Recruitment technology stacks and their evolution have been well-documented, and most organisations now have a pretty standard ecosystem consisting of an HRIS and ATS system at the core, with peripheral point solutions for assessments, video interviewing, scheduling and onboarding. This combination of tools has evolved in areas of integration simplicity, data analytics and AI. However, they are technologies that seek to improve the age-old process of matching resumes to a job description.
In my view, CV and job matching aren’t reliable measures of potential. They can only determine if someone is a match based on job titles, location and previous work history. We are not able to measure if an individual is going to be successful. A person’s resume is taken at face value by the technology and a well-constructed resume can often ‘game’ the system and rank higher than others. This is by no means a way to determine if that person is going to be successful once hired.
Moving forward, we need to combine the traditional approach (CV and job match) with a bold new plan for looking beyond the CV and mapping behaviours and traits that lead to future performers. This skills-based hiring approach will undoubtedly lead to better-performing hires.
Hiring for Potential
Solving the skills shortage is not going to be achieved by doubling down on existing processes. Today’s business needs and the pace of modern work require using technology and recruitment tools to cast the net into different talent pools and look at a more inclusive group of candidates. These may include candidates that possess uniquely human traits such as problem-solving, sales, perseverance, leadership and relationship skills but have not been afforded the opportunities to gather the job-related skills. This could be due to socioeconomic backgrounds, time out of the workforce while raising children or even people displaced and starting life in a new country.
These are people who are seldom given opportunities because their CV doesn’t include a university qualification or work experience with names of well-known, established companies. With that said, it is often difficult to understand their unique potential and how it can translate into career opportunities and developing roadmaps for this potential to bring them in and provide a career path. The impact on your company, as well as these workers, could be immeasurable.
By analysing the various skills of the candidates instead of checking off particular requirements, non-biased assessment technology helps you find these workers so you can invest in future talent while benefiting from lower cost per hire, improved diversity and employee loyalty.
A Robust Workforce Technology Ecosystem Can Drive Inclusion
Companies can no longer afford to have a one-dimensional view with processes designed to filter out everyone until we have the last person standing. Our traditional sourcing approaches are still relevant, and there will always be a need to home in on specific skills and capabilities.
But now, more so than ever, companies need to combine this with tools that exclude a CV from the equation. A recruitment technology stack needs to be adaptable to match talent on metrics that are not housed exclusively in the CV. In fact, we need the ability to completely exclude the CV to truly open doors to marginalised talent.
Your workforce technology ecosystem will need to incorporate the use of behavioural assessments and other psychometric tools to assess potential in candidates and open up career opportunities to those whose demographic or life journeys have precluded them from the opportunity to build an attractive CV. Intelligent Workforce Platforms that are able to find those gems who are stuck in jobs that don’t let them fulfil their potential will have an incredible advantage to companies looking for great talent and people in whom they can build corporate loyalty. Companies will be able to identify the pathways into the organisation where these new hires can enter and then build out a career development program through learning and development, mentoring and apprenticeships.
Moving to skills-based hiring is not a project; it is as much a cultural shift as it is a technological one.
But by deploying assessment tools that look beyond the traditional CV and rank candidates fairly using a combination of demonstrable skills and experience along with performance forecasts, you are positioning your company for finding workers for decades to come.
Ian Blake
Executive Director of Global Technology Strategy, Allegis Global Solutions
Ian Blake has been working in recruitment technology for nearly two decades. His teams have completed over 150 recruitment technology implementations across five continents as well as led the development of proprietary ATS, VMS, CRM and talent intelligence tools. As the leader of global technology strategy for Allegis Global Solutions, Blake is responsible for creating and executing an innovative and strategic technology vision and roadmap, including AGS’ Acumen® Intelligent Workforce Platform. Having lived and worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Singapore, Ian has a truly global perspective with regards to how talent technology supports diverse and demanding requirements.
