Humans have always been attracted to an omniscient ultimate intelligence, which could explain our fascination with ChatGPT, the generative AI tool released in November 2022. ChatGPT has already amassed around 1.6 billion users as of March 2023 and is the fastest-growing online service. The fact that Tiktok took about nine months to reach 100 million, puts the extremely rapid rise of ChatGPT in perspective. ChatGPT can be used for applications like content generation, step-by-step solutions to mathematical problems, code generation, research, language translation, and summarising content. ChatGPT remembers the context of previous conversations and allows further questions on the same topic, just like any human conversation. According to an Insider report, ChatGPT-4 answered more than 90% of the US medical licensing exam questions correctly.

As with any new creation which has the power to disrupt the way things are done, there are huge benefits and equally worrisome risks. One of the detrimental impacts is ChatGPT’s potential to undermine academic and assessment integrity. Assessments are conducted across all kinds and levels of learning, educational or professional. The type, duration, and frequency are customised based on the objective of the assessment. Assessment integrity is the merit and credibility of the assessment process and its outcome. It consists of the guidelines and means that ensure fairness, accuracy, and validity in assessing knowledge, skills, and abilities. Maintaining assessment integrity is crucial, as decisions based on the assessment results can have a far-reaching impact.

ChatGPT’s manifold abilities are particularly suited to scholastic tasks like essays, research papers, text summarising, step-by-step solutions, and writing code. These features have set off considerable deliberation in educational institutions across the globe. A survey of 1000 students aged over 18 in January 2023 by Study.com revealed that 89% of students had used ChatGPT for homework assignments, 48% for at-home quizzes, and 53% for essays. Academics have realised that disregarding the challenges posed by ChatGPT to assess integrity will imperil the credibility of the educational system. Let’s look at the problems caused by generative AI tools’ multi-faceted competencies, which educators must overcome to ensure genuine learning and assessment of knowledge.

Plagiarism

Copying off another person’s work and presenting it as your own without any source attribution might be as old as academia. But the advent of ChatGPT has democratised it and made it mainstream. Noam Chomsky, the celebrated linguist, has described ChatGPT as high-tech plagiarism and a way to avoid learning. ChatGPT has high-level natural language processing capabilities, thoroughly comprehends input prompts, and produces persuasive content. There are valid concerns regarding the infringement of intellectual property in the content generated by ChatGPT. The infractions include the facilitation of academic misconduct in performing research and reporting the results. It defeats the whole purpose of enrolling for education, and students waste the money and time spent on their education with no gains or improvements in return.

Cheating

Plagiarism is just one aspect of using AI-generated content to complete assignments. Submitting readymade material with no work put in by the individual student and then getting graded for it falls under the category of cheating. The student has not contributed to the output and does not deserve the awarded grade. Moreover, the grade does not reflect the actual learning achieved by the student, and the objective of the assessment or assignment was to test the understanding that the student accomplished, not the ChatGPT prompt-writing skills. Cheating on remote quizzes is made easier with ChatGPT as it provides answers to questions on most subjects.

False information

ChatGPT does not create content based on facts. It produces content by weighing the probability of the possible relationships between words. The response given by ChatGPT may be fake, biased, discriminatory, or obsolete based on the input query. The veracity of its output depends on the authenticity and credibility of the data it was trained on. The training data for ChatGPT is limited to 2021, and since it is not updated with current data, the answers might be outdated for some queries. ChatGPT might make up seemingly legitimate references when requested to provide current references, but they may not lead to sources. It can even generate made-up content and a bibliography with fake URLs. Learners might be unable to distinguish between concocted content and genuine information and accept the misleading material as accurate. This limitation of ChatGPT compromises the student’s learning.

Decline of Cognitive Skills in Students

It is human tendency to choose the path of least effort, and using ChatGPT to complete assignments will diminish the student’s inclination to understand the concept through research to form their own opinions and reach the corresponding conclusions. Once students get into the habit of completing their work with minimum effort, it is not easy to break the pattern. Getting the task done becomes so simple that intellectual apathy sets in. Using such tools leads to the student expending next to no form of thinking or reasoning to create the assignment output. The purpose of the assignment in terms of learning and development of skills is defeated. It gradually degrades creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in the long term.

As schools and learning centres grapple with the disruption caused by ChatGPT, they have realised the need to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure assessment integrity. With AI technology progressing by leaps and bounds, banning ChatGPT is not a practical solution. The debate needs to be centred around preventing misuse, boosting learning, and simultaneously redesigning assessments to measure the actual knowledge gained by students. Let’s look at a few approaches that aid in doing so.

Re-defining Assessments

Most assessments have a generic problem statement and involve critical analysis. AI tools provide excellent content on a general topic, and critical studies usually have no personalised elements which bring in the student’s experience. Redesigning assessments to apply to specific real-life or hypothetical scenarios and introducing reflective components to capture the students’ original opinions on the subject would mitigate the impact of ChatGPT. The reflective element should align with the course module’s subject matter and learning objectives. It could be weekly entries or blog posts on the steps they are going through for the assessment, the impact of the said activities, and their thoughts about the effects. They could list the reference material and a few lines on how each piece helped them complete the assessment. Hypothetical case studies that are detailed and require the students to thoroughly understand the concepts being taught before applying them to the scenario will necessitate effort by the students. Here the use of ChatGPT could only be used as a learning aid. Frequent and timely refreshes to assessment questions will make it harder for students to get readymade solutions.

Tools

AI-generated content can be identified by an AI detection tool that uses machine learning and natural language processing. The tool is programmed to identify patterns in the content. If there is a very predictable pattern, it is more probable that the tool will categorise the content as AI-generated. There are AI-enabled solutions that check for plagiarism and contract cheating. The tool compares the content with websites, publications, and academic papers and lists out possibilities of plagiarism. These solutions might include content originality scrutiny, which compares the submission with other writings done by the author to detect contract cheating. Browser extensions that integrate ChatGPT with most browsers and enable ChatGPT output in the browser window are available. Using secure browsers to conduct online exams prevents cheating through ChatGPT extensions. Safe browsers can restrict internet access, turn off switching between windows and opening new tabs or windows, and restrict copy-paste functions. When using a secure browser is not an option, intelligent proctoring solutions can prevent cheating using ChatGPT. These tools conduct real-time monitoring of the candidate’s screen and surroundings. Any suspicious activity like switching windows, the candidate leaving the seat, or using other devices like phones or tabs can be detected and flagged immediately. Smart solutions can even detect if the candidate is reading from a book through eye movement analysis.

ChatGPT Usage Guidelines

Educational institutes need to organise a dialogue with all the stakeholders regarding the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT and collectively formulate a strategy to incorporate its use while upholding academic and assessment integrity. The convention’s outcome should be unambiguous policies on using ChatGPT and other similar AI aids. Clear guidelines should be provided on the citation and attribution of AI-generated content. Open and in-depth discussions regarding assessment integrity should be held with students, as student engagement and agency is the key to the constructive adoption of ChatGPT. Students should be educated about the loss of learning and the decline in cognitive skills due to over-dependence on ChatGPT.

