Interview: Recruitment software: changing the way your company hires

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Amy Wilson is vice president at Workday and sets the strategic direction for Workday's Human Capital Management solutions. Prior to Workday, Amy spent more than a decade focused on the intersection of people, business, and technology.

The current recruitment software market is full of bolt-on applicant tracking systems (ATS) surrounded by high value edge applications in the areas of social sourcing, candidate relationship management, referrals and analytics. but companies are looking for a more unified solution.

Tech Radar Pro: How is the recruitment software market changing?

Amy Wilson: There is a high degree of churn as organisations are becoming more dissatisfied with their compliance-based ATS and companies begin to experiment with various edge applications, hoping to gain a strategic advantage. The move away from compliance-based ATS means that companies are now looking towards a more unified solution. This does not just mean HR and recruiting, but also includes the high value edge applications like analytics.

It used to be unusual if you could see jobs and search on mobile devices, and completing a full application on a mobile device was almost unheard of. What we're seeing with the recruitment software market is that as people become comfortable with typing on smartphones, mobile recruiting applications are becoming more important than ever. Now you can apply for jobs on mobile sites simply with a LinkedIn log-in for example, making things quicker and easier for the candidate.

TRP: Why is it important to develop a recruiting platform from a "blank sheet of paper" as opposed to acquiring an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)?

AW: Organisations have been telling us for some time that their ATS were not meeting their needs. They were clunky and feature-laden, but didn't fulfill the daily needs of the business. They were designed for recruiters to track applicants in a compliant manner, but were disconnected from other important people practices such as internal mobility programmes, new hire onboarding, headcount and workforce planning. And forget about having anyone but a recruiter use the system – they are simply not designed for full participation and collaboration across the hiring team.

It's essential that recruitment software is not built in the same way as the old ATS. Businesses want to make the most of the newest technologies, and be offered a solution that solves all their sourcing and recruiting needs.

TRP: Why has participation and collaboration become so important in the modern recruitment process?

AW: Recruiting is a "team sport", with every employee playing the role of recruiter, which means that sourcing is a collaborative process. Hiring managers need to share prospects and referrals with the recruiter, and recruiters need employees to use their social networks to identify prospects. Hiring managers need early feedback from their team on upcoming candidates. Fundamentally, the entire hiring team needs to collaborate on interviews and final conclusions.

The software must be dynamic, with flexibility and collaboration at its core. Hiring teams need the freedom adjust steps in the recruiting process. The demands of businesses change at different rates, so it's important that modifications are in line with the pace of change in the organisation.

Armed with many devices in different locations, the hiring team needs to collaborate throughout the application process. It's vital that any silos are eliminated to ensure the team can work together easily and quickly.

TRP: Clearly mobile accessibility is another key factor if software is to be a success with a mobile-enabled workforce. But why has it become such a significant part of the end-to-end recruitment process?

AW: As engagement with mobile devices in the workplace grows, we are moving towards a world of touch screens. Decisions are made 'on the move', with recent figures showing that 72 per cent of active candidates view company careers sites on their mobile device. This is the preferred way for candidates to search for jobs, so it will come as no surprise when I say that recruitment software must now be designed with a "mobile first" mentality.

Mobility isn't just important for the candidate applying on-the-go, it is just as important on the recruiter side. When we started researching the space and uncovered the need for mobile recruiting, we realised how quickly recruiters need to connect with candidates and hiring teams.

The recruiter may be on the road, at a conference or waiting outside an interview room, and in these situations, having a phone number of a candidate isn't necessarily enough. The software now needs to be designed to give recruiters the ability to put a suitable candidate forward at the touch of a button.

It's important to remember how mobile the hiring team is in the modern workplace. With the latest mobile recruiting software, they can request information, collaborate quickly with the recruiter and check the status of an application, wherever they are.

TRP: Who benefits most from a mobile recruiting app? Is it the hiring manager, the interview team, the candidate or the recruiter?

AW: The importance of mobile stretches across all aspects of the recruiting process – from candidate relationship management, to referral management, career sites and interview management. Recruiters can share candidate CVs with hiring managers, while interview teams can communicate about next steps instead of relying on disjointed email that lives outside the system.

The shift from desk-based working, to mobile working is transforming not only how we access information, but also how we make decisions and interact with colleagues. As such, it is necessary to change how applications and content are delivered to employees – a 'mobile first' mantra is needed.

TRP: How important are social channels in the modern recruitment process? Should these be integrated into a recruiting platform?

AW: Employee networks are a top source for talent. Posting a job to an organisation's social site is one thing and may drive some traffic, but encouraging employees to post jobs to their own network is much more effective. The posts are more targeted and people viewing the information will find it more credible and compelling.

People are looking for jobs on mobile devices in high numbers, and much of this is driven by social sites – whether that be LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook. Figures revealed by LinkedIn show 64 percent of active candidates browse their social networks on mobile devices looking for career opportunities.

When following a link from one of these social sites, applicants then expect be taken to a recruiting site that is mobile-friendly as well. It's vital that any software or recruitment site is optimised for these mobile candidates.

Applying for a role using a LinkedIn profile has also become a key part of the mobile application process. Sites should have an "Apply with LinkedIn" option to accelerate the process, with the candidate being able to make quick edits if necessary. This integration has changed the way we apply for jobs on the go and made it incredibly easy to complete applications on a variety of devices.

TRP: Are recruiting platforms set to change the way organisations approach internal mobility?

AW: New recruiting platforms shouldn't just be built for external candidates but should play a key role for current employees. New recruiting apps should give employees in any region the ability to apply for an internal role easily with a tailored application process. This should take into account what the system already knows about the individual and provide contextual information available internally.

If a solution combines recruiting, HR and talent, it allows for a more comprehensive view of candidates and opportunities. From a succession planning perspective this means that leaders can include both internal and external candidates in their pools.

From a recruiting perspective, it allows recruiters to source and select external and internal candidates together in a unified search. Many of our customers tell us that they have ambitious goals to fill positions internally – especially leadership positions – yet they are cramped by their existing systems.

TRP: What does the future look like for recruitment apps?

AW: It won't be long before all parties involved in the recruitment process will expect mobile capabilities as standard.

What's key is that unified systems will allow for a level of data insight which was not previously attainable. The future is all about leveraging this data across sourcing, selection, performance and retention to be predictive and proactive.