The Latest Recruitment Trends in 2019

With the onset of 2019, there are going to be some new developments in the recruitment space worldwide, as each year brings with it a host of exciting possibilities and challenges. 2018 was the year when AI, automation and HR analytics were the most talked about terms in recruitment, and since the technology was still very new, these will continue to remain the mainstay of innovation in recruitment. What else is going to impact recruitment in 2019? Let’s examine.

Recruitment technology has witnessed a number of new developments in 2018 with terms like GDPR, Automation, AI and Blockchain becoming a part of public discourse. 2019 is likely to be even more revolutionary, with new developments in data analytics, & AI and machine learning, providing a favorable environment to transform the recruitment industry. However, organizations across the world will also have to step up their game to keep a tab on the emerging trends, evolve their infrastructure to implement new tools, and adopt best practices. Here are some of the major trends that will make their presence felt in 2019:

• Growth of recruitment marketing technology is the latest recruitment trend in 2019
• Improving candidate experience with Artificial Intelligence is the latest recruitment trend
• Background verification and assessment technology is a top recruiting trend in 2019
• The death of the CV will be one of the major recruitment trends in 2019

Growth of recruitment marketing technology is the latest recruitment trend in 2019

In simplified terms, recruitment is about selling roles to potential candidates. Amidst sustained talent shortages in the latest skills, it is imperative to use recruitment marketing and new marketing technologies to reach candidates through different channels at their preferred time of the day. Even after fifteen years, LinkedIn remains one of the most potent sources of highly qualified and experienced candidates as it has successfully managed to evolve the platform to fulfill the demands of the recruitment industry. Similarly, recruiters need to make sure that they are implementing best practices while performing daily routine jobs like job posting to get maximum visibility among the jobseekers.  Also Read: Recruitment Strategies to Attract and Retain Talent

This is why Search engine optimization (SEO) will continue to play an important role as it provides the necessary visibility to job postings on the web. Most job applicants use search engines like Google to find jobs, and therefore, SEO will remain an essential component of recruitment marketing toolkit.  Email marketing also continues to remain a vital means of communication with candidates.

In addition to all of this, one must not forget that with this smartphone generation youth, mobile apps, push notifications and Whatsapp has become a preferred source of candidate communication. There is an increase in the usage of Rich Communication Services (RCS) which in turn is leading to better engagement rates. These tools can also integrate with ATS systems are therefore ideal for improving talent engagement rates.

Improving candidate experience with Artificial Intelligence is the latest recruitment trend

Talent acquisition is one of the areas where artificial intelligence has found widespread acceptance. The reason behind this is that AI has shown verifiable results in improving recruiter productivity, reducing time to hire and hence improving candidate experience making it more intuitive and seamless. In 2019, we can expect to see continued exploration of possibilities that can be achieved with the application of AI, and the various ways in which candidate experience can be further simplified.

Whether it’s the bots that are making the application process faster or apps that simulate human conversations through text boxes or voice commands, AI is making more job search more fun for the candidates, enabling them to apply to jobs quickly and engage with employers with ease.  Using these AI systems recruiters will be able to proactively communicate with candidates, and provide them with a 24/7 high value interaction consistently. Also Read: Why is Candidate Experience so Important?

 

Background verification and assessment technology is a top recruiting trend in 2019

Background verification and assessment is another area where AI is promising to make an impact and 2019 will certainly show some of that result. While earlier employee background verification process was manual and costly affair, often managed by external agencies, with Artificial Intelligence coming in the picture, this space is also undergoing a transformation for good.  AI and machine learning promise to make the employee background verification process quicker, smarter, and more effective. An example of AI application in this space includes the Israeli startup, Intelligo, which is using AI and ML to make employee background verification 90% accurate. Another startup Vervoe introduced a hiring platform that uses machine learning to screen and predict skill sets, besides automating employee background verification.

In an age where digital fraud is on the rise and where recruiters spend multiple days on finding the right candidates, it’s vital to make use of background screening technology to avoid waste of their valuable time. Also, since the process of background assessment is multi-level, complex and time consuming, it makes for a perfect area of AI application.

The death of the CV will be a major recruitment trend in 2019

With Applicant Tracking Systems taking over recruitment, most organizations now have their own private database of profiles, stored on the cloud. This means that candidates don’t have to carry their CVs everywhere they go for an interview. Also, we’re going to see a change in how employees interact with candidates. Video interviews will become big where employers will have a chance to directly assess the candidate on the basis of their soft skills, personality and knowledge without having to call them for a face to face round to the office. Doing so will allow recruiters to easily assess candidates on a range of skills, from individualism, to creativity and an awareness of technology.