Data-Driven Recruitment: A Friend or Foe?
Talent experts say using data-informed recruitment strategies can improve workplace wellbeing and minimize the influence that instincts and feelings have on the screening and evaluation of candidates. The use of “data” has become a focal point of workplace discussions and perhaps a foe for some. In fact, I’m sure as you read this you’re thinking, “here goes that word again!” But, one second! What if I told you trusting the numbers (and yes, the algorithms too) can improve supervisor ratings, candidate conversion likelihood, and even increase your team’s capacity?
Recruitment analytics will shine a light on key areas of growth within recruitment processes and help you deliver on hiring goals. Data-driven recruitment can also help you:
1. Say “Toodle Oo” to Human Bias!
Whether you’re a senior leader or new to talent acquisition, you’re probably familiar with the cross-generational saying “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Often the opinions and expectations of the interviewer interfere with the evaluation of a qualified candidate; this has become a widespread problem in hiring practices. An interviewer’s unconscious bias can lead hiring teams astray and increase the likelihood of making a “bad hire.”
Instead of making decisions based on how well a candidate aligned themselves to interview etiquette or solely by the writing on paper, “datafying” your hiring process can assist in collecting a holistic view of a candidate. Creating a repeatable, objective experience allows you to prioritize the data as the leading factor in hiring decisions.
2. Put the Pedal to the Metal in Hiring!
It has become an industry standard to measure the average time-to-hire within an organization. Identifying your average time-to-hire is useful in pinpointing weak spots in your recruitment process and helping you compare your team’s efficiency across national norms (~29 days in the US).
As candidates become more passive in application submission, it is important for recruitment teams to become ever-more responsive and efficient within the hiring process to minimize the risk of losing high-quality candidates. Understanding your team’s time-to-hire enables teams to effectively allocate time, resources, and the human capital needed to fill vacant positions according to organizational trends.
3. Don’t just Talk about it; be about it!
DEI remains a buzzword in the day-to-day operations of staffing, but advocating for more diversity in the workforce is just as important as embedding data-driven practices that support a unified mission.The use of data to source diverse candidates is a highly effective recruitment strategy.
But how? Talent teams can collect and utilize demographic data to identify and enhance outreach to potential candidates from different cultures, affinities, and identities who may not be aware of job opportunities within your organization. These analytics are critical to continuously monitoring your hiring funnel, informing decisions on the most appropriate, evidence-based programming to increase diversity within your talent pipeline.
4. Go for the Gold!
Leveraging data can strengthen hiring managers’ ability to identify the skills and experience that make a candidate ideal for a role.
Taking time to analyze the variables that are consistent among your high-performing hires can improve the overall quality of your work and minimize first-year attrition. Tracking demographics, interest, and overall experience of candidates provides you with the data needed to decide on which recruitment sources provide you with top-quality candidates.
We all want a friend that will support us, tell us when we are going down the wrong path, give us any reason to celebrate, but most importantly help us lay a strong foundation for success. With 9 out of 10 employers struggling to fill vacancies and with states reporting teacher vacancy rates 58% higher than the last two years, maybe it’s time to make data your new best friend!
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