Generative AI will continue to evolve and get smarter as AI research progresses. Academics worldwide need to take heed of the urgency of the threat posed to learning by the unregulated use of generative AI tools. It is time to analyse and develop the next generation of assessments that can go beyond content creation tasks and successfully evaluate learning and original thought.

 References:

• www.theguardian.com
• www.business2community.com
• www.insider.com
• www.tandfonline.com
• www.mdpi.com
• www.iesalc.unesco.org

As organisations move towards creating a more inclusive workplace, there is an emphasis on hiring diverse employees. Organisations are prioritising diversity and inclusion as an integral part of their recruitment policy.

Although HR professionals focus on unbiased recruitment, bias seeps into the hiring process. Recruiters are oblivious to the fact that their hiring initiatives are biased or carry “unconscious bias.”

A study by SomeoneWho shows that “32% of HR managers felt confident that bias didn’t affect their hiring decisions. And, 20% were uncertain whether they were biased or not during hiring.”

What is unconscious bias?

Unconscious bias in recruitment is when the selection of candidates is influenced by the bias of the recruiter. It is called unconscious bias because it is unintentional and creeps in without the knowledge of the recruiter.

Unconscious bias could occur due to various reasons. Many decisions are made by humans intuitively without awareness. Our judgements and decisions are often influenced by the unconscious activities going on in our brains. Since these decisions take place without our awareness we cannot control them.

Each one of us makes judgements based on our personal preferences. Our personal preferences are outcomes of our interactions and experiences which are hardly neutral. The judgements we form based on our personal preferences are likely to be biased.
Unconscious bias in recruitment is when a recruiter forms an opinion about a candidate based on first impressions.
Often recruiters are influenced by the candidate’s resume photograph, their hometown, etc. Many times, recruiters select candidates based on the “feeling” they have about the candidate.
Such biases are based on criteria irrelevant to the requirements of the job.

How does unconscious bias affect hiring?

Unconscious bias can occur at any stage of the hiring process. It may happen when a recruiter is screening the applications and makes decisions based on how close the candidate comes to their idea of the “perfect” candidate.
If a recruiter decides to overlook the initial biases and goes ahead with a candidate, they will be haunted by their biases through the hiring cycle. They are likely to reject the candidate at a later stage.
Many recruiters are inclined towards hiring candidates who are like them or those they are comfortable with or who look/act in a certain way, etc.
“According to a study published by Harvard Business Review, 85%-97% of hiring managers rely on intuition.”

Why do businesses need to address unconscious bias in hiring?

Biases in hiring create a workplace that lacks diversity. Diversity helps bring different perspectives and experiences into the organisation. “71% of employers say that diversity practices have a positive impact on their company.”

Diversity fosters innovation, better problem-solving, etc. Besides, candidates prefer to work in organisations that have diversity and inclusion. You may lose out on quality hires if your organisation does not have a diverse workforce. Therefore, unconscious bias can prove to be detrimental to the organisation.

How to reduce unconscious bias in hiring?

Blind Recruitment

Blind hiring is when aspects such as gender, age, race, etc., of the candidate are hidden. The resume is sent to the recruitment manager without the name of the candidate. Another element you can consider obscuring is the education portion. This will reduce the bias towards choosing candidates from top-tier universities. The recruiter can select candidates based on experience and skill sets instead.

Diversify your hiring process

Unconscious bias can also be reduced by exploring new candidate sources. You can try reaching out to those candidates who have the required skill sets but could not make it into your hiring process using your standard hiring methodologies. You need to get creative and think of innovative ways to attract talent.

Look at candidates with non-traditional backgrounds

One common bias is the hesitation to hire people who are trying to resume work after a career break or those who are looking to change their careers. Many organisations are skeptical about hiring women who are trying to resume their careers after a sabbatical. Such biases could make you lose out on some valuable resources. Therefore, it is a good idea to consider all candidates on their merit rather than reject them for such reasons.

Monitor the hiring process

One effective way to reduce bias is to monitor your hiring process on an ongoing basis. Data gathering and analysis help identify the biases. Data on aspects such as what kind of candidates you attract, why candidates drop out at some stage in the hiring process, etc., can provide insights about bias in recruitment.

Raise awareness

You can consider conducting workshops or courses to help recruiters become aware of their biases as they impact hiring.

Avoid social media impact

Social media profiles reveal a lot of details about the candidate that may not be relevant to the job role. However, these details might influence the recruiter and create unintentional bias in their minds.

Create unbiased job descriptions

The first thing that a candidate sees about your organisation is the job description. Make sure that you word the job description such that it doesn’t indicate any bias. Data shows that job listings with gender-neutral wording get 42% more responses.
You can have diverse individuals within the organisation to check the job description before it is published.

Standardise the interview process

Many organisations have a different set of questions that guide the conversation for different candidates which can cause bias. Having a standardised set of interview questions for all candidates helps reduce recruitment bias because these questions focus on factors that impact fitment.

Skill-based assessments

The candidates can be asked to solve a problem similar to what the company may face. Such assessments will remove bias because the candidate will be judged based on their problem-solving ability rather than any bias.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

Partnering with an RPO agency helps reduce bias because multiple recruiters in the hiring process screen candidates.

Hiring Platforms

Hiring platforms like HirePro minimise unconscious bias in hiring because the recruitment is managed by a robust AI-powered flow. Unlike humans, bots are bereft of feelings and judgements and make decisions based on cold hard facts.

How hiring technology aids bias-free recruitment?

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools are being widely adopted by recruiters across the globe. Statistics indicate that “67% of HR executives believe that AI is beneficial for different parts of the recruitment process.”

Hiring platforms speed up the hiring process, enhance quality, and relieve staff of routine tasks, in addition to reducing bias in recruitment.

A typical hiring cycle goes through the following steps:

1. Creating job descriptions
2. Reaching out to candidates through social media platforms, job boards, etc.
3. Screening applications
4. Shortlisting candidates
5. Conducting skill tests
6. Interviewing candidates
7. Selecting candidates
8. Onboarding successful candidates

In manual systems, there is a likelihood of human bias being introduced at any of these stages. When the hiring process is automated, bots take over different processes. Humans will play their role in the recruitment process by conducting interviews, etc.

Hiring platforms can manage the end-to-end recruitment process and reduce bias.

Some facts about the power of AI in hiring:

• 58% of recruiters reveal that AI has been most useful for sourcing candidates
• 56% of recruiters feel that AI is beneficial for screening candidates
• 55% of recruiters find AI to be effective for nurturing talent

Therefore, leveraging AI to support different tasks in the recruitment process helps reduce bias at every stage of a hire.
AI-based tools focus solely on skill sets and candidate experience. Hence, they eliminate human bias and foster a more diverse workforce. Data reveals that “68% of recruiters believe that AI will eliminate any unconscious bias in hiring.”

