“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”
The same holds true for talent — great talent can come from unexpected places, provided you are using the right tools to look for them.
Data-driven Recruitment is one such approach. With this new approach, it’s data that’s sits firmly in the driver’s seat of recruitment now. It means organisations can finally say Goodbye to gutfeel and intuition.
But what does data-driven recruitment mean? How does it affect the recruitment process?
Data-driven Recruitment: The Basics
We’ve written about the data-driven approach in more detail here. But to put it simply, it’s about using various data points of a candidate — everything from their skills to their tweets — to set up a perfect match.
Think of data-driven recruiting as a dating app or service for your organisation’s job openings. All you’ve got to do is swipe right on the right candidates.
A data-driven approach takes the guesswork out of recruitment, delivering a more accurate and efficient process.
Where Does Data-Driven Recruitment Come into Play?
1. During Sourcing
In the sourcing phase, a data-driven approach helps filter the noise, directing recruiters to candidates who genuinely match the required profile.
With a data-driven approach, it’s not about the size of your database. It’s how relevant the results are.
2. During Selection (Resume Screening, Skill Assessment, and Interviews)
A data-driven approach can maximise the effectiveness of your recruitment process. By automating the resume screening process, conducting skill assessments at scale and even formulating insightful interview questions, you can make the best of your candidate profiles.
Adopting a data-driven recruitment process can leave you feeling like the candidates are customer-made for your organisation.
3. During Onboarding
Implementing AI-enabled platforms can vastly improve candidate experience. A more streamlined onboarding process, automation of administrative tasks and personalised learning recommendations are just changes.
With an AI-driven onboarding process, you are saying NO to ‘Death by PowerPoint.’
The Best Instances of Data-driven Recruiting
Online Job Boards and ATS
Automated Tracking Systems (ATS) assist recruiters in sorting through thousands of CVs. With an ATS, recruiters can filter CVs based on various metrics like keywords, experience, and education.
Here are some examples of ATS being used:
IBM
IBM was automating recruitment before it was cool. The New York-based tech giant was an early pioneer in the field, and their ATS system, Kenexa, has been around for years.
This process helped them attract some of the best tech talent in their day, a trend that has continued to date.
Deloitte
Deloitte has been in the consulting field for decades and adopted ATS technology early on. Over the years, they have evolved their system to include robust analytics and reporting features, making it both pioneering and cutting-edge.
Amazon
Given Amazon’s vast scale of operations, the firm relies on sophisticated ATS software to sift through tens of thousands of applications they receive for various roles globally.
This data-driven approach has ensured that the Seattle-based organisation finds the most qualified candidates for their job openings.
Known for its cutting-edge technology, Google uses an ATS that not only screens CVs but also integrates with other HR technologies to provide a seamless recruitment experience. Clubbed together with its vast talent pool, it offers a seamless recruiting experience.
Gamification
Recruiting talent through games. Some of the biggest companies have used games to recruit talent. In 2011, Marriot International introduced the “My Marriott Hotel” game on Facebook to attract talent to hospitality careers.
Outside of its original intention, the game also grew wildly popular on its own.
In 2011, Siemens launched Plantville, a game that simulates running a plant, targeting engineering talents. Plantville, too, grew popular over the long term.
Google Code Jam
Google has been running an annual coding competition since 2003 to identify the best computer programming talent in the world. Code Jam has evolved into an intense competition in its own right and has also helped Google identify the best coding talent in the country.
Passive Candidate Recruitment
Maintaining a talent pool is an investment in your future. You can track the metrics for candidates who may not be actively seeking a job but fit future roles well.
Examples of organisations that have built a talent pool:
Microsoft
Microsoft is notable for its investment in talent development, with programs like Microsoft Learn and various campus outreach programmes.
Infosys
Known for its strong campus recruitment and training initiatives, which it uses to recruit candidates.
PwC Academy
Outside of tech, PwC also maintains a large talent pool in finance and consultancy through annual large-scale recruitments and developmental programs. The PwC Academy programmes are a magnet for young, ambitious candidates who want to make a career in consulting and finance.
Employee Referral Programmes
Employee referrals are a gold mine of talent, and using data just makes the process richer. You can use data and your employees’ professional network to onboard new hires.
Here are some organisations that have significantly improved hiring efficiency and quality by leveraging data in their employee referral program.
InMobi
Increased hires from referrals from 20% to 50% through a data-driven approach.
Airbnb
AirBnB has a unique approach to employee referrals. Both the employee who refers a successful candidate and the new hire receive travel credits as a reward, encouraging employees to refer people in their networks.
That’s it — your guide to the brave new world of data-driven recruitment.
Data-driven recruitment is more than just a buzzword. With advancements in analytics and machine learning, this trend is poised to reshape the future of recruitment, making it more efficient, unbiased, and strategic.
Are you ready to take the plunge?
