Navigating the Hiring Landscape with Data and a Human Touch

If you thought big data and AI would eliminate the need for very real human intervention in the world of recruiting and hiring – think again. Because, while there’s no question that AI-powered data is having a transformative effect on the recruiting and talent acquisition industry, it’s critical to strike the right balance between leveraging data and maintaining a human-centric approach in the process.

Why is the human element so important if AI and big data are so powerful? It’s simple really. The ability to analyze massive amounts of data isn’t powerful in and of itself. It’s the human element behind the data – setting the parameters, interpreting it, and deciding how to turn that data into actionable results that drive value. Yet, there’s no denying that data-driven hiring can substantially lighten the workload for recruiters and HR teams.

Fortunately, there are ways to incorporate data-driven hiring into your strategy without sacrificing human oversight. But first, let’s explore what data-driven hiring actually means.

Data-Driven Hiring Defined

Traditionally, recruiters and hiring managers have relied on their experience and intuition to identify top talent for their organizations. However, as technology continues to advance, recruiters are increasingly adopting data-driven hiring strategies to drive recruiting efficiency and improve hiring processes.

Data-driven hiring is a process that uses data (typically powered by AI technology) to identify and attract top candidates. It involves analyzing and interpreting various data points to optimize the recruitment process and improve the quality of hires. The data can come from various sources such as candidate resumes, online profiles, pre-employment tests, interviews, social media and more.

One such example of data-driven hiring powered by AI technology can be found in the Arya by Leoforce sourcing platform. Arya analyzes 7 multidimensional data points and more than 300 attributes to assess candidate relevancy, and simultaneously sources, scores and tanks talent for compatibility the role.

Data-driven hiring is more than just collecting data; it’s about human recruiters and HR teams leveraging the insights gained to build a more effective and efficient recruitment process.

The Benefits of Data-Driven Hiring

It’s easy to see why data-driven hiring has gained such a foothold in recruiting and talent acquisition. The benefits are tangible.

• Better hiring decisions: Using data to guide your hiring decisions enables you to discover and engage candidates who are more likely to excel in the role.
• Faster hiring: By streamlining your hiring process with data-driven tools, you can reduce the time it takes to find and hire top talent.
• Increased efficiency: Automated recruitment tools can help reduce repetitive tasks, freeing up recruiters’ time to focus on other strategic hiring activities.
• More diverse hiring: Data can help identify patterns of bias in your recruitment process and ensure that you are attracting a diverse pool of candidates. The Arya platform takes it a step further with built-in diversity indicators that deliver diverse candidates but eliminate bias.
• Improved candidate experience: Data-driven AI tools can help personalize the candidate experience and make the recruitment process smoother.
• Reduced turnover: Data that matches the right people with the right skills to the right role reduces the risk of employee turnover, which can save your organization time and money.

Benefits notwithstanding, with any new technology, there are always going to be challenges and barriers to adoption. The key to overcoming those challenges is proactively identifying them and having a strategy in place from the beginning.

Barriers to Adoption

• Complacency/overreliance on data: While data-driven hiring is a powerful tool, organizations must remain diligent about human oversight. After all, any AI tool is only as reliable as the data it was trained on. Recruiters who only rely on the data provided by AI may find themselves overlooking candidates with unique traits and desirable qualities not evident in the data. This is where an AI tool such as Arya yields superior results. Using the largest dataset in the industry and a machine learning corrective feedback loop, The AI in Arya has been continually trained and improved over more than a decade resulting in powerful pattern deduction capability and unparalleled search accuracy across multiple channels.
• Data quality: AI that hasn’t had enough time or data to imbue the quality that is necessary for an HR tech tool may not deliver the best results. Not only is it critical to understand how the AI was build and how it processes data, it’s also important to ensure your data is continually refreshed and updated to maintain quality.
• Bias in Algorithms: Even the most advanced AI algorithms are susceptible to human bias, especially if the data used to train them is biased. This can result in discriminatory hiring practices that are not only unfair but also illegal. Auditing your hiring tool periodically to ensure the AI remains unbiased should be an integral part of your process.
• Integration hurdles: Integrating new tech into your existing workflows can be disruptive if the process is not seamless. Integrating the Arya platform requires zero involvement from your IT team, making it a much smoother transition.

How to Leverage Data into Your Talent Acquisition Strategy

Define Your Goals

Before diving into the world of data-driven hiring, it’s important to establish clear goals for your talent acquisition strategy. Determine what metrics matter to your organization and what information you need to gather to make data-driven decisions. Ask yourself some questions:

• Where are the weaknesses in your current hiring strategy?
• Do you need access to a larger talent pool?
• Is your candidate screening process seamless?
• Does your existing ATS cover all the bases?
• Is candidate engagement an issue?
• Is hiring for niche roles challenging?

Once you’ve identified the areas you need to improve in, you can search for the tech tools that close the gaps in your hiring strategy.

Power Your Strategy With the Right Technology

Data-driven hiring starts with arming yourself with the right tools. And there are certainly plenty of tech tools to choose from. But ideally, a tool that provides solutions to all your hiring challenges in a single platform is going to deliver the most bang for your buck.

This is where the Arya platform can be a game changer. With the largest talent database in the industry of 850M+ local and global candidates sourced from 70+ channels across 150+ industries, Arya allows you to simultaneously source, score and rank talent for 90% of jobs in less than 5 minutes, reducing review and shortlisting time by 50%.

There is also candidate communication and engagement to contend with if you’re a recruiter. Approximately 80% of job seekers in one study claim to have landed a job through text messaging. Technology that automates routine tasks and facilitates communication with candidates can boost efficiency, while simultaneously helping you maintain a rapport with candidates. A tool like Arya that offers multiple ways to communicate with talent (talk, text, email and chatbot) can streamline communication and improve the overall candidate experience.

