Low employment figures force employers to turn to high-tech tools for hiring

Dive Brief:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' low unemployment numbers for August underscore why many employers are turning to high-tech methods to step up recruitment, according to Randstad Sourceright. The global HR provider firm finds that employers are already making a range of investments in technology like dashboards for understanding HR analytics and advanced candidate assessment tools.
Per Q2 2017 data from Randstad Sourceright, 34% of employers polled said that talent scarcity is their greatest concern. The number of employers using artificial intelligence (AI) for job automation jumped 18% from the last quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, and 70% of employers said gig workers have changed the way they're doing business.
Randstad Sourceright's CEO Rebecca Henderson says that the capital investment in HR technology has grown significantly, reaching $2 billion globally in 2016.

Dive Insight:

Employers understandably are looking to technology to help resolve the skills gap dilemma. Scanning resumes for relevant-to-the-job data has sped up the initial process of weeding out candidates. And machine intelligence is capable of scanning other information on candidates, such as social media content and work samples, even facial expressions.

Technology has the capacity to make talent selection fairer, especially in diversity hiring. Technology can uncover unconscious bias in hiring and help recruiters discover their own bias when selecting candidates — though it is not a panacea for diversity problems.

Employers whose biggest problem is filling openings and closing the skills gap can rely on technology for help. But technology can't fix a toxic culture. Those companies that struggle with legal and ethical problems, including allegations of sexual harassment, a hostile work environment, claims of racism and sexism and financial-based misconduct will have to solve those issues first.

Employers need to establish and enforce a code of conduct based on ethics and integrity that everyone in the organization is expected to follow. Ethical employers fully and immediately comply with all government and EEOC mandates on discrimination, sexual harassment, labor practices and workplace safety. They also have zero-tolerance for physical and verbal abuse, bullying and other forms of confrontation. HR can lead organizations towards creating more respectful and ethical cultures, a feat beyond the reach of technology alone.