Employers Are Starting to Use the Human Touch

Despite the use of online job boards, applicant tracking systems and automated email replies to inquiries, more and more job seekers crave a human touch in the hiring process. Staffing agencies and human resources departments are noticing this trend and combining technology with human interaction.

American Staffing Association Survey

A survey from the American Staffing Association published in June 2016 indicates that job seekers prefer more personal interaction while job hunting. More than three-fourths, or 77 percent, of 1,000 respondents want less technology and more interpersonal communication when trying to submit applications, resumes and cover letters. Nearly 43 percent of those surveyed found jobs by word-of-mouth or networking, and neither of those methods even use technology to find candidates. Every respondent either found a job in the past five years or intends to look for a job soon.

These job seekers feel as if a more human touch is important. Talking to an actual person, as opposed to a chat bot, answering machine, automated reply email or applicant tracking system, builds trust with the employer. Even a quick, 30-second phone call to the candidate to say a company is interested can make a difference over using technology.

Technology Snafus

In the same survey, 61 percent of respondents felt leery about providing personal information through an online resource. A total of 55 percent of those polled felt online job boards are too impersonal. Although the internet may point to the initial job posting, 39 percent of candidates still prefer word of mouth, staffing agencies, networking and internal contacts. Technology, it seems, isn't everything it's cracked up to be.

What It Means

This trend means job seekers and human resources professionals are both on the same page when it comes to getting to know each other in person. All of the data, analytics, hard skills and applicant tracking rankings cannot replace seeing a candidate's soft skills, attitude, confidence and industry knowledge in person.

In-person meetings go a long way to ascertain if someone is a good fit. Recruiters can set up appointments to meet qualified candidates before a formal interview just to get to know the person better. Job seekers can find people at job fairs as a way to network within their industry. These quick meetings can help eliminate candidates or move some up to the top of the list beyond just scanning a resume for keywords. Candidates should consider attending events hosted by companies. Career fairs, mixers, meet and greets, happy hours, and meetups are all great ways for someone looking for a job to talk to an actual person at a firm.

Companies can take a little extra effort to engage potential employees. Quick phone calls, handwritten cards and monthly events held after working hours show prospective workers the employer cares about the job search experience. Even if a candidate and employer don't match up well in the end, the positive experience alone can draw top talent to a firm since these events benefit everyone involved.

Job seekers should rely on a combination of technology and human contact when it comes to finding a job. More and more employers are realizing this trend as the number of in-person events grows.

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