Embracing Change and Challenging Norms in Talent Acquisition: Insights from Unleash America

As I headed into Unleash America, there was an air of anticipation mixed with the buzz of over a thousand professionals eager to discover the next frontier in HR tech. The event promised to show case hundreds of AI-enhanced tools impacting the talent ecosystem sector, setting the stage for insightful discussions and hopefully a few “its going to be OK’s”.

The conference opened with Ethan Mollick from the Wharton School demonstrating the current capabilities of ChatGPT. His reminder that “this is the worst this tech will ever be, it’ll only get better, smarter, and cheaper," set a tone of inevitable progress and a hint at the transformative potential of AI in professional settings. This was not just a showcase; it was a significant pointer towards the ongoing evolution in AI, urging us to recognize its trajectory towards becoming an even more powerful tool.

As the sessions unfolded, the depth and breadth of AI applications in recruitment became increasingly clear. I observed transformative changes firsthand—poorly written job ads turned into engaging postings in seconds, AI-driven sourcing that can match skills, ranking the best fits, and then crafting personalized outreach messages. Even more impressively, AI tools now offer the ability to create complete interview plans from scratch, indicating who should interview, what the focus areas should be, sample questions to ask, and themes of good answers.

The efficiency gains from these AI applications are undeniably incredible and can impact every aspect of the recruitment process. AI has made its way into enhancing candidate engagement, facilitating faster and more accurate responses to queries, reducing administrative burden on recruiters, and analyzing feedback – all which feed into transforming how we understand and improve the hiring process.

Unleash reaffirmed something quite profound for me… We are asking the wrong questions. On too many occasions we are taking broken processes and automating them, and the result ends up the same substandard outcome, just faster.

It is apparent that automation will and should change how we recruit for some roles, but it should also compel us to rethink our approach to others entirely.

John Vlastelica, founder and CEO of Recruitbox, in his recent LinkedIn Article “Will AI Usher in An Era of Inefficiency in Recruiting?” predicts three approaches to hiring:

Highly Automated Processes As technology continues to advance, highly automated recruitment processes are becoming more prevalent, especially in scenarios involving high-volume hiring. These systems leverage AI to streamline every step of the hiring process and is particularly effective in environments where speed and efficiency are paramount, and where consistency in handling large volumes of applicants is required. The future of these systems promises not just efficiency but an enhanced candidate experience that leverages machine learning to adapt and improve interactions continuously. The goal is to provide a seamless, engaging candidate journey that is as good—if not better—than traditional methods managed by often overwhelmed recruiters.

High-Touch Recruiting: Contrasting with automated processes, high-touch recruiting emphasizes the importance of human interaction, particularly for roles that are complex, senior-level, or otherwise difficult to fill. This approach mirrors the methodologies of executive search, employing techniques such as career coaching, extensive personal interaction, and deep engagement strategies to attract and retain the right talent. In a world where candidates are increasingly seeking meaningful work and personal growth, high-touch recruiting provides the personalized experience that top talent often demands. This method is less about the quantity of applications processed and more about the quality of connections made, ensuring that each candidate's unique needs and aspirations are addressed. Where we are seeing friction today is when organizations have process driven recruiters where high-touch recruitment is required, and the pain is felt by everyone.

Manager-Led Recruitment: The rise of manager-led recruitment is an emerging trend facilitated by technology. This approach empowers hiring managers to take a more active role in the recruitment process, supported by comprehensive platforms that integrate various tools into a single interface. Kelly has its HelixUX platform which enables managers to directly engage with candidates, conduct initial screenings, and make informed decisions without the traditional reliance on separate departments. The technology provides managers with actionable insights, prebuilt screening questions, and criteria-based shortlisting capabilities, which streamline the decision-making process. This trend is likely to grow as organizations seek to decentralize their hiring processes and increase the accountability and involvement of line managers in building their teams.

I’m a realist - it’s clear from my engagements with various organizations that factors like size, resources, and geographical location, and not to mention the current economic and political climate, significantly influence recruitment strategies. What became clear at Unleash is the need for clarity and a plan. I'm not entirely convinced it has to be the perfect plan, but having a direction is essential.

I recently interviewed over a 100 senior HR and TA professionals to understand what Excellence in TA looks like. (you can find the report here? https://bit.ly/3wpOkjv )? There was a real mix of maturity when it came to organizations approach to Talent Attraction, Engagement, Development and Retention. The research found that there were four levels of maturity, Transactional, Standardized, Integrated and Enhanced. In those organizations that are accelerating capability of their organizations through hiring we saw clear alignment with business goals, robust demand planning, and dedicated resources backed with strong data. Once that sturdy foundation was in place, they were able to start utilizing technology and AI to move away from traditional recruitment processes and towards a more enlightened approach.

Regardless of where an organization stands on the talent maturity framework, it’s crucial to have a strategy to progress towards. This ensures comfort and confidence within the organization and its TA functions, fostering an environment where challenges are solved with innovative solutions. Knowing your direction is the first step towards seizing the best opportunities to attract extraordinary talent. Without a clear path, it is hard to predict where you or your organization will end up.

This was written with Assistance with ChatGPT as a bit of an experiment embracing the spirit of Unleash!