The REC’s National Convention has provided a clear indication of the impact that technology and social networks are having on recruitment. However, the feedback from specialised recruiters within the REC’s marketing, media and creative industries sector group (MMC) has emphasised that technology advancements will not undermine the value of ‘face to face’ relationships and that they should be complementing rather than replacing core recruitment practices.
The ever-growing role of modern technology was highlighted by all main speakers at the REC’s Annual Convention on the Future of Recruitment. Renowned futurologist and Chair of the REC’s National Convention, Dr James Bellini stressed the increasing role that social media and large search engines are already playing in recruitment. Social media strategist, Paul Harrison, underlined that contemporary thinking and adoption of technology will lead to a new breed of recruiters and recruitment agencies.
Commenting on the issue, Steve Hyde, Chair of REC MMC said:
“Using technology in the recruitment process is a reality and a change that we should pro-actively embrace. The world around us is evolving, as an industry we need to adapt.
“At the same time, we need to keep in mind the real added value of our services to clients and candidates. Trust between parties comes from evolved relationships and insightful understanding. Consulting with clients on the appropriate specifics of a brief and working with candidates on their career decisions will always be best achieved through face to face relationships.
“Being trusted advisors is at the core of our offering. The differentiating factor for our profession comes from applied experience and perspective combined with the ability to evaluate candidates and appropriate judgement on fit. Core practices can be enhanced and made more efficient, but not substituted by technological developments. The challenge for our industry is to maximise the potential of new technology to ensure long term growth.”
Nice as it is that the subject of technology has been on the REC agenda there are three main issues/concerns I have with the speeches on the subject and the subsequent press.
Firstly, no real technology expert was invited and/or asked to contribute, people like myself Recruitwise Technology the heads of 4Mat, Hotlizard and or Optimal internet have all been providing these services to recruiters and in some cases employers for the past 5-7 years.
Secondly, there is an assumption that a technology and/or direct marketing campaign through things like Social Media/recruitment SEO could reduce human contact.
This simply means you don’t understand the subject matter in hand and/or why Gen Y and some Gen X users want to deal with recruiters via technology.
Technology increases human contact, and in the case of Social Media also allows a level playing field for open feedback to be published on just how well recruiters do deal with humans as humans. Gen Y and Gen X users want a right of reply and/or the ability to rate their experience Face book allows them to do that and also to put names to faces they can latterly interact with at a human level. Technology and Social Media are then Candidate driven and recruiters need to start listening to their candidates.
Presently its not uncommon for 90% of candidates submitting their CV’s to recruiter ads on job boards and/or direct to recruiters sites to get no more than a ‘Dear John’ email about how in 10 days if they have not heard back they have not been accepted! What is human about that?
Finally, there is some suggestion and/or inference that the recruitment industry has a choice. It has none. The evolution of mankind means habits are being formed daily by Gen Y, and Gen X that simply screen out recruiters who don’t have technology at the heart of their attraction and retention work practices.
Recruiters need to step up and take on the challenge of technology because employers already have.