Recruitment has evolved significantly in recent years, with technology transforming how businesses find, assess, and hire talent. For business owners and managers new to recruitment, understanding how to harness the power of technology can make the process more efficient, more cost-effective, and ultimately help them to recruit the best available candidates. In this blog we’ll explore key ways that employers can use technology in recruitment, along with basic legal compliance advice to help you get started.
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Streamlining Job Advertising and Candidate Sourcing
Technology offers powerful tools to make job advertising and candidate sourcing easier and more targeted. Platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor enable employers to reach a broad audience of active and passive jobseekers. By using technology, adverts can also be targeted at specific demographics or professional groups so that they are seen by the most relevant audience. As an employer if you choose to use job boards to support your recruitment then many now offer advanced analytics relating to your advert. This helps you to monitor the performance of your adverts in real time and if the right calibre of candidates is not being attracted then you can refine your strategy accordingly whilst the advert is still live. Furthermore, job boards also enable employers to search for the CVs of suitable candidates which have been uploaded to their platforms. Whilst this takes some time, effort and cost on the employer’s part, it then allows employers to send details of their vacancy to candidates directly.
If your business operates in a niche sector or you are looking to recruit to a hard to find role then there are also specific sites to help. Social media platforms like can also be effective for sharing job posts and attracting passive candidates. Using targeted adverts on these platforms ensures your roles are seen by the right audiences. You can also use videos on these platforms easily to share more about your business and what it is like to work there which helps to build a realistic picture for interested candidates.
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Managing Applications with ATS Software
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are designed to simplify the process of managing job applications and the whole recruitment process. These tools help you track candidates, store CVs, filter applications based on keywords, skills, or experience and also communicate with candidates to arrange interviews. As technology has advanced these systems have grown in their functionality and complexity and so it is vital that businesses understand what they want and need if they are considering purchasing ATS software so that they don’t overspend on a system that isn’t going to be used to its fullest. For small businesses, free or low-cost ATS options exist and can provide essential features without straining your budget. By automating time-consuming recruitment administration tasks, such as sending acknowledgment emails or scheduling interviews, ATS platforms are an invaluable resource.
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Enhancing Interviews with Video and AI
Video interviewing tools are becoming more popular, particularly for remote or hybrid recruitment processes. These platforms reduce the need for in-person meetings, saving time and costs for both employers and candidates. A number of video interviewing tools now include features such as automated scheduling, interview recording, and real-time collaboration which give an enhanced candidate experience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can further enhance recruitment. From the basics of helping to write an advert and a job description, to analysing candidate responses, identifying soft skills, and even predicting job performance. Research from Ernst & Young found that 90% of large businesses in the private sector have adopted AI into their recruitment process so its use is on the up.
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Leveraging Data Analytics for Better Decision-Making
Data-driven recruitment helps employers to make better informed hiring decisions. Analytics can help you to identify which job boards or other recruitment channels generate the best candidates so that you can optimise your recruitment budget, and improve the quality of hires.
Tracking metrics such as time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, and candidate drop-off rates provides a clear picture of what’s working and what needs adjustment in your recruitment strategy.
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Complying with Data Protection Laws
When using technology in recruitment, it’s essential to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Key considerations include:
- Candidate Consent: Clearly inform candidates how their data will be used and obtain their consent before storing or processing their information.
- Data Security: If you are using software to store candidate data then ensure that the software has suitable security features to prevent hacking and unauthorised access.
- Retention Policies: Do not retain candidate data longer than necessary. For example, unsuccessful applications should typically be deleted after six months unless the candidate has given permission to retain their information for future roles.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provides comprehensive guidance on GDPR compliance, which you can refer to here.
Technology has genuinely revolutionised recruitment from being a laborious, paper driven process to one that embraces the digital world. Using technology in recruitment saves times, enhances the candidate experience, and help businesses make smarter hiring decisions. For business owners and managers new to recruitment or to using technology, it really can make the difference between finding a good hire and an exceptional one.
Do you have any questions about today’s blog, need help in becoming legally compliant with contracts/policies or can we support you in taking away any people pains to give you peace of mind?
If you answered yes to any of the above, just give us a call at CUBE HR on 01282 678321, or book in a FREE 30 Minute HR Health Check here FREE HR Health Check and we’ll happily give your business a full HR overview with our personal recommendations absolutely FREE!
Why not also check out last weeks blog How To Write An Attractive Job Advert
We also have a YouTube channel with loads of handy videos outlining various HR related scenarios.