How HirePro’s end-to-end platform helps organisations in bias-free hiring

HirePro is a leading recruitment platform that offers several features that makes the hiring process seamless. It provides end-to-end hiring solutions.
The platform streamlines processes like sourcing, screening, assessments, interviews, and onboarding. It prevents assessment fraud by offering auto-proctored interviews and assessments. The platform can be customised according to the specific hiring needs of the business.
Processes such as application tracking, online proctoring, etc., are all performed by bots. Automation not only eliminates human bias but also enhances the efficiency and speed of the hiring process.
The platform helps businesses build a diverse and inclusive workplace that attracts top talent. HirePro platform also boosts candidate experience.

Conclusion

Although different strategies can reduce unconscious bias, it cannot be completely eliminated. While hiring platforms play a vital role in reducing bias, recruitment involves human intervention. The presence of humans in the recruitment process makes it vulnerable to unconscious biases. Organisations need to work on methods to help recruiters become more conscious of their biases and their impact on hiring decisions.
AI-based recruitment platforms work with human recruiters to minimise hiring bias and create a more inclusive workplace.

Sources:

• goremotely.net
• bloggingx.com
• www.onhires.com

It was only natural that automation which brought about transformational changes in many industries made its mark in recruitment also. For the recruitment industry, it is a boon at a time when the competition is stiff, timelines are stringent, and budgets are shrinking. Recruitment automation can be the game-changer that delivers desired results. It automates repetitive tasks across all stages of recruitment, namely sourcing, filtering, scheduling, shortlisting, offer processing, and onboarding.

What benefits does recruitment automation bring that is making TA professionals embrace it willingly? A lot, if you consider a recent survey report published by Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Given below are some of the quoted benefits with respondent percentages:

• Boosting efficiency (85%)
• Filtering unqualified candidates (64%)
• Improving ability to identify top candidates (44%)
• Improved ability to reduce hiring bias (30%)

Also, it found 25% of organisations plan to start or increase using recruitment automation in the next five years. Recruitment automation becomes an enabling factor for organisations to find their most valuable assets – the people.

However, if you are adopting recruitment automation, you may also want to consider a recruitment automation partner to help you leverage maximum benefits. Let’s look at five reasons to do so.

1. Improved employer branding

According to the Future of Recruiting 2023 LinkedIn Talent Solutions Report, the Employer Value proposition (EVP) is now more essential than ever. Most TA professionals are confident about increased employer branding spend even with shrinking recruiting budgets, indicating a clear shift in approach.

Finding the right people within the given time and budget constraints necessitates having a top-quality candidate pool. It is only possible if your employer branding initiatives yield the right results. Only an established recruitment automation partner can advise you on the best strategies for using limited budgets. Here are a few possibilities:

• Creating branded hiring challenges that provide a fair-playing field to all candidates
• Customising automated assessments for inclusive, bias-free selection, especially, for campus hiring
• Fine tuning the collateral language (especially JDs) to make them more inclusive

2. Ensuring the human touch

While leveraging automation benefits, focussing on the human touch is equally essential. The LinkedIn report quoted above states that Generative AI will let recruiters focus on the human part of hiring, making it one of the notable hiring trends. Ultimately, it is the people that make up an organisation. We cannot rely only on algorithms to pick our colleagues. Instead, they can only guide our hiring decisions.

3. Identifying top talent transparently

Ensuring bias-free hiring is one of the prime advantages of recruitment automation. However, human intervention is essential at relevant stages to ensure the process remains bias-free. The automation models are trained based on available data, and systemic biases can creep into the algorithms. The SHRM survey mentioned above says 46% of respondents like to see more inputs on identifying potential bias when using these tools. The automation tool must follow ethical AI principles to ensure transparency. Also, detailed analytic reports on fraudulent candidate behaviours are a must to reinforce the integrity of your hiring decisions.

4. Enhancing interview outcomes

Adaptability, problem-solving, and business acumen rank among the top five soft-skills recruiters will need in the future – LinkedIn report. Industry leaders mention the need for interviewers who can map the JDs to the right questions during interviews. Interviewers must also be able to comprehend the answers to assess candidates fairly and transparently. A recruitment automation partner like HirePro, can provide expert interview services with customised automation to ensure the selection of best-fit candidates. Detailed candidate feedback reports are available to maintain transparency and integrity.

5. Ease your high-volume hiring

High-volume hiring can be tedious and tricky, with the possibility of hiring the wrong people under pressure to meet the numbers. Automated high-volume assessments ensure precision hiring backed by data insights. HR professionals quoted better quantity (68%) and quality of applications (59%) as automation advantages in the SHRM survey.

Both these advantages provide maximum benefits in high-volume hiring through improved quality of the talent pool. When you back it up with a recruitment automation partner whose tool ensures fraud detection, your hiring outcomes improve significantly.

These five points highlight the importance of engaging a recruitment automation partner to multiply the automation benefits. Leverage an RPO’s expertise to can meet your targets while optimising your ROI.

References:

• prosperix.com
• www.shrm.org
• business.linkedin.com

One factor that has greatly impacted hiring trends is the economic uncertainty. In a fast-changing economic environment and global recession, candidates are looking for employers that offer them high salaries that will help them cope with the rising prices. Besides salaries, candidates are looking for great experience. Therefore, it has become necessary for businesses to streamline their hiring processes to offer a seamless experience. In such a scenario, remote hiring comes as a solution that overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional hiring processes.

Rising trend of online assessments

The pandemic forced organisations to hire candidates remotely in 2021. Online assessments, interviews, etc., became the most effective hiring methods. When recruiters experienced the benefits of remote hiring, it became more widely accepted. And, the trend continues in the post-pandemic era as well.
Technology is an essential component of remote hiring. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in hiring has changed several aspects of hiring to make it a seamless process for both businesses and candidates. Recruiters can create assessments to accurately test the personality, knowledge, skill sets, cognitive ability tests, soft skills tests, and more. AI-based assessments boosted the efficiency and effectiveness of online assessments. AI tools eliminated bias in hiring and offered insights to make better hiring decisions.
Data shows that 75% of companies are using recruitment and interviewing tools. And, this trend is continuing in 2023.

Gaps in current assessment practices

Although AI tools enhance the efficacy of online assessments, they are limited in their scope. For instance, they cannot check the repetitive structure of wording in candidate responses.
It is also difficult to verify if a candidate is reading answers from a script in an online interview.
Another aspect that impacts remote assessments is the fact that the current education system focuses on imparting only theoretical knowledge to students. While students may excel in theory, they may lack the ability to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. In other words, there is a gap between knowledge and its application.

Online assessments can test only the knowledge of the theoretical concepts of a candidate. Such assessments may not help in recruiting the right talent. Hence, there is a need to create assessment methodologies that facilitate testing the candidate in real-life situations. The reaction and response of a candidate in such situations and their ability to solve real-life problems will reveal much more about the candidate than traditional assessments whether online or offline.
Such assessments will help the organisation observe the body language of the candidate to the circumstances to which they are exposed.

Designing such assessments will also give the candidate a “feel” of what they can expect in their job role when hired. They can make a more informed decision about whether they would like to take up the role or not.
Assessments that can help organisations assess the practical knowledge and abilities of a candidate that seemed far-fetched a few years ago.

