Solution: Technology

Legal Implications of Video Interviewing & Artificial Intelligence

Posted on by skatz

People have always sought out new employment opportunities by convincing someone that they are the best choice. While the art of persuasion has not changed, technology and customs have shifted rapidly since the days of papyrus, vellum and fax machines; what was once strange and new becomes the norm, while the tried and true seem outdated.

For instance, going door to door with the classifieds in search of work seems as absurd now as recording a video interview on your phone would have been just a few years ago. As technology matures and hiring practices change, it’s important for employers to understand the new solutions being put into place.

This article explores video interviewing and related technologies and some of the legal implications to keep in mind before implementing a new tool as part of your hiring process. Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.

Benefits of Video Interviewing

The most common form of video interviewing, and the subject of this article, is asynchronous or one-way interviewing. The candidate records answers to a series of predetermined questions on a laptop or smart device as part of the initial screening process. The recruiter or hiring manager is then able to review the candidate’s video and see how the questions were answered. There are a number of advantages to this approach to the hiring process.

PeopleScout’s Affinixtm

The video interview and digital assessment capabilities of PeopleScout’s proprietary talent technology, Affinix, provides our clients with a clearer picture and more insight into potential employees. This simplifies the screening process, allowing PeopleScout to share top candidates with hiring managers faster. The video interview process embedded within the Affinix platform is easy to use:  

Your team creates the questions you want candidates to answer.

You can choose a combination of video, multiple choice or essay-style questions as part of an assessment.

Candidates respond to your questions just like they would in a face-to-face interview; the only difference is that the responses are recorded and stored for you to review.

Your team evaluates, reviews and rates responses when convenient.

Because responses are recorded, your team can go over answers as many times as needed, allowing for a more careful analysis of candidate responses than traditional, face-to-face interviews.  

Built on the Amazon cloud (AWS – Amazon Web Services), Affinix is a stable and secure platform. All information is secured in the AWS cloud for you to access at your convenience. Using the digital interview capabilities of Affinix is a great way to replace or supplement telephone or first-round interviews.  

Larger Candidate Pool

The hiring manager is able to review the interviews of a much larger pool of potential candidates. While a traditional interview might only be extended to the top five candidates, video interviewing allows the hiring manager to review every candidate who meets their other screening requirements. Additionally, candidates are not restricted to local markets, as interviews can be recorded from any location.

Consistency

The questions asked in the interview are consistent for all applicants. This allows for clear comparisons in responses. Furthermore, recording a set of pre-determined questions prevents interviewers from getting sidetracked or asking inappropriate or illegal questions during the interview. Finally, other decision-makers in the hiring process don’t need to rely on the impressions of the interviewer because the videos are available for review by multiple people.

Speed

Screening speed can increase with video interviewing because there is more flexibility for hiring managers. All questions are preset, so interviewers don’t need to spend time preparing for multiple individual interviews or coordinating schedules. Because the interviews are recorded, they can also be screened in batches and at convenient times for the reviewer.

Legal Implications to Keep in Mind

The advantages of video interviewing and other emerging technologies help promote a more consistent process that gives a greater number of candidates the opportunity to present themselves for consideration. However, the use of video interviewing technology does not absolve companies from their legal obligations in the hiring process from the risk of discriminatory practices; related technologies may even increase these risks. Companies should check with legal counsel, as well as human resources and information security experts, before adopting new hiring practices or technologies.

Emerging Technologies & Non-Discrimination

Video Interviewing

Video interviews have been around for a while. But, as they grow more common, new technologies emerge to complement them. One such technology is AI-assisted assessments, which use computers to analyse responses, facial gestures, intonations, and other displayed characteristics and screen out applicants that fail to meet the requirements of the specific algorithm. While technology that can prevent the hiring manager from having to even physically watch the interview has a powerful allure, AI-assisted assessments are not yet proven to be effective or non-discriminatory. For instance, a large online retailer encountered the unintended consequences of AI screening out protected classes of employees and determined that such solutions are not yet feasible. Plus, privacy advocates have requested government investigations into the secret algorithms used by a provider of AI-assisted interview technology. And, in the U.S., states are starting to look critically at AI-assisted hiring, with Illinois leading the way with new legislation.

In the U.S., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) allows for video interviewing, but the rules against non-discrimination in hiring and employment do not change. Meanwhile, record-keeping requirements apply equally to video interviews; if a candidate has a disability that prevents them from providing a video interview, the employer must provide an alternative method of applying. And, while it is not illegal to learn of an applicant’s disability, such knowledge cannot be used to discriminate against that applicant.

Technology cannot eliminate human prejudices, and there will always be a risk of discriminatory behavior by bad actors. However, this risk can be mitigated to some degree by good processes, which can include video interviewing for the reasons set forth above.

International Considerations

Internationally, the European Union has one of the most expansive digital privacy laws in the world. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) protects the data of EU citizens, giving them a broad array of rights including the “right to be forgotten.”

The regulation, which became official in May 2018, requires companies that recruit and process job applicant data to reveal all of the information it has on file about an individual when asked by the candidate. Under the GDPR, companies must rectify any inaccuracies and, at the candidate’s request, delete the information within 30 days.

The GDPR applies to all companies recruiting Europeans – regardless of whether the company itself is inside or outside EU borders. Fines for non-compliance to GDPR can amount up to a staggering €20M ($22.2 million U.S. dollars), or 4% of a company’s global revenue, whichever is higher.

What’s more, in Australia, before an Australian Privacy Principal (APP) entity discloses personal information to an overseas recipient, the entity must take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the APPs in relation to the information (APP 8.1).

