Automation tips for recruiters: how to get it right from the start

7 automation tips for recruiters

1. Make sure your data is organised: One of the most important first steps to making recruitment automation work is to go through a data cleansing exercise. The technology will only be as good as the data it accesses, so if, for example, you have candidates who are no longer active workers or perhaps people who have moved into new roles or sectors, but their information hasn’t been updated on existing systems, then they will receive irrelevant communication that will only prove damaging longer term.
2. Invest in making it work: It takes time, effort and resources to make any new integrations and automation work. It’s all too easy to underestimate how big the project can be, but once you’ve committed to integrating automation into your tech stack, you want to make sure that it delivers value and that requires ensuring everything is set up correctly from the beginning. However, once any tools are integrated into your tech stack, they do need regular vetting to see what is and isn’t working, so ensure you’re factoring time in in the long-run to manage automation.
3. Strike a balance: It’s important to also assess what can be automated and where the human element is necessary. As I’ve said before, people expect a level of automation in their communication in the modern world, but there needs to be absolute clarity as to what action or steps require input from consultants.
4. Map everything out: If automation is to be valuable for you, then the customer journey needs to be clearly mapped out to ensure that every possible touch point is factored into the programming. As mentioned above, an investment in time up front is required to make everything work smoothly. However, as Matt highlighted, this is often where projects go wrong. Rudimentary mapping leads to rudimentary automation.
5. Think about timings: Part of the planning process when implementing new processes should factor in the time that messages are sent. Some communication such as reminders the day before assignment of uniform requirements, will be dictated by project start dates. What you don’t want, though, is for your contacts to suddenly be overloaded with multiple messages at the same time, so co-ordinate everything. And remember to be led by analytics. If your data shows a greater response rates to messages on a Sunday evening than a Monday morning, feed this back into the system.
6. Look beyond the candidate: Remember as well that automation has value beyond candidate communication. Where there are any repetitive administrative tasks that need to be carried out in the business, there’s likely a range of jobs that can be automated. As a case in point, it can help improve how information gets through to finance, accounts and operations, saving valuable time across the whole business.
7. Review regularly: Check your whole tech stack every year; look at how it can be improved, and what messages are and aren’t working. Adjust and change any automated

Get it right today to thrive tomorrow

Automation, technology and AI have been seen as buzzwords in the recruitment world for some time, but the potential value these tools bring to staffing companies is significant. With candidate databases growing and skills shortages rife, the ability to keep your contingent workers engaged, reconnect with those who have perhaps fallen off your radar, and seamlessly maintain relationships can’t be underestimated.

But we can’t expect recruiters – who are often already facing increasing workloads – to navigate this environment without equipping them with the right tools. As Matt put it in our conversation, “Automation is that one thing that is a must now if you want to be competitive.”

Interested in finding out more about our front and mid-office solutions? Contact us today!