Judgement Day – Recruiters to Decline Within 10 Years
Every week another blog post arrives telling us that the role of the recruiter is slowly diminishing through the advancement of technology.
Passionate industry stalwarts will abolish all accusations, whilst those more focused on technology and, more importantly, on their business drivers will understand the need to continually evolve and improve whilst minimising costs. I am the latter, so much so that I bit the bullet and spoke with my CEO about the rapidly changing face of technology in the HR sector and the need for me to broaden my horizon before I end up on the scrap heap.
I followed this up with an email to him containing two blogs, each containing the information he needs to know:
- Kevin Wheeler – “The Rise of Predictive & Tracking Recruitment Technologies” via ATCHub.
- Rob McIntosh – “70% of Recruiters Don’t Care or are Clueless: Long Live AI Recruiting” via LinkedIn Pulse
Some may say this is a detrimental move to my career. Why on earth would I be telling my CEO that the recruitment team won’t be around in five to 10 years’ time, or, at the very least be vastly different? Well, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t.
What are you doing to prevent yourself from ending up in the recruiter scrap heap? Click To TweetHow will technology replace recruiters?
Sit back, grab some popcorn or perhaps an alcoholic beverage to soften the reality of what I’m about to explain to you. This technology exists today, albeit stand alone, and would require extensive integration. When the industry begins to consolidate, we’ll see the rise of the machines.
Case in point
A vacancy arises and a hiring manager hurriedly uses software to enter some minimal information and viola, a job advertisement is created. The technology reviews the details for language masculinity, draws upon business values and competencies, positive and negative language and provides a draft for posting. Off it goes into the wide yonder.
Marketing Technology
Marketing technologies take over. Employers can now target unsuspecting mobile device users if they have their location enabled on their smart devices. For example, if I wanted to target a specific mine site or accommodation village in remote Australia, I could potentially target those using mobile devices through a Location Marketing Platform. Talk about specifying your targeted audience.
As prospects click through the advertisement, inbound marketing technology begins tracking the individual’s consumption of your corporate site content. As they consume more and more content the more engaged they become. Automated emails from the platform can then engage prospects, connecting their social profiles and inviting them to participate in a recorded video interview.
Voice and Physical Recognition Software
The software would be used to measure and assess the responses to the video questions most recruiters ask these days. But if there is no video interview you could potentially have prospects call a phone number where a pre-recorded message provides some instructions similar to how you use phone banking. Again voice software interprets your answers. I know of one organisation doing this for sales roles.
In the background, social analytics are putting together a profile which is then coupled with your video or voice assessment. A short list is delivered to your hiring manager to review and take action.
Sceptical? Well check out IBM’s Watson.
*Note: No recruiter has yet been involved in the process*
The Interview
A well informed and trained hiring manager physically takes the interview (finally). The prospect is filmed and again video recognition technology assesses body language and voice tone to assess some of the more challenging areas of interviewing. It also assesses the interviewer. Post interview it provides the interviewer with some initial feedback to improve at her or his next interview. Gaming could be introduced, as part of the assessment process.
The Final Stages
Psychometric assessments are then sent out and the results assessed against a benchmark data. Reference checking is automated, providing for more opportunity for factual information to be provided by the person completing the reference. These can be more competencies based. Other due diligence such as police checks or medicals can be arranged through a self-service style product or on-boarding technology.
The Offer
Offer templates and on-boarding documentation sit within a platform which is distributed to the relevant stakeholders. Candidates complete these on their mobile devices, the candidate experience becomes more efficient as does the administrative tasks for the distribution of internal documents for new starters.
The consolidation of HR technologies could see the demise of recruiters say @stanrolfe Click To TweetWhere is that recruiter?
On-boarding technology continues to engage new hire and hiring manager through to probation completion.
What might the benefits be?
- Lower headcount and remuneration costs associated with recruitment and administration
- Improved candidate experience as candidates will receive notifications
- Lower costs associated with consumables such as paper, archiving, printing
- Improved quality of hire through the availability of more data on individuals
- Improved retention through better engaged new starters
What are the challenges?
- The perceived lack of personal contact with individuals
- What of those who have no online profile
- Complex integrations with many solution providers
- How can diversity and inclusion be considered in the process
Remember, the technology already exists. Time will make it so. If you are a recruiter what are you doing to reshape your career and increase your value to your organisation?
Image: Shutterstock
About Stan Rolfe
Stan loves all things Talent Acquisition. With over fifteen years experience gained in agency and corporate recruitment teams, Stan loves to share his knowledge and experience through his blogs and regular attendance at ATCEvents. Some of his achievements include; Recipient of inaugural AsiaPacific CandE Awards, implemented virtual reality simulation into a mining recruitment process, and helped established one of Australia’s first proactive sourcing functions. Stan has a specific interest in HR Technology and Candidate Experience.