Monitor and Adjust

Data-driven hiring is an ongoing process. It’s important to continually monitor your results and adjust your strategies as needed. Using the insights gained from Arya’s talent intelligence and predictive analytics, you’ll be able to refine your search parameters and connect the right candidates to the right jobs. Plus – Arya’s Talent Landscape feature also provides invaluable information around key data points such as location potential, skill set distribution, salary projection, company mapping, education, and more.

Incorporating AI-powered data into your talent acquisition strategy is incredibly useful for streamlining recruiting processes, identifying top talent, and increasing your chances of finding a perfect match for a position. But it’s important to remember that nothing replaces the human touch in hiring. Ultimately, it’s the people behind the data who will drive your organization’s success. So, how can you keep your hiring more human-centric?

Keeping the Human Touch

Hiring and recruiting is ultimately about people, and the human touch is essential to creating a positive candidate experience.

Candidates are more than a collection of data points, and it’s important to remember that behind each resume or application is a human being with a unique story, strengths, and goals for the future. Losing sight of that can lead to a dehumanizing experience for candidates and damage your employer brand in the long run. Here are some tips for keeping the human touch in your hiring process.

Communicate effectively: Nothing damages the candidate experience more than a lack of communication. Be respectful of candidates’ time and be sure to respond to all candidate inquiries and provide regular updates on their application status. Be transparent about the hiring process, including timelines, interview rounds, and next steps.

Offer a personal touch: Even in the age of digital communication, there are still ways to personalize the candidate experience. Take the time to send personalized emails or video messages thanking candidates for their interest and offer some insights into the company culture.

Create a positive candidate experience: Prioritize candidate engagement and consider the candidate experience from their first interaction with your brand, through their last communication with you. Think about what you can do to make the experience more enjoyable, whether that’s simplifying the application process or providing prompt feedback.

Show empathy: Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes and empathize with their situation. Keep in mind that job hunting can be stressful and that every candidate deserves respect and compassion.

Remember that the ultimate goal is to build a successful relationship with your candidates that leads to a long-lasting, positive impact on your business.

The Future of Data-Driven Hiring

As technology continues to advance, it’s safe to say that data-driven hiring will only become more prevalent in the recruiting world. After all, AI really is everywhere and in the coming years, will continue to play a larger and larger role in recruiting.

However, while the power of AI and data is undeniable, it’s equally important not forget the human aspect of recruiting. Hiring decisions are still made by people, and data can only provide insights to a certain extent. The most successful companies will be those that can balance the data-driven approach with the personal touch that candidates crave.

Final Thoughts

Combining advanced AI that provides a deeper, multidimensional understanding of people, jobs, and what makes them compatible with the insights and expertise of an actual human recruiter or hiring manager, is a best of both worlds scenario that can take your recruiting to the next level. See Arya in action by booking your demo today.

FAQs

What is data-driven hiring and how does it work?

Data-driven hiring involves using data to guide hiring decisions. This involves using analytics and other tools to gather insights about job candidates, and then making informed decisions based on that data.

How does data-driven hiring impact the candidate experience?

Data-driven hiring can actually improve the candidate experience, by allowing employers to use data to identify and remove potential biases in the hiring process. By focusing on objective data and metrics, candidates are more likely to feel that their skills and experience are being accurately evaluated.

How can employers balance data-driven hiring with a human touch?

Employers can balance data-driven hiring with a human touch by incorporating personal interviews and human interaction into the process. While data can help to guide decisions, it’s important to remember that hiring is ultimately about finding the right fit for both the candidate and the employer.

How can employers use data to assess a candidate’s cultural fit?

Employers can use data to assess a candidate’s cultural fit by analyzing patterns in employee engagement, team collaboration, and job performance. This can help identify candidates who share similar values, work styles, and goals as the existing team.

How can employers ensure that data-driven hiring doesn’t reinforce bias?

Employers can ensure that data-driven hiring doesn’t reinforce bias by establishing clear and objective criteria for evaluating candidates. Additionally, using multiple sources of data and seeking out diverse perspectives can help to minimize the risk of bias. Another option is to deploy a sourcing tool such as Arya that has diversity built-in.

How can candidates prepare for data-driven hiring interviews?

Candidates can prepare for data-driven hiring interviews by researching the company’s data and metrics ahead of time and being prepared to discuss their own skills and experience in the context of that data.

How can data-driven hiring benefit diversity and inclusion efforts?

Data-driven hiring can benefit diversity and inclusion efforts by allowing employers to identify and address areas of bias or under-representation. By focusing on objective data and metrics, employers can create more equitable hiring processes and promote a more diverse workforce.

How can employers use data to identify potential training needs?

Employers can use data to identify potential training needs by analyzing patterns in job performance and employee feedback. This can help to identify areas where employees may need additional support or development and help to create more targeted and effective training programs.

How can employers ensure that data-driven hiring decisions align with their overall business goals?

Employers can ensure that data-driven hiring decisions align with their overall business goals by establishing clear goals and metrics for the hiring process, and regularly reviewing and adjusting those goals based on business needs.

How can data-driven hiring support employee retention and development?

Data-driven hiring can support employee retention and development by helping employers identify the skills and attributes that are most valuable to their organization, and then providing targeted development and support to employees who exhibit those qualities. This can help create a more engaged and satisfied workforce, which in turn can lead to better retention rates.

What are some best practices for implementing data-driven hiring?

Some best practices for implementing data-driven hiring include defining clear hiring goals and metrics, gathering relevant data throughout the hiring process, and ensuring that hiring decisions are informed by both data and personal insights.

Reference

• https://www.jobvite.com/recruiting-process/what-you-need-to-know-about-text-recruiting/