Have You Lost the Human Connection in Your Hiring Process?

As a hiring manager and business professional, you have to balance efficiency and a human connection within the hiring process. Using too much technology means you could miss out on great hires. Relying too little on technology wastes time. Discover how to humanize hiring while still maintaining effectiveness.

A Study's Results

In a survey conducted in 2017 by Randstad, 82 percent of respondents viewed the hiring process as too automated. While 95 percent of survey takers believe that technology helps hiring, 87 percent believe some technology makes hiring impersonal. The survey examined around 1,200 participants. Employers cannot afford to lose top talent to an overly automated hiring system in today's highly competitive job market.

Start With the Job Ad

Try removing third-person language from the job description to make a human connection with applicants. Instead of "Employees value hard work, dedication and honesty," turn those statements into things that speak directly to job seekers. Consider, "Discover what it's like to have your hard work rewarded on a daily basis at Acme Brick. Contact us today through hiring@acmebrick.com, and you should hear back from us within 24 hours."

The second statement sounds much more inviting in terms of encouraging someone to fill out an application. The process still leaves room for automation with the email address.

Respond With a Human Touch

The response to the aforementioned email inquiry is also important. Invite the prospect to connect with you on social media. Consider reaching out to the applicant to see if he has any further questions about your hiring process. As the hiring manager, you have the final say in who gets hired. That's why making the connection with hires is so important. Make the message sound personalized by using the candidate's first name.

Follow Up

Follow up with candidates to let them know if the hiring process is taking longer than normal or if you filled the position. Create a basic script that's ready to copy and paste into an email to the candidate, or integrate this feature into your HR software. This action shows that you respect the job seeker's time and appreciate the effort he put into applying for the job.

Using Referrals

Keep in mind that referrals are the key to finding top talent. As many as 71 percent of HR departments value employee referrals. Your top candidates may come from a pool of people who networked with workers you already have on board. People who know someone at your company already know a little bit about your company's culture and work ethic. Referrals may also stay longer than people you find through a job ad, thereby reducing turnover.

Your hiring process can still combine technology and a human touch. Try things like dedicated Facebook groups to update pools of candidates and video interviews to reach out prospects so you maintain efficiency while still making personalized connections with hires.

Photo courtesy of Andy Roberts at Flickr.com