Share this article
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped the recruitment landscape. Gone are the days of relying solely on in-person interviews and traditional job boards. Today, organisations need a diverse toolbox filled with innovative solutions to attract, engage, and hire top talent in a virtual and distributed world.
The blog ‘Recruitment Tools in the Covid-19 era’ examines some effective tools which are designed to facilitate the effective HR function of recruitment, in the post-COVID-19 era.
Some of the creative and innovative recruitment tools that have gained wide popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic era are as follows:
Recruitment tools in the Covid-19 era
1. Video Conferencing (VC) Platforms
In recent research conducted by CareerPlug, it was found that during the COVID-19 era, some 71% of businesses now conduct most aspects of their recruitment in a remote/virtual/online fashion – a trend that applies to a wide range of industries – restaurants, retail, healthcare, universities/colleges, etc.
Therefore, in-person interviews have significantly been on the decline since the beginning of 2020 – increasingly being overtaken and/or replaced by such video conferencing platforms as Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, RingCentral Video, Webex, Skype, etc. – all of which have had a huge increase in their user base.
Consequently, research shows that some 86% of organisations now conduct interviews with potential employees over video conferencing. This trend is reinforced by the fact that some 66% of candidates even prefer a video interview to an in-person meeting – making it an easy way to improve the candidate’s experience.
In general, the VC platform commands the following superiority over in-person interviews: cuts down on transport time and costs for candidates; shortens the recruitment time and process; facilitates a more flexible and hassle-free interview schedule; makes candidates feel a lot more comfortable; and allows organizations to stay up-to-date on all the latest technology trends.
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots
Research shows that with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, some 95% more job seekers become leads with a chatbot, making it a great new tool for an organization’s recruitment efforts.
The AI chatbot recruitment platform revolves around the following scenario: A candidate is interested in responding to an organisation’s job advertisement.
Furthermore, to the candidate, the job title sounds great, the candidate’s values align directly with the organisation’s, and overall, the role seems fitting for the next step in the candidate’s career. However, the candidate has several questions and is unsure exactly where to start looking for answers. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots!
95% increase in leads reported with the usage of AI chatbots on career sites
Experience shows that having an AI facility; in particular, integrating an AI recruitment chatbot into an organisation’s website or careers page has proven a worthwhile investment, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, for many organisations and especially for HR managers.
Therefore, AI integrations can also help take the hassle out of everyday recruiting components. Not only can chatbots link candidates to an organisation’s FAQ page or blog with the desired information, but also provide application updates, assist in other HR functions, and even conduct social media searches – ultimately inviting suitably qualified candidates to respond to job advertisements. As a bonus, AI chatbots operate round the clock (24/7), without human intervention.
3. Applicant Tracking Software Systems (ATS)
An Applicant Tracking Software/System (ATS) provides applicants (potential employees) with a fast, easy, and convenient application process, while at the same time guaranteeing that an organisation can recruit high caliber employees, given that the key challenges facing HR professionals are to attract, recruit and retain the right employees. Hence, the use of an ATS, such as “CareerPlug”.
In essence, an ATS streamlines the recruitment process, making it possible for organisations to attract, recruit, and onboard employees of the highest caliber.
Advantages of Applicant Tracking Software/System (ATS)
- Enables candidates to easily respond to job advertisement
- Seamlessly organize and manage a pool of candidates
- Upload and promote an organisation’s job postings to major job boards and other sites
- Create an attractive careers page
- Communicate with candidates faster with text recruiting
- Screen and evaluate candidates through personalised assessments
- Make faster recruitment decisions
- Complete new employee hire forms digitally
- Create a great overall candidate experience
Experience shows that in general, the average cost of making a bad hire is 30% of the employee’s first-year earnings – costs that can be avoided with the use of an ATS. Hence, an ATS should be in any HR professional’s recruitment toolbox in the post-pandemic era.
4. Social Media (SM)
In the COVID-19 pandemic era, social media has proved to be a powerful recruitment tool, given that 70% of HR professionals are now making successful recruitment through the use of social media. Thus, investment in SM is an excellent strategy for an organisation to recruit talented employees. Such social media platforms include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
In general, to utilise an SM platform, an organisation first needs to develop a well-designed page populated with personalised graphics and photos, including a careers section – for the convenience of job seekers (potential employees).
Thereafter, the content is shared through a blog post, a news article, product page, or simply an update about a successful operation/performance, including a narrative that shows what the organisation is all about together with a demonstration of the organisation’s accomplishments.
It is further recommended that organisations post profiles of an individual with their names, job titles, and bios to communicate with candidates on social media platforms.
A corporate account is great, but having professional individual accounts adds authenticity and a personal touch when recruiting on social media. Interestingly, some 50% of all working professionals follow companies on social media to keep up to date with their job openings (including current employees), in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Other COVID-19 Era Recruitment Tools
In addition to the recruitment tools highlighted herein, other COVID-19 era recruitment tools of interest are Reference Checking Software (RCS), Candidate Experience Surveys (CES), Job Boards (JB), Google workplace, etc.
Reference checking software (RCS) helps the hiring managers or recruiters to become more efficient and get more detailed information about prospective employees.
Job boards offer employers access to a wide pool of talent, enabling them to identify new opportunities in the post-pandemic job market. HR professionals can leverage job boards to connect with potential candidates and adapt their recruitment strategies to the evolving needs of the workforce.
How Can HR Professionals Adapt to the Future of Recruitment Post-Pandemic?
HR professionals can adapt to the future of recruitment by enhancing candidate experience through technology, attracting and retaining top talent, and implementing flexible work arrangements for the workforce.
Recruitment tools are instrumental in streamlining the hiring process, integrating chatbots for efficient communication, utilising job boards to identify new opportunities, and promoting work-life balance to attract and retain talent in the post-COVID world.
