Winning the war for talent with technology tools

The National Higher Education Commission[1], in its report has estimated that the average age of population in India by 2020 would be 29 years. This makes us the youngest future workforce in the world.
However this impressive statistic will not be enough to capture the attention of the world. If we really want to shine in the global job market, companies in India will have to shift their focus from filling jobs to cultivating careers.
Organisations will have to use talent-centric tools and technologies to win the war for talent and shape future careers. Usage of innovative technologies will enable staffing firms and talent acquisition managers to dramatically improve their interaction with the candidates. Staffing firms  that will excel in attracting, retaining and nurturing talent with the use of latest technologies will outperform others.
Automating the recruiting process creates a winning edge for companies and candidates alike. On one hand, it reduces the effort to attract, recruit and retain talent for the recruiting organisation. And on the other hand, both, recruiters and recruits appreciate the usage of technology that enhances their engagement levels and takes away the load of mundane hiring tasks.
Recently there has been an increase in the usage of technology even in high-touch recruiting models. Technology usage has enabled a staffing team to capture the candidate profile in a number of ways: through chatbot conversations, by checking person’s online profile, or through video interviews. What is important is to store and reuse this useful information in future in a quick and easy way. This can be achieved through smart usage of technology in recruitment.
Let us see how we can use technology to enhance talent acquisition experience: 
Robust database
You would agree that direct sourcing is a huge threat and staffing firms must always have a better candidate database than their customers. Candidate data quality and completeness of information are of paramount importance. This helps staffing firms to fill positions faster directly from the database.
An automated process to update critical data elements such as work history, contact information etc adds immense value to the direct recruiting process. Staffing firms are increasingly investing in technologically to create and update superior database to confidently engage niche talent and provide better candidates to client organisations. 
Talent relationship management (TRM) tools
TRM tools give you visibility into newer aspects of candidates that are not available in their resume or cannot be revealed during an interview. Things like whether they viewed a job posting or started but didn’t finish an online application etc can be obtained through TRM tools. These may look trivial information but it comes in very handy to convert interested job seekers into candidates. 
Video based interview tools
Remote work and telecommuting have become more commonplace these days in the staffing industry where candidates do not want to come into the branch for an in-person interview. Video chat, video conferencing, and video interviewing are useful tools frequently used by recruiters.
Companies are also investing in gamification and predictive hiring tools. These tools help to confirm candidate skills and fit. These online assessment tools are more fun than the traditional personal interview technique. Most of the staffing firms also believe they are more accurate than the traditional candidate assessment methods.   
Social media recruitment
Companies believe that they should communicate with candidates based on the candidate’s preferred communication method. These days the variety of communication methods used by the millennials is mind-bending: smart phone, voicemail, email, text, instant messaging, LinkedIn direct message, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and many others. The social recruiting platforms must be integrated with the recruiter’s staffing software so he can manage all communications in an integrated manner. It looks like the trend of social recruiting will grow even further in future, making it imperative for staffing professionals to capitalize on this trend to the best of their abilities. 
Applying AI and machine learning in recruitment
No conversation on technology would be complete without addressing the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies are poised to immensely benefit staffing firms to improve the talent experience and increase recruiter efficiency. These technologies will improve candidate search results and match accuracy that will enable staffing firms to find a better fit. The new gen technologies will also offload work from the recruiting firm such as conducting the initial screening and establishing an interview time.
Mobile recruitment
Smart phones are increasingly used for searching the web. This makes it imperative for staffing professionals to use mobile devices to stay in touch with candidates. Career websites and recruitment software will have to be build in a way that they are mobile compatible.
While the future of recruiting looks full of usage of new gen technologies, it is important to stress on the fact that a winning talent acquisition strategy will have to be the one which is balanced. Personalised interactions and learnings will have to be blended well with digital technology in order to fulfil different recruitment objectives. Machine interaction is transactional. Personal interaction can be transformational. Responsible organisations and smart recruiters will have to adopt a blended approach to win the war for talent. 
About the Author
Kapil Sharma is Chief Sales Officer – International Business at Collabera. Kapil is an industry renowned and a prominent leader in the IT staffing industry and has been in driving strategy, business innovation, and client relationships globally.
Kapil brings in a rich experience in Account management, Client Servicing, People Management, Strategic Sales & Marketing, Sales Force Development & enablement, P& L Management, Business & Corporate Strategy, Training & Retention, Contract Negotiations and Brand Management.
Kapil has played a strategic role in building &  expanding Collabera’s International operations across various geographies and has been instrumental in setting up operations in countries like Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, & Australia in APAC, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Romania and Poland in the European region and Canada in the North America. Kapil’s firm belief in a holistic approach towards focus on strategic client relationships, have resulted in several global recognitions for Collabera across International Markets.
Kapil, with his diverse experience with innovative staffing models, strategic planning, cross-border talent acquisition and bringing innovations in hiring and sourcing techniques, has been able to add tremendous value to the customers globally.