An APP entity that discloses personal information to an overseas recipient is also accountable for any acts or practices of the overseas recipient in relation to the information that would breach the APPs (s 16C).

New technology will not eliminate the need for employers to have a compliant hiring process or absolve them from decision-making. But, carefully selected solutions like asynchronous video interviews can bring significant advantages for both hiring managers and potential employees. With more candidates able to apply and a more consistent experience for both sides, video interviews can benefit everyone.

Global Implementation: Is Your Talent Programme Ready for the World Stage?

Posted on by skatz

The shift toward global expansion is top of mind in many of today’s organisations, and for good reason: going global brings opportunities that may otherwise go untapped – such as new revenue sources, cultural diversification, economies of scale and greater access to talent. So, as your talent programme grows, you may be considering expanding beyond your current borders.

Similar to traveling internationally, there are many steps to taking your business’ talent acquisition programme global. As you plan for a trip abroad, you may make a packing checklist, get your passport and prepare accommodations. There’s anticipation as you near your trip date, and even some nerves as you take flight. You don’t quite know what to expect, but you’re excited about the possibilities of what you’ll discover. After an invigorating visit, you recount your trip and replay all you’ve experienced – good and bad. Global talent acquisition deployments are similar, and in this article, we’ll outline factors to consider throughout the different stages of implementation.

Choosing Your Global Talent Acquisition Deployment Type

The first item on any traveler’s checklist is determining where to go. When it comes to global implementations, get a good handle on the location or locations you’ll be expanding into before taking off. After considering talent supply, cultural nuances and how easy (or difficult!) it is to do business in a certain location, selecting a deployment type should be straightforward.

There are two main types of global talent acquisition deployments:

  1. “Big Bang” Approach: If you opt for this method, you’ll be launching all operations at one time on a singular date. This might be the choice for you if the main goal is compliance with global policies and procedures that align with a specific set of dates and standards.
  2. Phased Approach: This type of deployment type favors a slower rollout of operations over time – which might be helpful for first-generation managed service provider (MSP), recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) or total workforce solutions programmes that you want your organisation to ease into.

Factors to Consider

After choosing a travel destination, you’ll start looking into the details of the location you’re visiting. What’s the weather like? What language do people speak? Where are the best food spots in town? In essence, seemingly small aspects tend to have large effects on the success of your trip. Likewise, once you’ve taken all of the initial expansion considerations into account, you’re better equipped to further assess pivotal factors that will greatly influence the success of the overall deployment, including the following significant global and local influencers.

Key Stakeholder Identification & Support Capacity

It’s crucial to align organisational expansion plans with regional cultural norms and any specific local nuances. For example, when initially organising the details, are there any types of communication styles that are considered rude or offensive? This is crucial to ascertain for positive programme adoption from the start. Also, be sure to frame that local focus to stakeholders, as opposed to communicating a message that essentially states that a new programme will be laid over local operations. Stress the fact that you’ll be interweaving existing operations with new features and benefits to ensure maximum success for the programme and all involved.

Additionally, focus on ensuring that all voices are heard – from local teams to individual hiring managers – to avoid any passive resistance; you’ll want to fully understand how people work in that particular location and what day-to-day norms mean to ensure the success of the programme. Try putting yourself in the shoes of the end-user; a seemingly simple concept like shadowing can go a long way in showing the local constituency that you’re invested in the success of the programme at their specific location.

Availability of Talent

We’re currently seeing low unemployment rates paired with skills shortages across the globe– a trend we haven’t seen consistently in the past. Because of this, consider shifting your focus to soft skills when it comes to assessing the talent landscape in a given region. This means concentrating on skills like critical thinking, problem solving and adaptability to new environments. No matter whether you’re introducing a new industry to the area, carefully decipher what the competition for talent looks like. From there, you can start developing a well-thought-out sourcing plan to align the resources necessary for a successful deployment.

Change Management and Global Talent Acquisition

global talent acquisition

When done right, change management can have the greatest effect on deployment success. A critical component of managing change in global talent acquisition implementations is gaining buy-in from key, local stakeholders. Then, you can depend on these stakeholders to translate (literally and figuratively), the feedback needed to take into consideration.

Another vital part of managing change is ensuring the right amount of frequency to ensure consistent alignment. Rather than one initial message followed by months of silence leading up to the “go-live” communication, consider a layering approach. Keep communications frequent, consistent and to the point to get people excited about what’s coming and interested in what the changes mean for them.

And, as important as it is to keep communication consistent as you prepare for launch, it’s just as critical post-launch. Reinforce the benefits people should be seeing, ensuring everyone is comfortable with the changes and collecting feedback around any training or functionality that may need revisiting. A high level of communication and comfort translates into successful programme adoption.

For more on change management, check out our Talking Talent Podcast.

Technology Readiness

When it comes to talent technology, several different factors need to be considered. For an MSP programme, the main component is the vendor management system (VMS). Along the same lines, with an RPO program, you’ll be focused on the applicant tracking system (ATS) and any other systems that may need to be integrated for either or both. Similar systems may be utilised across an organisation with varying local versions, so it’s important to understand what consistencies exist, as well as gaps that need to be addressed.

Ensure the pros and cons are carefully weighed across the systems the technology will interface with, then try to choose one as a “source of truth” for compliance, data validation, and data integrity. In doing so, you’ll see consistency across the talent technology, giving you a true, holistic view of the workforce when it comes to analytics and reporting.

