“Automation” makes the search for tech talent sound easy, but the truth is far from that.
At first glance, automation in IT hiring seems like a simple, pain-free way to cull tech talent from online job boards and websites. Just choose a useful applicant tracking system or hiring app, and boom! – in just a few minutes ─ you soon discover the perfect fit for your open position. Simplicity and ease, that’s the reason application-tracking software was invented.
OK, it should work like that. Automation should shorten the time at the beginning of the hiring process. It should quickly and cost-efficiently weed out applicants who aren’t up to muster. The applications that clear this hurdle get sent to a recruiter, who should be able to pick from high-quality applications. Then the recruiter should be able to interview from a select list of high-quality candidates and hire the best possible tech talent for the job.
That’s a lot of shoulds.
The truth is that automation isn’t magic. And though automation can do many tasks, it has some serious drawbacks.
1. Controls are too limited
To set up automation, you need to understand how it works and what controls to set up properly. Unfortunately, most companies don’t know how to tackle this task.
The result: Too lenient controls let too many unqualified applicants through the gate, or too harsh controls let far too few qualified people apply.
“Some applicants may be unfairly rejected by the software if the controls are too limited,” warns Bridget Miller in an HR Daily Advisor article.
“For example, if the system defines experience levels and types too specifically, it could exclude someone with related experience who would have been qualified,” Miller writes. “This is also a problem for systems that use specific keyword searches to prequalify applications or resumes.”
2. Some applications drive away the cream of the crop
If you’ve ever applied online for work, you know that not all online applications are created the same.
Countless lackluster forms require you to sign into your LinkedIn account, then upload your resume, and go through must-fill-out fields of the exact information that’s already present in your LinkedIn profile and resume.
Using such redundant automation gives technology talent the idea that your organization is neither efficient nor particularly tech-savvy.
Also, some online applications are so dry and dull that they give your business a stuffy, think-inside-the-box presence. IT talent who may have mad innovating skills or possess awesome creative problem-solving skills look at the cut-and-dry application forms and think your company is B-O-R-I-N-G and definitely not the place to work.
“The best candidates, the ones who could help you the most, will be the first to flee a talent-repelling job application portal,” states Forbes contributor Liz Ryan.
“They’ll figure that life is too short, as indeed it is, to trifle with people who can’t be bothered to market to their talent communities the same way they market to customers.”
3. Criteria is unfairly weighed
Not all tech talent is talented in the same tech. (Say that three times fast.) Depending on the position, you’ll need specific types of technology know-how.
Did you use the automation controls to correctly weigh what matters most for the position? Or does it weigh the wrong criteria as more important? Or weigh all the criteria to be equally important?
“There’s also concern over applicants not being considered due to one set of criteria, while another set may show they have something valuable or special to offer the organization,” according to Rick Delgado at Business Solutions. “That’s not to say these situations happen often, but overreliance on automation may rob businesses of potentially good hires.”
4. Automation is too impersonal
Automation, by its very definition, lacks the human touch. (The word “automation” even sounds robotic.) It sees people as data. It can’t understand applicants on a very human level like we can. It won’t understand whether a candidate will fit into the hiring company’s culture or observe how a potential hire handles teamwork.
So, what ends up happening? Automation, which was supposed to help you save money, costs the company money because the hiring staff needs to weed through too many applications or spend too much time in interviews.
“Without the opportunity for the employer to hold multiple in-person interviews, it can be difficult to determine if the candidate will be a good fit for the company and its culture,” suggest Chris Joseph at the Houston Chronicle.
At Consultis, we have a personal touch in finding the best possible technology candidates for companies. We’ve spent 32 years developing strong relationships with clients and talent, so we can make connections that mutually benefit everyone.
If you’re ready to find the most talented tech for your company, contact us online or call us at 1-800-275-2667 today.