.
One crucial area where predictive modelling differs from older methods is that it allows for near complete objectivity in decision-making by eliminating human bias. Algorithmic processes, driven by data rather than individual hunches will consistently yield good results.
For organisations to ace the competition for high-quality talent, predictive analytics must become an integral aspect of their recruitment efforts. However, it takes experience, a deep understanding of the industry and overall recruitment landscape to successfully leverage the potential that lies locked in the enormous quantity of data that these tools provide. Tying up with an RPO vendor who meets these requirements is arguably the way forward.
Time is limited and countless candidates await. Amidst the sea of resumes and the challenges of no-shows and ill-prepared candidates, candidate filtration takes centre stage. Welcome to high-volume hiring.
Pre employment assessments are a boon in the filtration process. They ensure the right candidates advance to the next stage of the hiring process, making the final selection easier.
Today, online assessments have made the filtration stage more effective, with their boundless reach and unparalleled convenience.
Functional assessments offer another filtering layer and double-barreled assurance.
The importance of functional assessments
Today, a combination of technical knowledge and interpersonal skills are needed to thrive in a role.
For instance, business analysts need proficiency in database coding languages (e.g., SQL), statistical analysis languages (Python/R), and statistical software (Excel, Mathematica, etc.). However, their success also hinges on their soft skills, which include communication, critical thinking, innovative problem-solving, data visualisation, attention to detail, holistic thinking, and teamwork.
This is why a variety of pre-employment assessments exist to gauge different facets of candidates’ abilities and skills. These include psychometric, aptitude, technical and functional tests.
Here are some reasons why functional assessments are a force to reckon with:
They assess domain knowledge: Domain knowledge and understanding of one’s own functional role are highly valued attributes and key differentiators in the hiring process.
Functional assessments provide insights into candidates’ industry-specific knowledge and capabilities both at a micro and macro level. This helps companies narrow down the candidate list to those who are seasoned in their field and have a firm understanding of the target market.
They expedite candidate filtration: Functional assessments can be customised to align with specific roles, incorporating real-world scenarios and challenges candidates may encounter in their jobs. Additionally, they offer a standardised method for evaluating candidates. This facilitates objective comparison of candidates and early identification of the most suitable individuals, thereby reducing time-to-hire.
They make hiring bias-free: Functional assessments offer several features to mitigate unconscious bias during candidate screening. These include:
Consistent evaluation method: By utilising the same set of criteria, functional assessments ensure a fair and unbiased comparison among candidates.
Blind evaluation option: Removing candidate-identifying information such as name and gender from assessment materials minimises unconscious stereotyping and personal biases.
Evaluation breakdown into specific components or tasks: Breaking down the evaluation process prevents the halo effect (over-emphasising overall competence based on a single positive trait) or the horn effect (over-emphasising overall incompetence based on a single negative trait), promoting a more balanced and objective assessment.
They reduce risk of mis-hires: Poor hires can cost a company a fortune, time and resources. According to a 2021 study by the U.S. Department of Labor, a poor hire can cost between $17,000 and $240,000 per year, depending on the role and organisation. Therefore, selecting the right candidate at the start is paramount.
There are several evident signs of an incompetent recruit, including, negative attitude, unwillingness to learn on the job and frequent absences.
While functional assessments may not uncover elusive behaviours, they can provide valuable insights into a candidate’s attitude, skill deficit and learning abilities. This significantly reduces the risk of poor hiring decisions.
Filter effectively, select the right workforce
Functional assessments provide a robust framework for evaluating functional capabilities. This allows for the rapid, reliable, and objective identification of the most qualified individuals from a vast pool of candidates.
Their proven effectiveness serves as a winning formula to enhance hiring outcomes and drive organisational success.
You went through a long and demanding, albeit exciting, recruitment process. You are in the final stages of recruitment. However, a promising candidate unexpectedly disappears without a trace—no answer to calls or emails. They seem to have vanished into thin air.
You have just been “ghosted”. Candidate ghosting is unfortunate, but a reality.
“Ghosting”, an act commonplace in the dating world (they also coined the term), where people abruptly cut-off contact, is now sadly trending in the professional world.
It is time to explore the reasons behind this undesirable act and come up with solutions.
Why do candidates ghost?
No doubt, frustration and anger engulfs you. For good reasons too — your time and energy are wasted with such no-shows. However, if you examine the case, the reasons unfold. Among them are:
Poor hiring process: Hiring processes that are disorganised and confusing reflect negatively on company culture. They also damage candidates’ trust and faith in the organisation, causing them to hesitate and, in the end, to ghost. In a survey, 33% of professionals stated ‘poor hiring process’ as their main reason to ghost!
Lack of communication: Candidates feel abandoned and undervalued when they receive no communication during the recruitment process or no information regarding their application status. This prompts them to disengage altogether.
Uninformed policies and remuneration: Human resources (HR) policies, compensation & benefits, and leave policies all factor into candidates’ decision-making. Lack of information or clarity regarding these makes candidates ghost.
Unclear expectations: If the job description and expectations are not clearly communicated, candidates may lose interest or feel uncertain about pursuing the position.
Implementation of mandatory return-to-office policy:Workplace flexibility may be a comfort for many people, but a necessity for others. Either way, if candidates are strongly opposed to a mandatory return-to-work arrangement, they may ghost.
Candidate’s market: In a highly competitive job market, skilled candidates often receive multiple offers simultaneously. They may prioritise some opportunities and cut off communication with other employers.