Finance & Tax

What’s important here – and heavily dependent upon the workforce population at hand – is ensuring that there are clear visibility and guidance around cross-border implications, such as supplier and provider payments, global and statutory requirements, or arrangements in which a hiring manager sits in a different location than the resource. This becomes especially important when there is an integration with an invoicing system and effects on back-office operations.

The Stages of a Global Talent Acquisition Launch

After months of preparation, you’re finally leaving for your much-anticipated trip. You just have to check in to your flight, print your boarding pass and you’re on your way! After a two-week experience you’ll never forget, you return home to tell your friends and family every detail of your getaway (even down to the hotel mishap on night three). Your global deployment will go through similar stages, as outlined below.

Pre-launch

At the pre-launch stage, all stakeholders should have a good working knowledge of what’s coming and when, and you should have a good sense of how everyone is feeling. Are people comfortable with what’s coming? Are they ready for it? What needs to be adjusted now based on the feedback collected?

Ensure that all technology components are operating as planned, and that enough time has been dedicated to testing different scenarios that will be realised upon launch. The quickest way to do this is by running through predetermined scripts and observing how the technology responds. If time allows, some organisations also subscribe to a “break the system” approach by trying out every possible or one-off scenario – including erroneous field data – to assess the outcome. While this takes more time, it also tends to be the most thorough, especially if multiple technologies are at play.

Successful Launch

global talent acquisition

When it comes to executing a successful launch, the biggest components are represented above. As you progress in the implementation, it’s wise to consistently refine change management, calibrate resource alignment and pivot as needed, so as not to lose momentum as progress is made. Remember to share successes along the way, and not to lose sight of the overall goals of the programme.

Furthermore, whether you’re evolving your programme or expanding into additional locations, consider the overall maturity of the labor market and generation of the programme you’re launching. For instance, if this is a second-generation programme, what do you need to consider from the first launch and potentially change? It’s also important to communicate the fact that unexpected issues may arise and, if they do, it’s critical to address these obstacles transparently.

Post Launch

Once the programme expansion has launched, consider the following recommendations:

  • Dedicate time to complete a thorough audit: Assess how well the goals were met, taking into account that they may have changed over time.
  • Schedule a “lessons learned” meeting: Identify and capitalise on best practices acquired throughout the launch.
  • Check in at all levels of the operation: Work to understand what is and isn’t working.

As data starts coming in regularly, analyse for trends that may not have been visible before to determine any adjustments that need to be made related to resources, processes or technology.

After any trip, you spend some time at home reliving the experience and getting reassimilated with your day-to-day life. You think about what you did and didn’t like, go over what you learned, and naturally, decide whether you want to take another trip. Maybe the destination was so great that you want to go back, or perhaps you’re ready for something new. Global talent acquisition implementations are similar, and whether you’ve met your needs with one deployment or are planning for further expansion, the right talent partner can help take you there.

Finding the Right Partner

Choosing a partner to help you through your global talent acquisition deployment is like choosing an airline. Are they reputable? Dependable? Can they get you where you need to be? Most important, can you trust them with your bags? When you’re looking into viable partners to work with for your implementation, ask yourself:

  • Do they align with our business needs?
  • Will they deliver value across every level of the organisation?
  • Are they flexible?
  • Do they have any proven standards?
  • Do they have the ability and experience to tailor operations as needed?

Don’t be shy about asking your potential talent partner to prove their value. Request case studies and demonstrated expertise that illustrates that they have the experience you’re looking for. Finding a partner that is a good fit for your organisation is a huge undertaking and you want to make sure you get it right. You’ll likely be working with them for a long period of time, and the success of your implementation will depend on the strength of your relationship and the trust you have in your partner.

Openreach: Helping Thousands of Engineers Fall in Love with Video Interviews

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Openreach’s engineers build the communications network that connects millions of homes and businesses across the UK. They needed nothing short of 1200 Trainee Engineers
in a number of major cities to join their development scheme, all while overhauling their video interview process at the same time.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

  • New visual guide for interview process
  • Integrated multi-platform content
  • New feedback form based on key insights

SCOPE & SCALE

Openreach’s expanding network and customer base of 32 million people made for significant recruitment numbers. Their ambitious target of 1200 new Trainee Engineers was split across the country and concentrated around key metropolitan areas like London.

SITUATION

The challenge we faced was in the recruitment process itself. Every candidate needed to complete a video interview as part of their application – with an average completion rate of 55%, it was clear the existing content wasn’t engaging the candidate pool effectively.

SOLUTION

Improving the candidate experience was therefore essential. Our aim was to break down preconceptions of video interviews, better informing candidates and giving them confidence in the process. Working closely with the Recruitment Delivery team, a visual guide was produced. The cross-team collaboration was vital to the project’s success, combining a wide range of knowledge and expertise. On top of this, the content was rooted in candidate feedback received by our recruitment coordinators.

RESULTS

The improvements were immediate. In the month that followed the guide’s publication, interview completion rose to 71%, up 16% overall. The pass rate significantly increased
as well, rising from 39% to 47%, along with improvements in approximate page views over the same period. All of this represented a breakthrough and victory for Openreach, and the quantitative data was complimented by candidate feedback: 100% of survey responses were positive, with 95% of responders rating the guide ‘very helpful’, the highest score available.

Talking Talent:The Future of Resourcing with Dr Rand Hindi

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The Future of Resourcing – Dr Rand Hindi

In this special episode of Talking Talent, we discuss artificial intelligence and the impact it will have on recruiting.

