Skip page header and navigation

Technology a Big Disrupter in Staffing Fields, but Humans Still Must Call Final Shots

Staffing Stream

Technology a Big Disrupter in Staffing Fields, but Humans Still Must Call Final Shots

Jason Leverant
| November 9, 2017
Business Team

Main Article

Technology advances offer both opportunities and challenges

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have played an increasingly important role in the explosive growth of staffing agencies in the years since the Great Recession.

Recruiters can leverage AI to their distinct advantage, winnowing candidates from thousands of social media pages and job platforms. Such technologies, however, are still a long way from replacing personalized human interaction when it comes time to hire a job candidate.

Job sites such as CareerBuilder and Monster have played a role in the disruption of the staffing agency candidate search, but no online employment board has changed things as much as LinkedIn. Nearly half the labor market in the US has a presence on LinkedIn. When coupled with Facebook, recruiters can cull resumes from a large proportion of potential candidates in a job market. These “passive” job candidates are increasingly valuable as the job market tightens. Having access to online activity and the more personal traits and backgrounds of candidates can also help prospective employers customize job descriptions and up their recruiting game.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Artificial Intelligence in Talent Acquisition

Artificial intelligence can also help recruiters identify employees that might be more receptive to relocation, and offer clues as to how long they typically hold a job. This is valuable in the current job market, where many candidates might be hesitant to trade a full-time job with benefits for a slightly more nebulous temp-to-hire position. The typical social media page also offers insight into whether an employee might be a good cultural fit for a company.

Once you have gotten a candidate’s attention, technology can speed the getting-to-know-you phase of hiring. Chatbots can determine whether an employee should move on to another interview round – with a real person. Advances in video conferencing also help separate qualified candidates from others who don’t make the cut, negating the need for travel in the initial hiring phase.

Once a candidate is deemed a viable fit via these technology-based culling steps, then comes time for the personal touch. Clues to competency that can only be gauged in person include body language and personability. How, for instance, can a chatbot determine whether a candidate has a sense of humor, can think on their feet and would be a good cultural fit for your company? Those are things that can only be determined by a human recruiter in a face-to-face interview.

So recruiters can rest easy for now, despite all the technological advances that have helped improve their prowess in the staffing world. We’re still humans hiring humans.

MORE: Not in the Job Description: Why Modern Hiring Practices Require a Human Touch