Enter Virtual Reality in Assessments!

It solves all the problems of traditional assessments!
And, it has transformed how assessments are conducted!

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

Virtual Reality is a simulation of a 3D environment that approximates reality. The users can interact in the virtual surroundings as perceived by their senses.
Computer hardware and software create the virtual surroundings and the user might need to wear goggles or helmets to experience the virtual reality.

By wearing the headset, the user can be transported to a virtual world with others wearing the virtual headset.
VR “transports” a user in a 3D experience. Instead of looking at a computer screen, users interact with 3D worlds.
VR has made inroads in several areas like training, e-commerce, recruitment, and more. The VR market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.4% from 2021 to 2028.
Assessments in VR have gained traction in recent times because they facilitate testing candidates far beyond their theoretical knowledge and skill sets.

Elements of assessments in VR

VR is used with AI to offer a seamless hiring process. For working with VR, an individual needs:

• 3D glasses or goggles.
• A wired or wireless headset. There are different types of headsets for using with a PC/smartphone or using without these devices. VR headsets are available such that an individual can enter a virtual world without a PC or smartphone. However, when VR is used for assessments, the user will require headsets that connect to PC/smartphones.
• While using VR, the users will need to have free space around them so that they can move freely.
• Some VR headsets have sensors that help track the movements of the user in the virtual environment.

How is virtual reality a game changer in online assessments?

Unlike traditional assessment techniques, an immersive VR environment helps capture and analyse more comprehensive data. VR offers a more realistic assessment experience by bringing the workplace closer.

The assessment can be 100% aligned with the workplace environment. It helps assess the realistic performance of the candidate in a VR environment.
By simulating VR through an authentic learning and assessment experience, recruiters can assess candidates on the actual tasks at hand instead of knowledge-based assessments. Assessments can be rolled out in a manner that all senses of the user are engaged.

Immersive data tracks the candidate’s movement and behaviour throughout the assessment. This data is collected continuously throughout the assessment. This includes data about the hand, head, eye, and other physical movements. Details such as the duration of a movement, and time taken to complete an action can all be recorded. Currently data sets available in VR are the most up-to-date because they track every minute detail throughout the assessment process.
Technology also helps in including multiple candidates in the same assessment environment from remote locations across the globe.

Recruiters can deploy VR to create virtual office tours and interviews for candidates who are remotely located. Such tours offer an immersive experience for candidates to get a “feel” of the office culture and visualise themselves in the role.

VR also facilitates gamification in assessments which makes the process more interactive.

Assessments in VR offer several benefits to recruiters and are therefore finding widespread acceptance.

Benefits of assessments in VR

1. Accurate insights

Assessments in VR provide insights into how quickly and accurately a candidate completed the test. Fully immersive interviews conducted in VR also enable recruiters to visualise candidates in their workplace and assess their fitment.

2. Cost-effective

VR offers a cost-effective hiring solution because it facilitates assessing multiple candidates throughout the process. Therefore, companies save on the expenses they would have incurred in arranging numerous interviews.

3. Help attract top talent

Assessments in VR eliminate geographical barriers in recruitment. Hence, recruiters can attract top talent from remote locations. Candidates can participate in the assessment from a place of their convenience without having to travel to the business location.

4. On-the-job assessments

VR facilitates an immersive on-the-job assessment of a candidate’s abilities. Assessments in VR provide insights as to whether or not a candidate has the knowledge to suit a job role.

5. Boost your brand

VR in assessments showcases their innovative positioning. It helps businesses showcase their brand to candidates by organising virtual tours, etc. Candidates can get a better idea about the organisation’s work culture and how things are run from remote locations.

6. Gamification 

Assessments through gamification help identify the actual skills and abilities of the candidate early on. Besides it also helps shortlist more relevant applications because candidates who are not interested in the gaming option will self-select out.

7. Faster hiring

VR facilitates assessing several candidates in the same timeframe. When coupled with ATS, it helps shortlist candidates with the required skills.

8. Eliminates bias

VR-based assessments are conducted much before a human can step in. Therefore, the hiring process is free of conscious and unconscious bias.

9. Facilitates D&I hiring

VR-based assessments are more inclusive since they are not restricted to candidates who can travel to the offer location. Organisations can reach out to a wider talent pool across geographies and offer assessments to candidates of diverse nationalities, ethnicity, genders, etc.

10. Boosts candidate experience 

Assessments in VR boost candidate experience because they help them gauge the workplace without being there. It is not only convenient but also enables them to make decisions based on their experience. Candidates save time and effort invested in the hiring process by enjoying an immersive experience from a location of their choice. VR assessments are much quicker than other formats and save time.

Seamless VR assessments with HirePro

HirePro is an AI-based recruitment platform that makes the hiring process seamless for both recruiters and candidates. The platform can enhance the effectiveness of online assessments by offering an immersive experience to the candidates. The platform leverages Virtual Reality technology to create a real-life environment for the candidates.

In Conclusion

VR is a technology that holds a lot of promise for the recruitment ecosystem. As businesses shift towards remote and hybrid working systems, VR technology becomes relevant in making the hiring process seamless. VR also helps businesses boost their brand and offer a great candidate experience.

Resources:

• www.recruitbpm.com
• www.xrtoday.com

The world is at our fingertips. Literally. Mobile devices and applications have irrevocably changed our lives. Whether it’s for business or pleasyre, the first device of choice for the 21st century professional is inevitably their mobile phone. And, why not? With technology and infrastructure continuing their march at breakneck pace, it’s only natural that every aspect of existence is impacted. 

The pandemic accelerated the transition of the mobile as our gateway to the world. From grocery shopping to learning, mobiles became a part of every facet of life. When companies struggled with business continuity, several applications emerged and became a staple on our computers and mobiles. HR teams established new processes and explored new technologies to attract and retain talent. Recruitment became virtual, and continues to remain largely hybrid. Learning and assessments too, naturally transitioned to mobile devices. 

The value of online assessments continues to be appreciated by businesses. As job seekers increasingly use their phones for job hunting and applications, companies are looking towards mobile assessments or m-assessments in a bid to attract the best talent. Mobile assessments are assessments that are delivered on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Mobile recruitment platforms are expected to garner traction, with people preferring to use their phones to hunt for jobs. There are several reasons for the increasing popularity of mobile recruitment.

Advantages of mobile-friendly assessments

In schools, educational institutions and even adult learning, mobile assessments are useful for formative assessment stages, where they provide real-time feedback about student understanding. With dynamic polls, quizzes, and mini-contests, mobile assessments can make testing an enjoyable and stress-free activity. This increases student engagement and learning. Students can be asked to type up short responses or essay-based answers too, if required. Mobile assessments can be designed as games, adding a fun factor to learning. The interactive element in m-assessments helps shy learners participate better and be assessed more accurately.

Teachers can even give m-assessments as homework, and use the responses to plan out the next day in class. Using tools to analyse the responses, they have an insight into the learning gaps, allowing for better instruction in the following days. With increased student engagement, mobile assessments enable an interactive and collaborative learning environment. 