Instead of an interview, this episode is a recording of a presentation by Dr. Rand Hindi from our London “Resourcing 2025” event. At that event, PeopleScout launched the next generation of RPO featuring a future-focused approach to service RPO customers across Europe. There, Dr. Hindi described recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and implications those will have on the talent landscape of the future.

Dr. Hindi is an entrepreneur and data scientist. He is the founder and CEO of Snips, building the first AI assistant that protects privacy. Rand started coding at the age of 10, founded a Social Network at 14 and a web agency at 15 before getting into Machine Learning at 18 and doing a PhD in Bioinformatics at 21. He has been elected as a TR35 by the MIT Technology Review, as a “30 under 30” by Forbes, as a Rising Star by Founders Forum, and is a member of the French Digital Council. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and a PhD in Bioinformatics from University College London (UCL), as well as two graduate degrees from Singularity University in Silicon Valley and THNK in Amsterdam.

In the presentation, Dr. Hindi shares his conclusion that for the best results, AI and humans will need to work together to make recruitment decisions. AI provides speed, accuracy and algorithms while humans contribute empathy, emotional intelligence and the ability to solve logical paradoxes. Dr. Hindi explains the differences between the types of intelligence that can be programmed into computers, and the more complex emotional intelligence that cannot be replicated by machines. He also shares the history of artificial intelligence, and what he expects the technology to be capable of in the future.

Talking Talent: Talent Acquisition in 2020 with Madeline Laurano

Posted on by skatz

Does your talent acquisition programme spark joy? If not, Madeline Laurano is here to help. Laurano is the co-founder of Aptitude Research, a research firm focused on talent acquisition. Based on her proprietary research, Laurano sees a talent acquisition landscape that is crowded and complex. During her keynote presentation at PeopleScout’s 2019 NEXT Talent Summit, she focused on simplifying the process.

Every year, Aptitude Research conducts three major surveys to gather qualitative and quantitative data about the talent acquisition landscape – from the biggest challenges facing recruiting teams to how leaders in the field are integrating innovative technology into their programmes. We spoke with Laurano about the trends she uncovered in her surveys and how she applies the “Marie Kondo” method to talent acquisition and talent technology.

What is the biggest challenge in talent acquisition today?

The biggest challenge across organisations of all sizes and industries is that talent acquisition has become so incredibly complex. We have new technology solutions; vendors entering the industry that provides everything from employer branding to innovative assessments; and organisations that need to expand the skills and breadth of knowledge on their talent acquisition teams. While this presents exciting opportunities, at the same time, it’s creating a lot of challenges. We have to be able to manage all of these different priorities while making sense of the technology we’re using and the strategies in place.

How do you determine which talent technology solutions are the right fit for your organisation?

It’s going to be a little bit different for every company, but it’s best to start at a very basic level. Every organisation needs an ATS, an onboarding system and some type of recruitment marketing platform. That’s what I call the trifecta. Every organisation of every size should have that. Those three systems must be in place to make sure that you have a way of engaging, tracking and managing talent. That’s the basic tech stack.

After that, it’s important to look at what you need to support your needs – whether it’s automation, enhancing communication, providing stronger branding, or sourcing and assessing candidates. Most organisations have screening and assessment solutions. We’re seeing more and more companies using some type of interview management system. Then, there are a lot of sourcing and branding solutions.

I think we need to simplify the talent technology ecosystem as much as possible. That comes down to building the best trifecta – the basic tech stack – and strategically adding additional technology where it will have the greatest significance. There are companies that pull together all of these disparate solutions into one unified technology; PeopleScout’s AffinixTM is a great example of that.

When you’re looking at technology partners, how do you determine if they are the right fit? What kind of questions should you ask, and what should you look for?

It’s really looking beyond just a demo and beyond what’s on somebody’s website. I evaluate technology partners using four buckets: company, product, differentiators and roadmap.

First, I like to ask, “What are the company’s values? What’s the strength of their leadership team? How many employees do they have? How many employees are focused on research and development? What does their customer base look like? Who is their target customer?”

The next piece involves looking at the product, getting into technical questions, and thinking about things like mobile compatibility, the suite of services and the languages that are supported.

Then, it’s about the differentiators. I like to ask technology providers to explain what their differentiators are, and then – after going through the process and understanding what they do – figuring out if I’m seeing the same differentiators. That can be very telling.

The final piece is asking about the roadmap. “What’s planned for the future? Is this a provider truly invested in making enhancements and providing flexibility to organisations?”

How do you simplify your talent acquisition process? What does simplified look like?

We’ve heard of Marie Kondo and her method for organising and decluttering our homes. I think organisations need to take that approach to talent acquisition. This is especially relevant when it comes to talent acquisition technology. Companies are using so many different providers to accomplish certain goals – our research shows it’s an average of 30. When you have so many solutions, you don’t have consistent data sets to look at, so it’s hard to know what’s working and what isn’t.

Leaders need to be able to figure out what talent technology their organisation needs, how it’s going to be used, and how they can narrow down the list of providers to only those that are most effective. As an example, when it comes to recruitment marketing, a lot of companies are using several different vendors within their organisation; only 2% of companies are using all of the capabilities provided by each tool. Leaders need to look at what’s not working and think about a provider that can support the organisation with a more holistic strategy.

What advice can you share with talent acquisition leaders who are looking ahead to 2020?

When it comes to making your talent acquisition programme more manageable and simplifying your technology stack, think about which providers are truly partners and able to support you in many different ways. That’s really important.

Then, think about what skills you need to make your talent acquisition function successful, whether it’s digital expertise, data scientists or more employer branding services. Focus on how you can either bring those onto your team or find an outside provider to partner with you.

