The challenge of keeping up with candidates in the technology stakes

Jo Faragher

At times, it seems impossible to keep up with developments in consumer technology. Just when you’re getting to grips with the functions on your new smartphone, something snazzier comes along and makes it outdated.

At work, employers face similar challenges, as a poll this week from e-recruitment firm Konetic shows. It found that although 80% of HR teams are using social media for sourcing and hiring new staff, 78% said it was a challenge. Only 37% had mobile-friendly careers websites.

It’s important to remember that candidates are also consumers, so their expectations when researching the job market or applying for a role will be similar to when they’re shopping online or interacting with their social network.

They want to be able to at least register interest in a role, even go through an initial screening test, via a tablet or phone rather than have to do everything on a desktop computer.

Where recruiters can help hiring companies overcome this issue is through their economies of scale when it comes to technology. Many recruitment businesses have already enabled their systems to work with mobiles and tablets, and have access to applications ‘in the cloud’ that can work across multiple clients and handle thousands of candidates.

In addition, this gives recruiters access to huge amounts of data on candidate behaviour and demographics, providing useful market intelligence for their candidates to help them plan their workforce.

Konetic found that there was a mismatch between what HR needed and wanted from recruitment technology, and the ease with which they could do it.

Outsourcing some of that need to their recruitment partners could ease that burden and ensure they’re not missing out on suitable candidates because they lag in the technology stakes.