Mobile assessments are equally useful when it comes to recruitment. Talent assessments can be made available on mobile devices, giving companies the ability to assess candidates at remote geographic locations, without having them travel to any of the testing hubs. All types of talent assessments can be provided on the mobile platform – technical assessments, psychometric and behavioural assessments, to name a few.

Companies want to provide the most convenient experience to candidates, to gain a competitive advantage. Candidates are looking for easy and flexible options for taking assessments. With an increasing number of job applicants using mobile devices, companies are open to giving candidates the convenience of appearing for the assessment anytime and anywhere, as well as on any device. 

Considerations for using mobile assessments

Mobile assessments are a convenient and flexible option. Solutions that adopt a mobile-first delivery approach must ensure that the assessment application will function on all devices. The mobile assessment should be intuitive to use on smartphones and tablets of different sizes. It should not require too much scrolling. The assessment itself should not have any distractions, such as colourful screens or graphics, and should have a fixed duration so as to keep the candidate engaged. The assessment software should be platform and device-agnostic. Ideally, the assessment should also have accessibility features, to ensure that everyone has equal opportunity. Needless to say, the mobile assessment solutions should offer fraud detection, ID verification and online proctoring to ensure fair testing.

HirePro’s rich functional assessments platform offers a range of assessments – technical, aptitude, psychometric – to name a few. Powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, these assessments are fraud-proof with HirePro’s online proctoring platform. 

In a dynamic, digitally and globally connected world, mobile assessments improve candidate reach, and ease out the process for talent assessment. Offering talent assessments across multiple platforms with a candidate-first approach helps companies capture the best talent.

Virtual reality (VR) has progressed by leaps and bounds and is now AI-enabled, making it more immersive, effective, and capable of offering lifelike experiences due to higher fidelity. There is an increased application of VR for training in areas such as spatial cognitive skills, psychomotor skills like observational skills, and affective skills like handling stressful situations. Candidate characteristics such as emotional intelligence and risk-averseness, related to job performance, are highly relevant criteria in recruitment and, so far, have been gauged by self-report procedures. Self-report methods are inherently biased and have a high probability of inaccuracy. Organisations have always sought more reliable means of evaluating a candidate’s potential and have keenly followed technological advances.

Unlike the usual question-and-answer format assessments, VR assessments have a gamified and immersive setup. This medium naturally tends to put candidates at ease, reduces test anxiety, and increases their focus. Conventional personality assessments have generally been designed as paper and pencil exercises. Though they are considered reasonably objective and reliable, they are still prone to biases, so an accurate personality depiction might be difficult to obtain. Participants’ responses to situations in a VR environment have been found to be equivalent to the reactions in similar real-world situations. This outcome makes VR assessment highly applicable to measuring personality characteristics like risk-taking and emotional intelligence, as it decreases the probability of socially desired reactions. Candidates can be tested for their decision-making and emotional intelligence capabilities through virtual real-life situations which simulate stressful and confrontational interactions.

Video interviews are highly prevalent in recruitment processes nowadays. VR office environments help recruiters go beyond merely conversing with candidates and allowing them to virtually meet a candidate and assess their functioning in the virtual office. The interviewer can evaluate if the candidate is a fit for the organisational values. With AI-based VR, data captured from candidates can be run through a predictive model to get a picture of future performance. The candidate’s proficiency can be analysed using decision and immersive data.

VR is used in various industries and has led to considerable savings in person hours and materials in the design process and the development of prototypes. In the automotive industry, VR is used extensively for vehicle design, allowing engineers and designers to tinker with the structure and look before building expensive prototypes. When hiring for such roles, VR can prove effective for assessment as it recreates actual on-the-job scenarios and provides candidates with an in-depth experience of what the position entails. VR enables architects to bring the design of a space to life. It allows them to interact with the space to ascertain its functionality fully. VR tools can provide accurate feedback about candidates’ potential in the architecture and space design sectors. Surgical training can be like a real-life experience using VR. VR surgical tools can be extended to evaluating surgical skills, aiding hospitals in choosing the best candidates by assessing abilities to a fine granularity and in stressful scenarios. Other sectors with high-value machinery, like petrochemicals and oil rigs, will find VR the perfect tool to train and assess skills.

VR does have a few disadvantages too. VR solutions have a relatively higher cost and might need occasional technical updates. VR assessments require that all parties have compatible equipment to interact via VR. A remote evaluation will only be possible if the candidates possess the required VR equipment. VR experiences might induce cybersickness, which could be a risk, especially for recruiters undertaking multiple sessions in a day. Bad VR design could cause problems like spatial awareness loss, nausea, dizziness, and disorientation.

Virtual reality assessments have the potential to transform the recruitment process. It is an enriching and enlivening assessment channel. It allows the candidates and the organisation to truly understand whether they can be a mutual fit.

Reference:

• www.researchgate.net
• link.springer.com
• www.pwc.at
• www.strivr.com
• virtualspeech.com

One of the major growing pains for organisations is hiring the right candidates. Skill assessments play a major role in this search for the right candidate. They are crucial in this age of flux and innovations where new age competencies like Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Business Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Big Data Engineering and Critical Thinking skills are taking centre-stage.

Accurate skill assessment is also essential to maximise individual and organisational performance. This fosters a positive work environment while achieving long-term success in the ever-evolving workplace. By understanding strengths and identifying skill gaps, organisations can invest in targeted training and development, leading to continuous improvement and growth for both the individual and the company.

VR to the rescue!

Finding the right tools to accurately evaluate skills is a major challenge. That’s where Virtual Reality (VR) comes into play. It uses three-dimensional virtual (programmed) environments to create immersive and interactive experiences. Users can engage with these virtual worlds through specialised headsets and controllers which track their movements and actions. The entire experience provides a sense of realism.

That is why VR is making its way into the world of skill assessments. Here’s how VR can be utilised for skills evaluation:

Technical skills evaluation: Using VR for hands-on technical tasks.

VR simulations can replicate the look, feel, and functionality of actual equipment and tools used in specific technical roles. Users can manipulate virtual objects, press buttons, adjust settings, and perform complex procedures just as they would in the real world. VR allows candidates or employees to practise technical tasks in a controlled and safe environment without any risk to themselves or the equipment. This reduces the potential for accidents and costly damages during the assessment process.

VR can be used in the manufacturing industry to simulate different tasks and evaluate the candidate’s performance. For example,  VR can be used to simulate welding tasks. Candidates can wear VR headsets and use virtual welding equipment to perform welding procedures on virtual workpieces. The system allows evaluators to  track the candidates movements, accuracy, and adherence to safety protocols. They can also assess the weld quality, precision, and technique.

In the medical field, students can perform surgeries and other medical procedures in a VR environment, allowing them to be assessed for their motor skills and procedural knowledge.

Soft skills assessment: Simulating interpersonal communication and problem-solving scenarios.

VR can create immersive scenarios that closely resemble real-life situations. This allows candidates to demonstrate their abilities in a controlled and realistic environment.