The final piece is thinking about embracing some of the areas that haven’t traditionally been part of a talent acquisition function, taking ownership and being a champion for them. Employer branding is one example. We’ve seen a lot of talent acquisition leaders and professionals embrace branding and become experts in that area. Data analytics is another. By advocating for solutions in these specialised areas, talent acquisition leaders move their programme ahead of the competition.

Finally, have fun! There’s so much in talent acquisition that can feel tactically overwhelming, but advocating for new solutions is empowering. So much is changing, but with that change, we’re seeing exciting opportunities for improved data, robust employer branding and more. This is an amasing industry to be in, and we can’t forget that.

Department For International Trade: Securing the UK’s Future Trade Deals

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The Department for International Trade (DIT) commissioned PeopleScout to help them with a key resourcing challenge. In preparation for the UK’s departure from the European Union, DIT needed to find a large volume of high-quality candidates to staff a new trade authority. Their dilemma lay in the fact that these roles hadn’t been seen in the UK for over 45 years, so candidates might struggle to understand whether they were qualified to do the jobs. Through the creation of an ‘match me’ innovative tool and targeted approach to supporting candidates, PeopleScout supported DIT in recruiting 75 exceptional individuals.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

  • Dedicated account team
  • Creative candidate engagement
  • Bespoke tools
  • Exceptional candidates and enhanced diversity

SCOPE & SCALE

In preparation for Brexit, The Department for International Trade (DIT) needed to create a Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) that would govern and monitor the UK’s future trade deals with the rest of the world. This newly created function needed around 75 exceptional Lawyers, Investigators and Economists to join them in their new Reading office.

SITUATION

We faced a complex challenge. Firstly, many candidates might not know which role they were best suited to, as these opportunities would be new concepts to them. Secondly, we had to populate a department that could operate post-Brexit.Thirdly, we faced an extremely tight deadline. PeopleScout and DIT agreed that a bespoke solution was needed.

SOLUTION

DEDICATED ACCOUNT TEAM

We provided a dedicated account team that was responsible for every element of the process including: an attraction campaign, application management, assessment and selection material, a microsite, candidate management, interviewing making the offer and onboarding process including BPSS security checks. Crucially, we trained the team in how to deliver the right message, explaining what they could and could not say in case journalists tried to ‘apply’ for the roles to find out more about
this high-profile organisation

CREATIVE CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT

Our approach was two-fold. We combined free and paid-for advertising with a strong social media campaign. At the same time, we undertook a market mapping and candidate
identification activity whereby we engaged with key candidates directly. All activities ultimately directed candidates to our carefully crafted microsite which detailed the uniqueness of the roles.

BESPOKE TOOLS

As these roles were brand new in the UK, we developed a ‘Match Me’ tool that helped candidates understand the role that would best suit their ability, skillset and experience. We also devised a tailormade application process that included killer questions, an online SHL ability test (Numerical, Verbal and Inductive reasoning), a telephone or video interview, and a face-to-face assessment. Throughout the campaign, we provided DIT with weekly updates, reviewing the success of the campaign on a monthly basis.

RESULTS

OVERWHELMING INTEREST

From the start of the campaign in May 2018 to its completion in January 2019, we witnessed a staggering 47,522 visitors to the microsite, with 1,597 applications being made. Candidates remained engaged throughout the process, with an impressive 92% assessment centre attendance.

EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES

43% of candidates passed the assessment centre process, meaning that DIT were spoilt for choice. They eventually made 93 offers, with 75 of those being accepted. As a result, they now have 75 high-calibre members of staff who are committed to governing and monitoring the UK’s future trade deals.

ENHANCED DIVERSITY

Diversity was very high on the priority list for both DIT and PeopleScout, and while we didn’t have specific targets, we did track applications. To everyone’s delight our diversity statistics were extremely positive, with 38% of applicants being female, and 48% being BAME.

Six Tech Trends Shaping the Talent Acquisition Industry

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Six Tech Trends Shaping the Talent Landscape

Technology is transforming every industry, and innovations are impacting every facet of the talent acquisition industry. Chatbots have gone from an interesting novelty to a method of conducting interviews. Virtual reality has gone from video games to employee onboarding and training. New data privacy laws are being debated and passed as candidates grow more concerned about who is using their data. Forward-thinking employers need to stay on top of the trends and make changes at the right time.

In this ebook, Six Tech Trends Shaping the Talent Landscape, learn the most important tech trends impacting the talent acquisition industry from talent analytics to recruitment marketing tools. With the vast landscape of new technologies, we evaluate the question of when to buy in to the latest trends to minimize risk and stay ahead of the competition.

Integrating AI into Your Passive Sourcing Strategy

Posted on by skatz

With unemployment at historic lows, and only 30% of candidates actively applying to jobs, looks like it’s time to get passive! Passive? This might seem like an odd word choice, but passive candidates are simply highly qualified candidates not currently job hunting, while active candidates are applying to your open roles right now.

Research indicates that passive candidates may be more successful in organisations. According to Glassdoor, passive candidates are more efficient workers. Furthermore, passive candidates are twice as likely to join an organisation. However, some do not think passive candidates make better employees, partly because tracking passive candidates’ success at organisations has been poorly measured.

Regardless, data shows that it takes an average of 42 days to fill a role for a qualified external candidate. Some roles take longer, such as 67 days in the UK to fill a product management role. Engineering roles are also consistently harder to fill, taking 58 days in the U.S. and UK and 56 days on average in the rest of the world. When these types of hard-to-fill roles are needed, passive sourcing can be the best option to pursue.  