View more articles by Stan Rolfe
16 Responses to “Judgement Day – Recruiters to Decline Within 10 Years”
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No doubt tech will improve and the work we see recruiters do now will diminish. What technology shows is that the daily tasks of admin, analyst, operator, manager and leader simply shift…not disappear. Headcount will diminish as it has in the past in certain functions, and increase in others. HOWEVER…we need to acknowledge that one of the key differences we face is how tenure is decreasing, temp labor increasing, remote increasing, and people are working longer. During the next 20 years, it will be normal for a large percentage of people in their 70s to be working, also their 80s. Their health will be better, and their ability to work different. I think we are at the beginning of a significant increase in the number of jobs, assignments and turn…and automation will help us keep up at first. The future is a recruiter managing 200 reqs at once, not 20.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comment. About 6 years ago I recall recruiting an consulting engineer who was 84 at the time. People thought I was losing my mind, but this guy was fantastic. Hence why we hired him. Agree with you that people will work longer, not only because of health but for financial reasons. Unfortunately for those roles which are more physical in nature the body will not cope with the pressures and whilst mechanical automation may replace some roles, it wont replace all. I dont think they will be recruiters managing those requisitions, but administrators as the bulk of the recruitment activity will be automated. Its an exciting time for some, concerning times for others. But we agree on one thing, and that is the work environment is changing rapidly and we need to adapt.
No doubt tech will improve and the work we see recruiters do now will diminish. What technology shows is that the daily tasks of admin, analyst, operator, manager and leader simply shift…not disappear. Headcount will diminish as it has in the past in certain functions, and increase in others. HOWEVER…we need to acknowledge that one of the key differences we face is how tenure is decreasing, temp labor increasing, remote increasing, and people are working longer. During the next 20 years, it will be normal for a large percentage of people in their 70s to be working, also their 80s. Their health will be better, and their ability to work different. I think we are at the beginning of a significant increase in the number of jobs, assignments and turn…and automation will help us keep up at first. The future is a recruiter managing 200 reqs at once, not 20.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comment. About 6 years ago I recall recruiting an consulting engineer who was 84 at the time. People thought I was losing my mind, but this guy was fantastic. Hence why we hired him. Agree with you that people will work longer, not only because of health but for financial reasons. Unfortunately for those roles which are more physical in nature the body will not cope with the pressures and whilst mechanical automation may replace some roles, it wont replace all. I dont think they will be recruiters managing those requisitions, but administrators as the bulk of the recruitment activity will be automated. Its an exciting time for some, concerning times for others. But we agree on one thing, and that is the work environment is changing rapidly and we need to adapt.
Stan, HR/Recruitment can choose to be disruptive or be disrupted! You have chosen the disruptive camp, I wonder how many HR/Recruitment profession will choose your approach or the other?
I hope more Martin. But selfishly, I hope not.
Stan, HR/Recruitment can choose to be disruptive or be disrupted! You have chosen the disruptive camp, I wonder how many HR/Recruitment profession will choose your approach or the other?
I hope more Martin. But selfishly, I hope not.
Enjoyed the article Stan , thought provoking. So all of these systems exist, I am wondering why they have not been implemented or have they?? my feeling is we may see a counter revolution to the tech, as people are social beings so a combination of the two as you discuss seems most likely
Thanks Russell. I didn’t want to mention tools, for fear of being ‘paid’ for promotion. I have referenced software in the past however. Yes, these tools do exist, and have been implemented although primarily stand alone. Recruitment Marketing platforms are gaining more and more momentum, On Boarding tools, Automated referencing, Video Interviews. It’s all there. Some have been around for years, others more recent.
Enjoyed the article Stan , thought provoking. So all of these systems exist, I am wondering why they have not been implemented or have they?? my feeling is we may see a counter revolution to the tech, as people are social beings so a combination of the two as you discuss seems most likely
Thanks Russell. I didn’t want to mention tools, for fear of being ‘paid’ for promotion. I have referenced software in the past however. Yes, these tools do exist, and have been implemented although primarily stand alone. Recruitment Marketing platforms are gaining more and more momentum, On Boarding tools, Automated referencing, Video Interviews. It’s all there. Some have been around for years, others more recent.
Interesting…..but is hardly recruitment specific, the same arguments could be said in relation to any function within a business that technology will potentially replace workforce
James, thanks for your comment. It is recruitment specific as outlined in the blog. But yes, the same could potentially be said for other workplace processes.
Interesting…..but is hardly recruitment specific, the same arguments could be said in relation to any function within a business that technology will potentially replace workforce
James, thanks for your comment. It is recruitment specific as outlined in the blog. But yes, the same could potentially be said for other workplace processes.