The Case for (Ethical) Digitally Transformed Talent Teams

Well, well ,well, it looks like I got your attention again. I am sure some of the elements in this piece will be met with applause or boos--but the truth is all parts of organizations are changing--and HR is just starting to catch up.

Working at a large company focused on delivering Digital Transformation solutions to enterprises, a lot of my time is spent thinking about "Where the heck can we use transformative tools in our process to provide a better experience for internal talent pros, candidates, and the business we support?"

As I dive deeper into one of my graduate school focuses, a lot of the cases we look at are large organizations completely overhauling their product set, moving into a new channel, or merging an organization into its current portfolio. But, there is often a gap in learning around current teams in a technical organization that have space to leverage tech to help the entire ecosystem

In the following sections, I will break down some misconceptions on using technology in Talent Acquisition and present a skeleton framework on creating an ethical process.

Arguments Against Automation and Highly Digital Talent Teams

1. Using automation in talent will lead to companies overlooking profiles of those with other skills that can help the organization.
2. Too much digital will negatively impact the candidate experience, making it seem more transactional.
3. The only tools talent teams need are: LinkedIn, a phone, an ATS, and email.

Here is what gets me, those with the concept of digital transformation being robots doing the entire human's job, are missing the possibilities of using technology to help human's work better. Below are my thoughts on how to blend tech with people to help turn HR from a cost-center to revenue driver.

Arguments for Digitally Transforming Talent Teams

You're absolutely right: Talent acquisition should not be a completely automated process. So, how can we avoid completely removing human touch while still using tech to work better?

• CRM: Using a CRM with AI support tools can do a couple of thing. The first is keeping candidates updated more regularly, and the second, AI and NLP (more on this in a second) can create more tailored messages to candidates based on their stage in the process. Omni-channel messaging could allow candidates to opt in to SMS messages, email, a combination of both. Heck, even chatbots on the careers page that recognize your login information can provide written updates to candidates in a matter of seconds!
• Natural Language Processing: While on calls, note taking and accurate note taking sometimes is neglected. By using NLP not only in communication, but while on calls with the consent & knowledge of the candidate, experiences can be more properly reflected and communicated to the business. By leveraging this tool into an ATS, a process that could take 10+ mins happens in real-time--allowing Talent to focus on moving the process ahead.
• System Synergy: The sad truth, and all HR professionals know, things live in a million different places. Market data in one excel sheet, process templates in another....you get the point. What would help to change this practice is a platform that helps to combine information across all channels, using tools to help notify talent teams about: update reminders, new applications, candidate activity, and pipeline reminders. Imagine if market data is updated and your ATS alerts you to a pipeline that fits the new compensation expectations, as well as key qualifiers, without even moving a finger?

Some of the biggest areas of concern for candidates can be solved, or supplemented, by Talent teams transforming digitally. Not only would inbound information help to generate an fluid ecosystem of recruiting, but a companies outbound can help to shape more impactful messaging to candidates across the globe.

The great news on some of the technology we are rolling out, is that is is VERY transparent. And whether you like it or not, at the end of the day, you can't completely take the 'Human' out of Human Resources.