What is Passive Sourcing?

Finding a qualified hire usually consists of a mix of active and passive applicants. Today, recruiting teams find passive candidates through various means, such as referral programmes, online forums, and job boards. More recently, recruiters have also started posting to social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to find their next hire.

Passive sourcing searches were historically done through tedious Boolean search strings using dozens of search terms, like location, phone number, and email address, to find candidates. These searches are manual and time-consuming.

How Does AI Improve Passive Sourcing?

Recruiters spend approximately £159,000 per hire and 23 hours to screen for each open position. Meanwhile, recruiters carry a workload of 30-40 positions at a time. Add these numbers up and it might take several months for a recruiter to fill their open roles. Meanwhile, organisations also lose months of productivity and revenue from unfilled roles. Compound these losses with the rush to hire someone that might not be right for a role, and there is a possibility the recruiter may have to start the cycle all over again.

How can AI help? As AI’s influence throughout talent acquisition grows, sourcing qualified passive candidates in record time is now possible with AI.

Massive Data 

AI excels at scale. Finding candidates instantly, AI algorithms can improve with each search, creating increasingly more intelligent sourcing. This is done by compiling and analysing a massive data set of millions of pieces of information including potential candidates’ social media profiles and past online activities, among other data. 

AI’s passive sourcing function can also find triggers that indicate a candidate’s interest. Using an engineering requisition as an example, AI tools can scrape the Internet for candidates with specific job skills. For example, a search can be set up to find candidates with electrical engineering backgrounds with five to ten years of experience that are active on LinkedIn. AI will identify these parameters, search all additional available channels for intel including email, text, chatbot and phone records then aggregate the data and deliver a pool of qualified candidates to the recruiter.

Improved Personalisation

AI applications can also send targeted information to candidates using marketing-like campaigns, bringing in “leads” to help grow talent pipelines. This activity targets the right persona or type of candidate needed for a role and keeps passive candidates better engaged or “nurtured.” It also creates a unique candidate journey.

A recent report cites that organisations with an employer brand platform experience an average turnover rate of 10% compared to the overall turnover average of 16%.

At PeopleScout, we know a positive employer brand plays a significant role in their ability to hire talent. We implement AI sourcing and digital brand recruitment marketing campaigns through our Affinix™ platform that streamlines the sourcing process. Using these digital campaigns reinforces a company’s employer brand and consequently increases the nurture and conversion rates of future potential passive candidates. 

Considerations for AI Passive Sourcing

While using AI to help source passive candidates is beginning to help organisations, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.

Mind Your Algorithms

Countless articles lament how well-meaning coders accidentally create biased AI tools. Most recently, Amason released a recruiting tool that put female applicants at a disadvantage by highlighting more masculine language such as “executed” and “captured.” Therefore, AI algorithms should be used in concert with other recruiting tools and constantly monitored pre and post-build. Organisations such as OpenAI, the AI Institute, and Explainable AI, among others, are reviewing AI’s impacts to make sure issues like unconscious bias are appropriately addressed.

Fit AI into Your Strategy

AI has the potential to improve aspects of the full recruitment cycle from sourcing, screening, selecting, hiring and onboarding. However, AI is only part of your toolkit and should be thought of as an efficiency tool to find better candidates faster. Monitor and adjust your strategy by testing AI’s sourcing skills. Because of the rapid data feedback loop you receive from AI, you’ll be able to quickly tweak social media and email campaigns as well as content you use to interact with candidates.

Getting Started with AI Passive Sourcing 

According to a Deloitte Human Capital Trends report, 38% of companies are already using AI, and 62% expect to implement AI in some way by the end of 2019. In order to prepare for AI passive sourcing, keep the following in mind.

  • Assess your current state. Are your operations streamlined today? Do you have existing issues with your methodology that need to be resolved before AI is added to your recruitment platform?
  • Centralise your efforts so your AI tools tie together and create information in one place. Also, make sure all data streams, such as information from candidates and job boards, are collected in one place.
  • Choose your vendors wisely to bring your AI ambitions to life. If the vendors you use are not able to articulate their business plans and longer-term technology capabilities, you should walk away.

Conclusion

Recruiters need to monitor AI passive sourcing capabilities as one of many AI efficiency tools to execute in the recruiting process. While ongoing debates swirl about the bias of the effect from AI efforts can create, if implemented and monitored properly, AI can also yield huge returns for your passive sourcing efforts. Organisations should consider PeopleScout to help source passive roles through PeopleScout’s proprietary, simple-to-use talent technology platform, Affinix.

Five Ways Talent Technology Will Make HR More Strategic

Posted on by nfuqua

With the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to look at the past twenty years and see the inflection points where companies and industries either embraced or avoided disruptive technology. When Kodak struggled to adapt to the digital world, the company eventually declared bankruptcy. Blockbuster passed on the chance to purchase Netflix, and now, the video rental chain has just one store left open. Taxis fell to Uber and Lyft. There are countless examples in the graveyard of defunct or irrelevant companies and industries.

It is more difficult to spot that inflection point in the moment. For human resources, that moment is now. With an influx of new technologies entering the market, the role of HR is about to transform, and if it cannot adapt, it is bound to be left behind. Currently, many HR professionals are pulled away from more strategic work for simple repetitive tasks – which are prime targets for automation. Emerging tools can also provide HR with new insights – about things like which candidates are more likely to stay with the company and whether a role is better filled by a contingent or permanent worker in the current economy. These insights will provide HR with the opportunity to play a more significant role in decisions that impact the future of the business.

