How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing the Candidate Experience
Birch Faber
Jan 28, 2020 1:30:00 AM
Grabbing the attention of untapped high-value candidates can be extremely difficult, and often seems like an uphill battle. Evolving technology has been dramatically impacting how the recruiting industry is tapping into these hard-to-acquire human resources.
By harnessing automation tools, recruiters have been able to not only improve the candidate experience but also attract more qualified applicants. Artificial intelligence is a powerful instrument in any HR department’s arsenal that saves time for both the applicant and the recruiter throughout the hiring process.
Top talent today prefers an on-demand hiring experience where applying to jobs is accessible, fast, and easy. By using AI recruiting software like a chatbot, candidates can apply via text messaging in just a few minutes rather than having to bookmark the job application until they can get to a computer. Expediting this initial point of contact helps speed up the entire application process, something that applicants express is very important to their experience. 82% of candidates have stated that they would like an entire interview process to take less than a month, and 40% say they want the interview to start within less than a week.
Chatbots have the ability to screen candidates immediately and schedule them for an interview in minutes. People have expressed a preference for rapid communication and this shows with higher levels of responsiveness, sometimes up to a 71% increase in engagement rates. New automated scheduling features like calendar platform integration allows for qualified applicants to freely pick a time that is open on the recruiter’s schedule. This cuts down dramatically on wasted time playing phone tag or waiting for delayed emails. Showing your candidate that you respect them and their time helps improve their initial opinion of the company. It also is refreshing when more than half of candidates say that they have not received any contact from potential employers over three months after applying for a position.
The amount of time saved by recruiters with automated processes helps them focus on human points of contact rather than sifting through endless resumes and emails. One company reported saving more than 1,200 hours in a 3-month period by implementing automated processes. With that time, HR departments can make sure that a positive impression on the applicant is their main focal point. It also opens up the opportunity for more in-person interviews, enabling for more candidates to be seen per job opening so you can find the ideal fit for your team.
All points of contact with candidates are impactful in their eventual candidate experience. Implementing automation and artificial intelligence allows for both recruiters and applicants to save time and have an improved experience. Providing immediate feedback for candidates shows respect for their time, and helps give positive feedback in a process that so often fatigues applicants. It also lets them apply on any platform they are comfortable with, such as on a messaging application on a mobile device. These automation tools help recruiters focus on important, high-quality interactions with candidates as they move through the hiring pipeline, something that isn’t always afforded to them due to lack of time. As these tools continue to evolve, we expect to only see these numbers increase as recruiters harness them to provide even more personalized levels of applicant interaction.
Photo by Maranda Vandergriff on Unsplash
Tags: Recruitment, AI trends, recruiting help