Here’s how VR can be leveraged for assessing soft skills:

1. Communication skills: VR can create interactive scenarios where users engage with virtual characters representing colleagues, clients, or customers. These simulations can test verbal and non-verbal communication skills, active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution.

2. Leadership and decision making skills: VR simulations of a natural disaster or a workplace incident can  be used to evaluate how candidates respond to fluid situations. It also helps evaluate their ability to stay composed, make quick decisions, and delegate responsibilities.

3. Conflict resolution: VR simulations  can create scenarios that allow you to evaluate how candidates use effective communication and negotiation skills to resolve a conflict.

4. Task prioritisation and time management: VR simulated scenarios can be created to challenge executives or managers to handle multiple tasks with strict timelines. This helps in evaluating a candidate’s time management and prioritisation skills.

Customer service evaluation: Evaluating customer interaction skills in a virtual environment.

Scenarios built with VR can be used to assess candidates’ or employees’ customer service abilities. For example, VR can help you create virtual retail settings where candidates can interact with virtual customers via VR headsets as they browse through a store. Candidates must respond to the questions or concerns raised by the virtual customers. The system is set to track their ability to interact with customers efficiently and effectively, thereby elevating customer experience. 

VR scenarios can be used to evaluate skills like active listening, empathy, language and communication skills. You can also evaluate the candidate’s product knowledge via these assessments.

VR based assessments promise to rise in popularity as they are a cost effective and safe way to recreate lifelike work scenarios for assessment. VR based assessments also allow the opportunity to gather invaluable data on employee performance. However, a lot of work on usability and scaleability still needs to be done before VR skill assessments can truly go mainstream.

References

• hbr.org
• www.pwc.com
• onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Adaptive assessments automatically adapt to the ability of the candidates based on how they answer the questions. Such tests, also called Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT), are powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies. Ideally, the questions in adaptive testing start at a medium level of difficulty. Then the difficulty level and order of questions vary based on the answers given by the candidates. For example, if the algorithm feels the candidate found it easy to answer, the difficulty level is scaled up and vice versa. Therefore, every candidate will get a unique test paper that helps elicit their competencies accurately, which makes for a level playing field.

The modern education system understands the importance of adaptive assessments. Schools and colleges have started implementing the same to make education more inclusive. The traditional assessment approach led to inequities in scores, which also meant it did not correctly reflect the test-takers ability. Adaptive assessments are an intelligent testing approach that adapt to the cognitive capabilities of the candidates.

In employment assessments, all the above principles apply more significantly. Every candidate has varying levels of competencies that map to different skill sets in a JD. Hence, gauging all candidates based on the same assessment may not help find the best-fit candidates for a specific job. Adaptive assessments are an apt solution that benefit employers and candidates alike.

To better appreciate adaptive assessments, let’s see their top five benefits.

1. Positive candidate experiences

In a typical assessment scenario, candidates who find the first few questions challenging may get overwhelmed. Anxiety creates a psychological barrier, and they may forget what they do know as well. In adaptive testing, they feel comfortable since the algorithm adapts the questions to the candidate’s ability level. Also, candidates feel sufficiently challenged to proceed further since the algorithm adjusts the difficulty level to keep their interest alive.
Thus, candidates get a positive assessment experience. Also, smart candidates who cope with increasing difficulty levels get shorter tests. This aspect matters because many quality candidates drop out of the hiring process if they feel the testing process is time-consuming and not worthwhile.

2. Improved accuracy

‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.’

Many of us have come across this saying, applicable to traditional assessment systems. Adaptive testing scores on this count as it adjusts the test questions to assess the capabilities of candidates more accurately. Also, it follows a weightage system to calculate percentiles and maintain scoring consistency across candidates. As an employer, the percentiles allow you to compare apples to apples and not oranges!

3. Enhanced hiring integrity

Since no two candidates receive the same question paper, test integrity is high in adaptive assessments. There is limited scope for malpractices. Every candidate’s question paper will be a unique combination, pulled randomly from the question bank to suit their capabilities. Hence, each assessment will be unique and scores more reliable.

4. Higher efficiency

Since the questions keep adapting to the skill level of the candidates, the tests will be shorter. The candidates will quickly reach questions challenging their faculties and not spend more time answering many questions they find easy. Thus the overall assessment efficiency improves significantly. According to some studies, adaptive assessments reduce the time to deliver accurate results by 50%, while improving precision significantly.

5. Customisable and updated question bank

Since AI and ML algorithms power adaptive assessments, employers get access to comprehensive test reports and associated insights. Analysing these helps understand many aspects that aid fine tuning question banks further. You can customise question types and difficulty levels for specific skills or adjust the weightage of questions for more accurate assessment. You can even remove any biases you find to enhance the reliability of hiring decisions. A customisable, updated question bank adds to the success factor of adaptive assessments.

Adaptive assessments are steadily gaining ground as the corporate world looks to leverage every opportunity to become more inclusive in its quest for quality talent. Adapt your recruitment process to incorporate them and reap the benefits of efficiency and better quality of hires.

References:

• www.cem.org
• www.criteriacorp.com
• www.magicedtech.com
• www.highereducationdigest.com
• recruiter.hr
• codesignal.com
• www.e-assessment.com

What is multimodality?

Chalks incessantly scribbling words and numbers on blackboards (and later pens on whiteboards), and students poring over textbooks — that was the traditional approach to teaching and learning. How boring!

Cut to today, knowledge dissemination has transcended old-school methods. Smartboards have found their way into classrooms and training centres. Videos, projects, field trips, and roleplays are taking over the curriculum.

Today’s teaching model believes in engaging multiple senses. The VARK framework is widely used here. It emphasises the use of visual, auditory, text (reading & writing), and kinaesthetic elements for instructing.

Welcome to multimodality, a happy confluence of written, oral, visual, audio, gestural, spatial and tactile expressions! It has definitely evolved learning into something more interactive and enjoyable.

A goodbye to the yawns!
As teaching and learning evolves, assessment methods must also follow suit. They too must go beyond the read-write mode of evaluation.
Multimodal assessments and their significance
Pre-employment assessments are crucial to the hiring process. They evaluate and validate the knowledge and skills candidates claim in their resumes.

Traditionally, the evaluation happened with only written tests and interviews. Though they are still needed, they don’t suffice in gauging the full spectrum of skills required for a role. This is where multimodal assessments offer a valuable advantage.

Multimodal assessments involve using multiple assessment formats. They include written tests, group discussions, presentations, simulations, video interviews, hands-on project exposure, etc. Each format individually helps gauge a specific skill. Together, they form a formidable force that strengthens the assessment process.

Here are compelling reasons to adopt them:

1. Attracting Gen-Z: Multimodal assessments appeal to the digital-savvy Gen-Z. Many assessment methods such as live-coding and recorded video interviews are digital, which is right up Gen-Z’s sleeve.
2. Holistic evaluation: Each assessment mode provides a distinct insight into a candidate’s abilities. For instance, written examinations evaluate knowledge retention, while group activities or team-based simulations provide insights into a candidate’s collaboration and teamwork. Case studies gauge analytical and decision-making abilities, and oral interviews  test spontaneity.