In this article, we walk through five ways new and emerging talent technology will make HR more strategic and why leaders should embrace change.

1. Automation Will Save Time

Everest Group predicts emerging technology has the potential to automate half of all talent acquisition activities. According to the report, “processes that are highly transactional and repetitive in nature have a higher potential for automation.” This includes tasks like resume screening, interview scheduling and sourcing candidates. However, other tasks, like communicating with top candidates and hiring managers, will continue to require a human touch.

Robotic process automation is already taking over some of the communication with candidates through recruitment marketing campaigns, interview scheduling tools and chatbots. RPA technology can ask prescreening questions or answer FAQs about positions and a company’s hiring process through a chatbot, send automated emails to engage candidates through a candidate relationship management tool and find an empty spot on a recruiter
or hiring manager’s calendar to help a candidate schedule a phone or in-person interview through an automated scheduling tool.

These tools mean that the way recruiters and talent acquisition professionals spend most of their days will transform drastically. Rather than spending time sifting through resumes, scheduling interviews and responding to emails, recruiters will be able to focus on the best candidates, develop creative solutions for hard-to-solve problems and build better candidate engagement strategies. This will reduce recruiter burn out, leaving them fresher and more engaged in important tasks.

Automation also improves the candidate experience. Rather than waiting for a response from a recruiter with an inbox full of emails, candidates can have a simple question answered instantly by a chatbot. Candidates won’t have to play phone tag or do the awkward dance of comparing schedules over email because they can easily schedule interviews on their own. This means, regardless of whether or not the candidate ultimately ends up in the role, they will be left with a more positive image of the organisation. However, HR leaders need to take care to select the correct tools. If they don’t work as intended or don’t integrate well with other systems in place, recruiters may not be able to use them effectively and candidates could be left with a negative impression.

2. Data Analytics Will Provide New Insights to Inform Decision-Making

Big data is everywhere, and when applied to HR, it can allow leaders to make better, more informed decisions on both the micro and macro levels. Data analytics tools have the power to provide insights and predictions about individual candidate behaviors, the best tactics to use to fill a role and even long-term predictions about local job markets.

Predictive analytics is a type of data analytics that uses data to find patterns and then uses those models to attempt to predict the future. Predictive analytics can’t tell you what will happen, but it shows what is likely to happen based on past trends. Tools that incorporate predictive analytics can tell recruiters how likely a candidate is to leave their current job or stay in a position at your organisation, for example.

These tools can also identify new channels to find strong candidates by identifying common themes in previous successful hires. For example, a predictive analytics tool could tell a recruiter that the best candidates tend to come from a few specific educational backgrounds. That way, a recruiter can focus on recruiting efforts to identify the best candidates with those qualities.

Predictive analytics can also help with more strategic business decisions. Workforce planning tools focus on the future by assessing current hiring needs and modeling how those needs will evolve. This data-focused approach can help organisations match talent forecasts with analysis of the talent pool to create a realistic view of the labor market. On a micro level, analysing market data can help predict whether a role is better filled by a permanent or contingent worker in a specific location.

Workforce planning tools can also identify potential problems before they arise. For example, hiring patterns in a market could signal an impending shortage of talent six months into the future, allowing organisations to prepare and stay ahead of the competition. If an organisation is looking to expand, predictive analytics can identify areas with the best candidates to fill the needed roles. This empowers HR to have a larger role in shaping the direction of the company. Because of this, it’s key that the right tools to collect historical and current data are in place. If the predictions are inaccurate or the data is not used properly, it could have the opposite effect.

3. AI Tools Will Develop More Effective Candidate Profiles, Job Descriptions and Recruitment Marketing

Another way technology can impact HR is through the use of AI tools that make recruiters more effective in interacting with candidates. This process starts during candidate generation, where AI tools can help you craft job titles and descriptions and continues as recruiters communicate with candidates throughout the hiring process.

AI tools can help recruiters put together stronger candidate personas, by using data to show what factors predict success and where recruiters can find the best candidates, as we discussed earlier. Then, certain technology tools can help recruiters optimise job titles and craft job descriptions that will show up in search results and appeal to the greatest number of candidates.

AI can also help identify exclusionary language that could discourage a certain gender or minority group from applying to a position. This is particularly important because unconscious bias can allow gendered words to creep into our vocabulary without us realising it. According to Harvard Business School, words like “ninja” discourage women from applying, while words like “supportive” and “collaborative” can discourage men. By using technology to avoid this, recruiters can build better and more diverse candidate pipelines.

As recruiters communicate with candidates, other tools can make the process more personal. Career sites can track what types of jobs candidates view, apply to or start, but never finish. Tracking this data allows recruitment marketing tools to recommend jobs that appeal to the candidate and match their skills and expertise, or to prompt a candidate to complete their application. Once a candidate provides their information, recruiters can use recruitment marketing tools to build personalised marketing streams that will appeal to candidates and encourage them to apply.

These tools help recruiters identify and market to stronger candidates more efficiently, which not only frees up time but also helps build a better workforce, improving business outcomes for the organisations. Here, AI algorithms need to be carefully monitored. Because AI is constantly evolving, errors in an AI platform’s logic can quickly grow, making problems hard to trace. This is especially true if errors are made at the beginning of the process causing the common problem of garbage in, garbage out.

