A Case for Automation

Most machines start with the parts before the whole ever comes together. The builder has to scrutinize how each part will fit together and make sure each piece will fit perfectly so it’s able to flawlessly perform its function. In the world of recruiting the end goal is to add highly scrutinized parts (new hires) to an organization and fill in any talent gaps that are inhibiting the machine from running at its maximum potential. Hiring great talent begins with finding great talent. There are many strategies out there but the most common is to post a job and wait for the resumes to come in. If a recruiter isn’t relying on inbound leads the next step is to begin scouring networks for passive talent before the screening process can begin.

There are a multitude of job boards and professional social media and portfolio sites where that needle-in-a-haystack candidate could be hiding. Many recruiting teams will admit that the time spent searching for candidates and sifting through resumes is the biggest contributor to slowing down the hiring process.

Why Are Recruiters Burned Out?

Many recruiting teams rely on inbound traffic, which means posting jobs and sifting through a mountain of resumes. Recruiters who are tasked with a tedious outbound discovery process spend their time in an endless google search and sending mass amounts of InMail instead of connecting with talent.

 Recruiters can spend up to 60% of their day finding talent and less than 20% doing what they love, which is interacting with candidates.

Estimation based on Fetcher data

Time is Money

Sourcing manually not only siphons valuable time each day, but it can also be extremely costly. When a position remains open for more than the standard 23–36 days, companies miss out on the valuable contribution that role provides. Not only are requisitions open longer when sourcing is done manually, but hiring teams also run the risk of regretting a hiring decision that was made under duress. Not hiring the “right” person for the job affects retention rates and will likely bring the recruiter right back to the beginning of this vicious cycle and that much closer to burnout. In the world of manual sourcing, everyone in the organization loses and the negative impact on incredibly valuable recruiters is monumental.

 It’s Time to Automate — Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Automating the most tedious tasks, sourcing and outreach, has the potential to reduce turnover rates by 59%. In addition to building a committed workforce, what if automating top of funnel efforts could make a recruiter’s day look like this?

Estimation based on Fetcher data

By automating candidate research and outreach recruiters are able to streamline their process and swap sourcing candidates with talking to candidates.

 Tech Should Work For You

Technology should be the fuel additive that makes the hiring machine run better and faster. Companies are constantly competing for talent and small but mighty teams are often competing with the FAANG giants. These large companies typically have an army of recruiters at their disposal and the capital to pay exorbitant agency fees. When a smaller company can’t compete with salary and perks they are able to automate candidate sourcing and outreach to gain an edge. This also enables recruiters to give candidates a much more personalized experience they are sure to remember.

Many candidates are looking for jobs they can be excited about while working with people who inspire them. Personal and meaningful interactions with a recruiter can make all the difference in the world, but, there is no way recruiters can focus on the candidate experience if their bandwidth is spent before they ever speak to a candidate. Every touchpoint suffers as a result.

Automated candidate sourcing reduces bias and builds more diverse teams

We’ve all heard about unconscious bias but most teams and technology have a long way to go before bias in the hiring process is eradicated. Recruiting teams can begin by vetting the tools they use and stay away from the fully automated tools that claim the tech alone can solve a lack of diversity in the workplace. Even a diverse pipeline is subject to bias once the resume reaches the recruiting team but there are steps we can take to combat bias from the starting block. Using a tool to automate candidate sourcing combined with a trained human in the loop to make up for what tech and AI lack is the best way to pinpoint non-obvious candidates.

Pipeline Automation is Just the Beginning

Spammy and impersonal InMail and email outreach will turn potential new hires off

The need to fill open roles quickly often results in templates that feel spammy and are likely to end up in the trash. While it feels good to be noticed by a recruiter, candidates can tell a lot about an organization by how recruiters reach out to them. As a sidecar to automating candidate search and discovery, an automated outreach strategy can also help recruiters reclaim hours in their day.

 How much time you can save? A lot!

Estimation based on Fetcher data

Recruiters who spend less time sourcing are happier. Happier recruiters create more impactful interactions with the amazing candidates in their pipeline. A great candidate experience secures great talent which results in teams that are more productive and committed to the companies they work for. In the end, productive and loyal team members ensure company goals are met which contributes to a healthy bottom line. Everyone wins when inefficiencies are removed and each stage of the hiring process is supported to optimally perform.

Hiring great talent is critical to the success of any organization. If antiquated processes that are proven to do more harm than good aren’t removed, recruiters will continue to be frustrated and the efficiency of hiring manager’s teams will suffer. Automating candidate search and outreach should not be viewed as disruptive deviations from the familiar but seen as additive tools that improve inefficiencies. It’s time to supercharge the recruiting process. It’s time to automate.

 


Authors

Director of Experiential Marketing and Content Strategy at Fetcher - As the director of experiential marketing and content strategy, I work to drive brand awareness and revenue through several channels. I lead the charge on all social media marketing, digital media production, internal/partner events, and thought leadership content in the HR/recruiting space. I also work as a content contributor for external digital publications to bring awareness to the needs and strategies around diversity and inclusion in the workplace.