Some people groan when the phrase war for talent is mentioned. I’ll admit, the term has been around for a while. It was first coined in 1997 by McKinsey & Company to describe a competitive landscape for recruiting and retaining talented employees.
Truth is, that’s exactly what we’re facing right now – a competition (aka “war”) for talent. I’ve been out at a few conferences lately. Every person I’ve spoken to is hiring. But I’m also hearing about the challenges companies are having finding qualified candidates. One person I spoke to recently said she couldn’t find someone who could pass a 5th grade math assessment. There has to be an efficient and effective way to sift through the recruiting noise and find good candidates.
Good news. The advantage we have today (versus 1997) is technology. The recruiting industry has embraced technology and social media to make finding talent more efficient.
Now I know what you’re thinking. Every job site promises the moon and stars. And I won’t insult your intelligence. You’re right…they do. That’s why it’s important to do your homework where technology solutions are concerned. Three things come to mind when it’s time to evaluate recruiting technology solutions.
- Easy to Buy: Purchasing and implementing a recruiting technology solution should be a no-brainer. The value a technology solution brings in terms of scalability, cost-effectiveness, and compliance makes this a must-have in today’s competitive landscape.
- Ease of Use: Once the recruiting solution is implemented, it should be easy for HR and hiring managers to use it. The goal is recruiting technology will make your lives easier, so you can focus on building candidate relationships.
- Easy to Share: In addition to making the company’s work easier, a recruiting technology solution should make things better for the candidate. They can share their interest via mobile, share a job opening via social, and stay in touch regularly.
In the war for talent, companies need to stand out. The last thing you want to stand out for is a lack of technology.
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Insight247 says
Like the author, I advocate using technology. Where my views may be perceived as extreme is that I’d use it as much as possible.
Applicant tracking. CRM. SEO. PPC. Everything really. I know recruitment was born from a personal service, but I fear that those days are coming to an end.
Cindy Postanco says
It feels like I’m looking at the and of the recruiting department as being part of the Human Resources department. It starts to drift towards the IT department. Why with all the technology involved in recruiting today, what else is there to do?
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comments. I believe the changes we’re seeing with technology aren’t separating recruitment and human resources but more emphasizing the need to use tech tools for greater effectiveness. The business will continue to have plenty for human resources and recruiting to do.
There’s still a place for the personal touch in the recruiting process. But where technology can bring efficiency, I’m all for it.
Catie Farrow says
I’m so excited that HR technology is becoming more of a talking point – especially for recruiting! Not only because it makes recruiting more efficient for the organization, but because social outlets like LinkedIn are more and more where the jobseekers already are – organizations that don’t devote time to developing these options (e.g. focus only on their own career sites), are truly missing out. Thanks, as always, Sharlyn!
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi Catie. Thanks for the comment. I’ve noticed the spike in activity on LinkedIn as well. Hope to see you next week at SHRM!
Ravi says
Technology has made it easier to track talent globally, to get insights for various parameters and use it to get the best possible outcomes. Various companies like Facebook and Google have been using Technology for getting information on talent which helps them in choosing the right locations across the globe.
Apart the community sites like Linkedin and glassdoor , sites like talentneuron helps in finding the relevant information too.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment Ravi!