Recruiting and HR Tech

Part 4 of the blog series illustrated how to build an individual candidate experience based on a concrete candidate journey example. What is needed for an efficient implementation? HR Tech!

HR Tech for Recruiting can be structured along three categories

Automation technologies

Automation technologies in the HR context mainly cover robotic process automation (RPA) technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and chatbots.

• RPA automizes manual routine processes based on programmed rules and is used for CV-pre-screening, monitoring of the applicants’ satisfaction, and automated communication via e-mail.
• AI, as an imitation of human thinking and acting, can be applied to various HR use cases. Examples are the automized creation of job advertisements, the arrangement of appointments with applicants, or the execution of video interviews with speech and facial expression analysis.
• Chatbots are text-based dialogue systems for the simulation of interpersonal communication. They help, fo example, with the automatic, intuitive, and quick response to applicant questions.

Platform-based technologies

Platform-based technologies in the HR context describe infrastructures such as cloud technologies and social media.

• Cloud technologies make it possible to store online data volumes that can be accessed virtually from another device and are used, for example, to make it easier for applicants to upload documents.
• Social media is an important first point of contact between companies and potential applicants today. Candidates increasingly use the internet and social media to search for information about potential employers, while HR professionals use career networks for active sourcing to find future talent. It also helps companies to better analyze their own position and perception as an attractive employer in the market and to derive concrete measures for talent strategy and employer branding.

Video-based technologies

At the moment, video-based technologies in the HR context mainly cover solutions using virtual reality (VR). VR-glasses are used are used, for example at career fairs, to provide interested talent with a virtual office tour while sharing an impression of the working environment, which can significantly influence and increase the number of job applications from companies. In addition, VR scenarios can help to test applicants in virtually simulated situations. Apart from that, information videos on career sites offer a lot of potential to set a company apart from its competitors.

HR Tech can be used along the whole candidate journey

Imagine you have a job opening in your organization. Via active sourcing in social media, you arouse potential candidates’ interest and give them the direct opportunity to take part in a virtual tour of the company. They can thus get to know the different business areas through gamification elements in a fun way. Since the company has already optimized the job advertisement by means of AI, the offered position is perfectly tailored to their interests and skills. Hence, potential candidates are more eager to start the application process right away.

With their mobile devices, they can easily create and submit a video about their motivation. That not only makes it faster, but applicants also find it much more pleasant than a traditional motivation letter. After the first successful test, you as an HR professional can directly make an appointment with the candidate using the tool.

For the first conversation, your organization provides the opportunity to talk to a chatbot, but the candidates can also prove their skills by taking gamified tests (e.g., with HireVue). Besides the fun, the candidates can be sure to be evaluated objectively throughout this process.

Your organization uses service providers such as Traitify to analyze the candidates’ fit with the company and job role in terms of skills and personality. Once they have overcome this hurdle, the applicants can be sure that they have found the perfect job – role and working environment are ideally matched to their qualifications and interests. For your organization that means that you have found a motivated, perfectly fitting and engaged new employee for building and sustaining a successful future.

Both applicants and companies benefit from HR Tech

Thanks to HR Tech, applicants experience a more efficient and intuitive way of applying and have the opportunity to look inside the company before starting to work.

• Increased efficiency in the application processes: Video interviews and online scheduling reduce the effort and speed up the whole process. It allows applicants to submit more applications in less time, thus increasing their chances in the competitive job market.
• More intuitive way of applying: The use of recruiting apps, such as Indeed Employer, or so-called one-click procedures speed up the application process, as interested applicants only have to click on the “apply” button and the applicant’s profile is created automatically by comparing it with an existing social media profile.
• Get to know the company and the working environment virtually: The use of VR enables applicants to gain insights into the potential future working environment. In a virtual tour, they can get a first impression of the company and a typical working day in the potential job which positively impacts their own company-fit evaluation.

Companies benefit from the use of HR Tech by gaining capacities for HR core topics, being able to reduce costs and processing times, and finally being able to strengthen their position in the competitive talent market.

• Gaining capacities for HR core topics: Automation processes eliminate repetitive and administrative processes and thus relieve HR professionals. This allows them to focus more on strategic and application-centered topics, which are essential for building up and expanding the pool of employees.
• Reduced cost and shorter processing times: As an example, using the Intelligent Character Recognition Tool (ICR) developed by Capgemini and based on AI, can reduce processing times by up to 15–40 minutes per application. In addition, companies have been proven to save up to 50% more costs, which is a significant economic incentive.
• Positioning the company in the market: Innovative solutions in the recruiting process catch applicants’ interest. If a company already shows its future orientation in the recruiting process by using new and interesting technologies, this can have a lasting positive effect on employee impression and employer branding.

HR Tech supports applicant-oriented recruiting

As shown in the post on applicant needs in recruiting, applicants today want the application process to be as simple and fast as possible. As described, HR Tech offers many advantages and potentials to change applicant management and to align it with different target groups. Thus, the challenge of making the candidate journey faster, more innovative, and above all more applicant-oriented succeeds. However, it is important to mention that most applications are still in their infancy and only a few companies have dared to take the step of using HR Tech.

In view of the advantages described, you should ask yourself not “if,” but “when”: Only those companies that implement and professionally use promising solutions right from the first applicant contact will be able to attract tomorrow’s talent to the company and thus, have a decisive advantage in the competition for the employees of the future.

Do you also want to take the first step and become one of the pioneers of HR Tech? Get in touch with our experts to co-design your candidate experience enabled by HR Tech solutions and strengthen your position in the battle of the talents!

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Co-author

Sebastian Dorfmeister

Senior Consultant

Capgemini Invent

Isabell Schastok

Expert in Agile Transformation, Change Management, Future of Work, People

I joined Capgemini Invent in September 2015 after finishing my business administration studies at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and gaining first work experience in the fast-moving consumer goods and automotive sector. As part of the Capgemini Invent People & Organization team, I am focusing on the employee perspective in change and digital transformation projects.
I help clients with the changing requirements for leading in the digital age, managing talent and employee development – heavily impacted by automation and AI. As Scrum Master and SAFe expert I am also specialized in the implementation and scaling of agile transformations. Thereby, I am focusing on the required change in culture and leadership, as well as empowering employees for new ways of working.
I am passionate about shaping the NEXT and concentrate my thoughts on how digitalization and automation will influence “the future of work”. As a co-author of TechnoVision 2020 and contributor to the “Fluid Workforce Study” by the Capgemini Research Institute, I examined the topic of “Fluid Workforce” and analysed the success factors for strategic upskilling in the “Upskilling your People for the Age of the Machine” study.