Combining these assessment modes offers a comprehensive, deeper, and well-rounded view of a candidate’s competencies, enabling recruiters to assess a candidate’s potential from multiple angles.

3. Validating skills and knowledge: Multimodal assessments enable candidates to demonstrate their skills and knowledge through practical tasks, presentations, or simulations. This ensures that candidates possess the abilities they claim on their resumes, reducing the risk of hiring someone based solely on their self-reported experience.
4. Identifying job fit: Different jobs require different skill sets and personalities. Multimodal assessments help match candidates to roles that align with their strengths and preferences, increasing the likelihood of successful job performance and job satisfaction.
5. Role-specific tailoring: Different roles require different skill sets and qualifications. With flexibility in assessment methods, recruiters can tailor the evaluation process to suit each role’s specific requirements. For example, technical positions might include coding challenges, while leadership roles could involve situational exercises.

With significant benefits to be gained from multimodal assessments, recruiters must design and implement an effective assessment strategy that incorporates multimodality.

How to set a multimodal assessment?

Setting up a multimodal assessment requires careful planning and consideration. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating an effective and comprehensive multimodal assessment, with an example of evaluating a marketing candidate.

1. Determine objectives: Clearly define the objectives and competencies you want to assess.
   Example objective: Evaluate marketing knowledge, creativity, and ability to develop a marketing campaign for a product.
2.  Identify modes: Select the assessment modes that align and provide a holistic evaluation of the objectives.
   For the marketing campaign, the modes could be:

• Create an advertisement for the product
• Present a persuasive pitch for the marketing campaign
• Write a detailed marketing plan
• Plan and execute a small-scale promotional event

3. Develop tasks: Create tasks or prompts for each mode that aligns with the learning objectives. Ensure that tasks are clear, relevant, and challenging enough to showcase candidates’ skills.

Here is an example:

• Task 1: Design an eye-catching advertisement that effectively communicates the product’s unique selling points.
• Task 2: Present a compelling pitch to a panel of interviewers, explaining the marketing campaign’s strategies, target audience and expected outcomes.
• Task 3: Develop a comprehensive marketing plan detailing the campaign’s objectives, timeline, budget and distribution channels.
• Task 4: Plan and execute a small promotional event to engage potential customers and promote the product

4. Establish criteria: Develop scoring guidelines and rubrics that outline the expectations and standards for each mode of assessment. Clearly define what constitutes exemplary, proficient, and developing performance.

Here are some rubric examples for the tasks set in step 3 above:

• Task 1: Creativity, visual appeal, alignment with brand identity, and effectiveness in conveying key features.
• Task 2: Clarity and confidence in presenting the marketing campaign, persuasiveness in capturing the panel’s attention, and ability to handle questions effectively.
• Task 3: Thoroughness of the marketing plan, strategic approach, attention to detail, and alignment with the product’s objectives.
• Task 4: Planning and execution of the promotional event, engagement with the audience, and effectiveness in promoting the product.
• Plan logistics and resources: Determine the technology and resources needed for each mode of assessment. Ensure that necessary access to the required tools and platforms is available.
• For example, for the marketing evaluation, reserve a presentation room for the pitch presentation, and ensure access to the graphic design software, marketing resources
  (for copywriting, research, digital and social media marketing, etc.) event planning materials, and so on.Sequence and timeline: Create a well-structured sequence of assessment tasks and establish a realistic timeline. Allow sufficient time for preparation and submission.

Here is an example of timeline-setting:

• Week 1: Introduction to the marketing campaign project and assessment expectations.
• Week 2: Candidates work on their visual advertisements and marketing plans.
• Week 3: Candidates present their marketing pitch to the interview panel.
• Week 4: Execution of a promotional event.
• Communicate clearly: Clearly communicate the purpose, expectations, and timelines. Provide detailed instructions for each task, including submission requirements and guidelines for using technology platforms.
• Assess and evaluate: Evaluate candidates’ performance based on the established rubrics. Take note of strengths, weaknesses, and any additional insights.
• Feedback and follow-up: Offer timely and constructive feedback, either through individual feedback sessions, written feedback, or a combination of both. Proceed with subsequent stages, as applicable.
• Review and refine: After completion, review the effectiveness of the multimodal assessment. Gather feedback from assessors and candidates to identify areas for improvement and make necessary refinements for future assessments.

These steps can help design robust, inclusive and effective multimodal assessments. However, incorporating them in the systems is not a bed of roses.

Challenges and Considerations

Implementing multimodal assessments comes with its share of challenges and practical considerations. Here are some key ones:

1. Alignment: Ensuring that the chosen assessment modes align with the required competencies is crucial for effective evaluation. The assessment should accurately reflect the skills and knowledge that candidates are expected to demonstrate.
2. Assessment design and sequencing: Designing well-structured and sequenced assessments is essential for a cohesive and meaningful evaluation process. The tasks should flow logically and build upon each other, providing a comprehensive view of candidates’ abilities.
3. Resource availability: Ensuring the availability and accessibility of necessary resources (both technical and non-technical) for each assessment is of the utmost importance. This ensures that candidates have everything they require from your end to complete their tasks seamlessly.

Here are the technical and infrastructure requirements you should think of:

• Hardware and software: This includes devices and software platforms for recording, editing, and presentation.
• Data security and privacy: Security measures to protect the confidentiality and privacy of candidates’ assessment data must be in place.
• Backup and recovery: Reliable backup and recovery processes to safeguard assessment materials and data in case of potential technical issues must be established.

Also spare a thought for non-technical resources such as these:

• Stationery: Pens, pencils, markers and paper
• Whiteboards: For brainstorming sessions, group discussions and presentations
• Meeting rooms: For discussions and presentations
• Time management: Candidates need time to prepare and complete the tasks. Striking a balance between the assessment’s complexity and the available time is vital.
• Training and support: Providing adequate training and support on using assessment tools, platforms, and technology is necessary to enhance a smooth assessment process.
• Accessibility and accommodation: Assessments must be made accessible to all candidates, including those with disabilities. Accommodation should be made to enable equal participation and fair evaluation of everyone.
• Coordination: Assessment schedules, submissions, and feedback must be carefully planned and organised.
• Consistency and standardisation: Standardising rubrics and assessment guidelines is essential to ensuring that evaluation metrics yield fair and unbiased results.

Addressing these challenges and considerations is imperative for a smooth assessment process.

Conclusion:

Multimodal assessments have emerged as a dynamic and inclusive approach to evaluating knowledge and skills.
They have proven their effectiveness in providing a comprehensive evaluation of candidates’ capabilities, offering a bias-free hiring process, matching the specific requirements of each position, helping better predict performance in an actual job environment, and more.
By setting clear objectives, designing well-sequenced assessments, providing the necessary resources, and ensuring accessibility, a fair and equitable assessment environment can be created.
Multimodal assessments are refreshing, resilient and insightful, leading to enhanced candidate selection, increased retention rates, and improved overall organisational performance.

