By Morgan Lobb, CEO of VERCIDA
Technology has now become central to the recruitment process for the vast majority of recruiters.
Nearly every area of the recruitment process now relies on digital technology, from online job adverts on websites and social media platforms to online application forms and candidate assessments.
And as the development of digital tech progresses, so will its influence on the recruitment process.
The impact of Artificial Intelligence
Last year The Recruitment & Employment Federation (REC) published a report called The future of jobs.
It was based on the findings of the REC’s Future of jobs commission and it highlights the effect tech and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in particular is having on recruitment now.
The report states that some large companies are already utilising AI in the recruitment process: “Vodafone has begun using artificial intelligence to help recruit call centre and shop floor staff. Around 50,000 applicants have gone through the AI process so far, and Vodafone are happy with the results and wish to use the system to hire senior managers and executives”.
VERCIDA understands candidate behaviours
VERCIDA is an online diversity and recruitment resourcing platform. It helps employers attract candidates from diverse backgrounds in a pro-active way through positive action, while clearly showcasing their employer value proposition.
The platform also offers jobseekers all the information they need to make an informed decision about whether an employer is the right fit for them. In this way the site utilises our understanding of candidate behaviours, as we know that jobseekers want clear information about what employers do to support their employees.
And we have started to use AI to map jobseekers behaviour when they visit the website in order to help match them with the employers and job roles that are most suitable for them.
The future of AI in recruitment
The use of AI is set to continue and it will be used increasingly to help recruiters sort through candidates in an objective way that can help recruiters free themselves of unconscious bias.
As the REC report also mentions: “The impact of technology and AI on the recruitment process in the future is likely to be significant. The REC’s monthly report on jobs – JobsOutlook – which details the hiring intentions of UK employers, found that 36.3 per cent of organisations regarded the use of technology and AI as part of the recruitment process as leading to the greatest change in their hiring procedures.”
And tackling bias in recruitment is key for success as organisations with higher levels of diversity deliver better results than those that lack diversity.
But whilst tech can be an enabler, evidence shows it can also be a barrier that prevents some jobseekers from joining organisations.
Tech barriers for disabled jobseekers
For example, VERCIDA worked in conjunction with the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) to produce the 2017 RIDI candidate survey of 200 disabled job seekers.
Three-quarters (75%) of the disabled jobseekers surveyed find their condition has an impact on job hunting. Just over half (54%) find hurdles at multiple stages of the recruitment process and nearly one in three (28%) find online assessments challenging.
Whilst these figures are of great concern for recruiters they do show improvements from previous RIDI candidate surveys. This is likely due to the increased use of accessible digital technology in hiring, which is making recruitment processes more accessible for disabled people.
Why Recite Me & VERCIDA work in partnership
When VERCIDA was launched last year we made digital inclusion a core part of the business’ overall strategy.
Because of this web accessibility was a key priority when the new platform was being developed using inclusive design. And we also began our partnership with Recite Me and added the accessibility software to do everything possible to ensure the site is accessible to the widest possible audience.
The result is a fully accessible website that gives confidence to potential disabled candidates that organisations which use VERCIDA are confident and competent at meeting the needs of diverse candidates.
If you are an employer and interested in working with VERCIDA to promote your diversity and inclusion initiatives and attract the best candidates, please call 02037405973 or email info@vercida.com for more information.
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