Change in personal circumstances: Candidates may be unable to complete the recruitment process due to personal concerns or unanticipated circumstances. They may find it difficult to communicate their situation and disappear.
Change in professional circumstances: Candidates may have just gotten lucky with their current job — a promotion, new opportunity, or better pay may be awaiting them. So, they change their mind about looking for opportunities outside. Rather than communicating this, they vanish from the recruitment scene.
Ultimately, individuals often prefer to avoid the discomfort of communicating whatever their reasons for not proceeding with the recruitment process are. Instead, they opt for silence.
Addressing candidate ghosting
Now that the causes have been recognised, it is time to work on solutions. Here are a few pointers for your consideration:
Streamline the recruitment process: Simplify and expedite the recruitment process, minimising delays or repetitive steps that discourage candidates.
Prioritise candidate experience: Treat applicants with respect, respond promptly to inquiries and provide constructive feedback, regardless of the final hiring decision.
Improve communication: Establish clear and timely communication channels throughout the recruitment process. Provide regular updates to keep candidates engaged and informed about their application status.
Don’t ghost candidates: Have you ghosted candidates? Think hard and be honest. Many candidates ghost because they want payback for previous unfair treatment. Call it karmic restitution.
Maintain professionalism: Maintain professionalism and uphold the company’s reputation. Avoid negative remarks or assumptions about the candidate.
Say ‘no’ to a haunting
Candidate ghosting is a recruiter’s worst nightmare since it leaves them in limbo. It is also on the rise. According to a survey, 39% of employers said it has gotten worse in the last two years.
Candidate ghosting can occur at any point in the recruitment process, including during interviews and even after accepting a job offer (candidates may just fail to report to work). Despite the helplessness of the situation, companies can mitigate the impact of ghosting.
By identifying the causes and implementing proactive actions such as improved communication, improved candidate experience and clear expectation-setting, you can stay in control of the situation and emerge successful.
A dynamic and tough economic environment requires businesses to optimise Human Capital Management (HCM) processes. Attracting and retaining the right talent is a top priority in Talent Acquisition (TA) as bad hiring can prove to be extremely expensive in terms of time and cost. TA efficiency and effectiveness thus plays a vital role in strategic recruitment. Hiring platforms powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can help optimise talent acquisition processes all the way from pre-screening to onboarding. AI-driven recruitment software can automate several low-level operational processes, freeing up recruiter time to handle other processes that require human intervention.
Recruiters spend critical hours searching for candidates, and screening them to ensure that the best-fit candidates are presented for further assessments and interviews. Candidates too can get increasingly frustrated with sluggish recruitment processes, especially in the initial stages. The lack of response to candidate queries can often lead to a search for greener pastures, resulting in losing talent even before you begin. By providing positive experiences to candidates, recruitment chatbots can prove to be a gamechanger in capturing talent.
Here come the bots.
Recruitment chatbots are software agents that are used to provide a human-like natural conversation flow while hiring. Typically, they are used to answer simple candidate queries, collect basic candidate information, ask screening questions, and sometimes even schedule meetings for candidates with recruiters. Powered by tremendous strides in AI technology and natural language processing (NLP), companies are using chatbots for automating the initial phases of recruitment. With the huge prevalence of digitisation, people are increasingly comfortable chatting with digital assistants or bots, so why not in recruitment? Using specialised recruitment bots offers several advantages for both employers and candidates.
Candidate experience can be vastly improved with the effective use of chatbots. Rather than waiting for replies from recruiters (challenging in high-volume recruitment scenarios), candidates are treated to immediate replies. This virtual assistant often becomes the very first touchpoint for the candidate. A relevant conversation helps with immediate candidate engagement. Recruitment bots can ask simple questions such as “Please share your domain and years of experience”, and present relevant job opportunities on the career site . Candidates feel less stressed and daunted when information is gathered in a conversational manner. So, both candidate experience and engagement see a huge boost with recruitment bots. These chatbots also eliminate redundancy, as captured data can be stored and made available to other steps in the process.
Recruitment bots are available 24×7 to chat with candidates, irrespective of their geographic location. Consequently, candidates submit their details or get their queries answered outside of regular business hours, and anywhere around the globe. Recruiters can source candidates from a wider talent pool, with increased interaction with candidates. With remote and hybrid working being the order of the day, chatbots become a convenient way to respond to candidates in different time zones, and minimise any delays in the hiring process. When the initial screening is done by automated assistants, it also reduces any unconscious bias in the initial phases of recruiting, opening up equal opportunities for all candidates. With improved screening efficiency, recruiters have better bandwidth to handle other critical aspects of recruitment.
Generative AI is a huge boost to recruitment chatbot technology. So, in the near future, we could for instance look at potential candidates listing their skills, and ask a recruitment chatbot, “Which relevant job openings do we have?”. Deep learning capabilities of such AI-powered chatbots result in more meaningful conversations to provide hyper-personalised responses based on the queries, profile and prior conversations.
The ability to provide an immersive candidate experience during the hiring process is increasingly necessary to be able to attract the right talent. Chatbots have the potential to answer queries immediately while capturing information. However, rather than providing a “robotic” experience, companies should work towards providing a natural and seamless experience. Additionally, the company should be transparent about the usage of chatbots, and the potential candidate should be aware that the conversation is being conducted with a bot. When part of a larger recruitment strategy that is based on the organisation’s needs, recruitment chatbots can be a powerful ally for job hunters and recruiters alike.