Reference:

• www.learnupon.com
• educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au
• learning.nd.edu
• www.slideshare.net
• www.youtube.com

With a career spanning over two decades, Roger Federer, the tennis legend, one of the greatest players of all time, and winner of 20 Grand Slam titles, says he owes a large part of his success to his training team. Federer credits his longevity to Pierre Paganini, his fitness trainer, who helped him stay fit and fast. To draw a parallel, team dynamics play a major role in talent acquisition too. Traditionally run by a single department, companies are realising that there are several benefits of adopting a team-based approach to recruitment. 

Collaborative hiring streamlines the process with greater accountability and ownership. While the bottom line for hiring would largely lie with the talent acquisition team, the hiring process itself involves all the key stakeholders, such as recruiters, human resource managers, hiring managers, team leads, and co-workers. Unlike in traditional hiring, the final hiring decision becomes collaborative. Typically, collaborative hiring involves different interviews with several employees including peers. The business benefits from multiple viewpoints, while candidates have a transparent view of the work environment. Apart from these, there are several reasons that collaborative hiring works. Let’s take a look at some of them. 

Benefits of collaborative hiring

Gain a wider perspective: Every team has specific expectations of employees. Collaborative hiring ensures that the diverse expectations of various teams are met, since every stakeholder will interview the candidate. Additionally, the candidate gets a clear picture of what is expected from the role. Collaborative hiring results in improved hiring decisions, based on candidate fitment for the role. This reduces the risk of bad hires which can prove to be expensive in terms of time and cost.

Improves candidate experience: As candidates meet a diverse set of people, they have a better hiring experience. Hiring collaboratively means that there are additional voices giving candidates the assurance that the organisation has a transparent and open culture. Every team indirectly sells the position to the candidate. Multiple interactions with employees at different levels including co-workers puts the candidate at ease. With collaborative hiring, talent acquisition is no longer a black box; all stakeholders are more involved, creating a sense of ownership to hire the best talent. Hiring to onboarding becomes a seamless transition.

Reinforces transparent culture: Collaborative hiring requires several employees at different levels to be invested in talent acquisition. Consequently, there is greater appreciation of the amount of effort that is required to hire good talent. Sharing rules, policies and the mechanics of hiring promotes an open culture. 

Improves hiring efficiency: The greater awareness of talent acquisition procedures increases the likelihood of employee referrals, which in turn can reduce the time-to-hire and cost-to-hire. Hiring becomes a parallel and agile process, rather than progressing linearly, saving a significant amount of time. As there are multiple employees interacting with the candidate, the likelihood of cultural fitment increases. Speaking to several stakeholders during interviews also helps address candidate queries directly.

Improves hiring decisions: In collaborative hiring, every stakeholder’s opinion counts. By sharing scorecards and adopting consistent hiring practices,  companies can take a more objective approach to hiring. Team-based recruiting also reduces the risk of unconscious bias, as there are multiple touchpoints for the candidate. Adding additional voices to the hiring process adds wider perspectives and improves candidate evaluation.

Best practices for collaborative hiring

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to collaborative hiring, it needs to be a well thought-out strategy to be effective. Here are a few strategies that you can adopt.

Relook at the hiring workflow: To start with, human resources (HR) and recruitment teams must create a job brief and design the collaborative hiring workflow. Identify stakeholders and put together a core team with clearly defined responsibilities and accountability so that there is a cohesive and streamlined approach to hiring. All stakeholders need to be given appropriate support by recruiters. 

Share hiring criteria: HR and recruiters need to define the competencies and skills required for every job role. The job brief needs to be created and shared with all stakeholders. Equally important to share are the hiring objectives, and business values. Sharing this information will help eliminate conflicts. Objective evaluations are necessary in collaborative hiring to avoid any confusion and bias, so the hiring criteria needs to be very specific and transparent.

Build a talent pipeline: Hiring the best talent requires you to have not just a streamlined workflow, but also ensure that you have the best possible candidates to choose from. A framework for a talent pipeline or recruitment funnel ensures that you attract prospective candidates, and choose candidates who are the best fit for your organisation. It helps to match candidates to company requirements, select qualified candidates, eliminate bias and provide consistency to the hiring process. The latter is especially important in respect of collaborative hiring. As there are several people involved in recruitment and selection, a consistent process is crucial to successful hiring 

Share assessment guidelines and feedback mechanisms: In line with the above, it is equally important to shares sharing documentation, dos and don’ts with the hiring team. is crucial to provide a consistent hiring experience. Recruiters should share indicative interview questions and resources, as well as talent acquisition policies and procedures with stakeholders. This helps to eliminate unconscious bias during interviews. Providing guidelines for conducting interviews, training interviewers and objective scoring sheets are some of the methods for ensuring consistency in assessing candidates. A standardised feedback system is necessary for people to be able share their feedback in a structured and objective manner, and encourages transparency and accountability.  

Invest in automation: A hiring platform helps to streamline collaborative hiring with automated workflows, document sharing and approvals in place. HirePro’s online hiring solutions help mobilise talent acquisition remotely, and hire the best talent by offering pre-employment automated assessments, video interviews, and automated workflows, amongst many other features. A hiring platform can greatly simplify collaborative hiring workflows, and eliminate nightmarish scheduling conflicts. Video interviews can be conducted on the platform for initial rounds, and final selection interviews that can be done face to face. Various stakeholders can update their feedback on the system, allowing the hiring workflow to progress automatically, thereby reducing bottlenecks. Hiring platforms typically integrate with other systems such as Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and other HR Management Systems, making the process seamless for stakeholders and candidates. 

Formalise employee referral programs: Collaborative hiring is a two-way street. As employees get more familiar with hiring policies and processes, they also begin to develop a sense of ownership. A structured and transparent employee referral program helps to incentivise employees to refer friends and ex-colleagues and bring them into the talent pipeline. Employees are motivated to refer good candidates, which helps to speed up the hiring process and improves overall efficiency.

Design a change management process: Transitioning from a traditional hiring model to collaborative hiring can pose various difficulties before it is fully embraced. Employees need to be made aware of the collaborative hiring model, various policies and procedures. Stakeholders may need to be  trained on how to use the hiring platform, interview skills, recruitment workflows, feedback processes, handling conflicts during interviews, and so on. Sharing information on the company intranet, conducting awareness workshops, and specific training sessions would be required. There may be a resistance from some employees as they may not consider it part of their job role. The benefits of collaborative hiring need to be shared so that everybody in the organisation appreciates the value.

Collaborative hiring is the way forward, however, it does come with its own challenges. If not planned properly, it can result in several delays and result in a long drawn-out hiring process, increasing the risk of losing well-qualified candidates. Interviewers need to be well-aware of interviewing techniques and requirements, else the candidate may feel uncomfortable. Workflows need to be carefully designed so as to optimise hiring efficiency. A well-planned collaborative hiring strategy that uses technology as a backbone can mitigate such issues. Ensure that the hiring team comprises diverse individuals who are engaged with the hiring process, and aligned with organisational values. 

With improved hiring efficiency and better candidate experience, collaborative hiring is a win-win for both the organisation and the candidate, and results in better employer branding. 

As Michael Jordan famously said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”