4. AI Sourcing and Improved Assessments Will Identify Candidates with the Right Cultural Fit

Talent technology will also help recruiters identify passive candidates with the skills of the future and the ability to learn and grow with an organisation. Passive sourcing tools use artificial intelligence to identify the best candidates for a role – regardless of whether or not those people are actively looking for jobs. The tools can search social media, job boards and more, finding candidates who match target personas. Passive sourcing provides recruiters with a list of strong candidates without the time required to conduct manual searches.

New types of assessments will also help recruiters identify the best candidates. Video interviewing tools can provide additional information about candidates from their facial expressions and tone of voice. This can provide insights into a candidate’s personality, which will help recruiters make better choices about which candidates are the best cultural fit with an organisation.

Additionally, new assessments can evaluate the passion, purpose, and mindset of candidates. This means recruiters can learn about a candidate’s enthusiasm, enjoyment and commitment to mastering the requirements of a role, their alignment with and willingness to contribute to the vision and values of an organisation and whether they have a growth mindset, which is the belief that one’s talents can be developed through education and effort. With this information, recruiters can identify candidates who will align with the goals and culture of an organisation, increasing the likelihood that the candidate will stay long-term. By identifying candidates with a growth mindset, recruiters can select candidates who have the ability to learn and grow in the rapidly transforming world of work.

This empowers talent acquisition leaders to better identify and hire the candidates who align with the long-term goals of an organisation, enabling the company to meet strategic objectives faster and stay ahead. However, this is another case where HR should be aware that the wrong tools and assessments could actually inject bias into the process, so leaders should be sure to partner with an organisation that is aware of and carefully monitors for that risk.

5. Compliance Tools Will Reduce Risk, Freeing Funds and Resources

Another significant aspect of HR is dealing with the multitude of compliance risks that vary by jurisdiction. Technology can automate parts of that process, making it not only more efficient but also more compliant.

Compliance tools can automate background checks and drug tests as a part of the pre-employment and onboarding process. This ensures that every potential employee completes the testing and that the process aligns with all local and federal regulations.

According to SHRM, predictive analytics tools can also be used to assess pay equity, an incredibly hot topic in compliance right now. At least 12 jurisdictions have some sort of pay equity law preventing employers from asking about salary history in an effort to reduce pay discrimination. Because the issue is at the forefront, employers should track this information and take steps to reduce pay inequality at their own organisations. Data analytics tools can monitor and report on any pay gaps for protected groups.

Additionally, Forbes reports that AI can identify “red areas” where fraud or unethical behavior may be more likely and bring those to the attention of HR so they can intervene early or even before bad behavior occurs. AI can also identify behaviors that cause poor work performance, recognising patterns of stress or bad behavior that could cause safety concerns.

Technology can also assist in the process of collecting documents from workers, and providing workers with required forms and legal documents, protecting the organisation from potential regulatory errors. Compliance lapses can be expensive and time-consuming; having reliable tools can keep your organisation safe.

Conclusion

The current talent acquisition technology landscape is both exciting and complicated for employers. Technology already available on the market will allow HR to be more strategic, but it needs to be implemented and used effectively. When selecting the right tools, employers need to look for solutions that have tangible benefits – not just tools that are interesting. Using the wrong tools has the potential to do more harm than good, so employers should look for partners that can meet their needs now and flex and growth with them into the future.

The AA: Bot-Powered, Brand Boosting Innovation

Posted on by rharris

CHALLENGE

Mention “working for the AA” and many people can’t see beyond roadside roles– a roadblock when it comes to recruitment. Candidates assumed they knew what The AA had to offer, and weren’t engaged with the wider culture and benefits. As a result, the AA was failing to engage and convert website visitors. It was clear that the careers site needed a new brand voice and experience – to shake visitors out of old assumptions, and to attract – and ultimately hire – more candidates.

APPROACH

Last year we launched a reimagined digital solution that could do justice to the new brand proposition, ‘Ready for ANYTHING?’. It’s a totally new way to access the world of AA, replacing the need for conventional website navigation – The AA chatbot. To achieve it, we sought out bleeding-edge software, Microsoft’s Bot Framework, which was still in beta, and constructed new bot pathways even as the core code changed under our feet.

The result, AAbot, is your guide to the world of The AA. By asking him questions, candidates can access all website information from within the chatbot – utterly tailored to their interests, and, if desired, full job listings.

With expressive animations for any occasion, and banter full of cheek and surprise, AAbot is packed with personality. He takes the employer tone of voice in a playful, irreverent, funny and bold new direction. And he’s virtual proof that functional UX copy can entertain and build a brand, as well as inform.

  • See AAbot in action here

“This brilliant innovation has transformed how we engage candidates.” Craig Morgans, Head of Talent Acquisition, The AA

“I highly recommend AAbot. He’s the best robot in town. And the most modest.” AAbot

RESULTS

With no other significant changes to recruitment activity, total job applications – via the website – have increased by 146% since last year (full year 2017 – 2018 YTD).

Direct hires are also at a record high: having increased by 38%, to 2,800 in total (full year 2016 – YTD 2018), amounting to 96% of all hires (full year 2016 – YTD 2018).

This is against a backdrop of steadily increasing site traffic since launch: with 10% YOY growth (full year 2016 vs full year 2017), and consistent progress in 2018 (visitors YTD 2018 = 75% of the 2017 total).

Since launching Bot-led social media pages and enhanced chatbot functions in 2018, we’ve also accelerated the impact. Notable increases include average page views (+15%), and returning visitors (+14%). Applications in 2018 have already totalled 85% of the total for 2017 (36,000 full year 2017 vs. 30,500 YTD 2018).

In a nutshell, this is a story of consistent, significant business impact. Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to AAbot’s head.