HR software: A force multiplier that streamlines recruitment

A human resources (HR) department’s capability is greatly enhanced by new and technologically-advanced software. Such innovative programmes allows HR departments to streamline their functions and the process of finding the right candidate.   

Modern software is powerful enough to parse through thousands of resumes to find the most suitable candidates. For instance, if a technology company needs a programmer with specific skills, the HR department can enter this query into the software, which then scans thousands of resumes to look for the candidate who fits the bill.  

What makes HR software exciting is that resumes scanned by it are ranked by an AI system. These rankings reveal how qualified an employee is and whether he or she will be appropriate for their organisation.  

HR software has information about tens of thousands of professionals and knows how each has performed in earlier roles, and more important, is likely to perform.  

This means it can evaluate whether a particular engineer with an MBA will thrive in a formal and regimented environment or in an informal set up.  The AI is smart enough to even evaluate what kind of environment a professional with little or no experience is likely to succeed in.  

HR software can be used during video conferencing. While the technology is still at a nascent stage, it is slowly but steadily gaining traction.  

It is helpful because it can accurately judge when an interviewee is not being completely honest. At many interviews, a prospective candidate is asked questions to assess how truthful he is. An AI-powered video conferencing software removes the need to do so. It gives employers the opportunity to focus on discussions that are relevant to a candidate’s job profile.  

Gamification is a powerful technology that objectively calculates how suited individuals are for certain roles. For instance, it’s software can evaluate how someone is likely to perform in a finance role by engaging them in games that evaluate visual-spatial ability. Because visual-spatial ability is crucial for success in finance, gamification can predict with a very high degree of accuracy how well someone is likely to perform in a finance role.  

The demand for gamification from the corporate sector is one reason for its growth. It is a very effective tool because it reveals whether a candidate really has the skills to excel in a particular role. Good gamification engines can capture whether an engineer’s visual-spatial or problem-solving prowess are up to the mark.

By matching profiles of millions of candidates, a gamification engine reveals whether individual candidates will excel in a leadership role or whether they are better suited to be supervised.  

The amount of data powering gamification is immense as profiles of millions of professionals reveal the cognitive aptitude necessary for success in a wide range of careers.  

HR software also helps retain valuable employees. Consider that once a valuable employee is onboard, keeping him or her productive and happy is important. However, regardless of how well an employee is paid and how well they perform, there will likely come a day when they decide to move on.  

Most employees today change jobs every few years and according to a 2017 report by Glassdoor, as many as 66% of millennials expect to change jobs by next year.

Clearly, a company that has a large number of millennial employees, will find processes and work disrupted when big staff exits take place. HR departments will naturally be burdened with replacing them with equally or better-qualified workers.  

This is where software backed by predictive analytic comes to the rescue. It helps identify employees who are considering changing jobs. After such an identification, the HR department can spring into action by either finding a suitable replacement quickly using HR software or by persuading the employee to remain stay put, using incentives the employee is likely to respond to.  

As organisations, job functions and technology grow more sophisticated, software to manage complexity will play an important role in an organisation’s success.  

HR software today serves as a force multiplier that streamlines recruitment, lowers recruitment costs and greatly enhances the chances of hiring the right candidates, all without increasing the need for hiring additional HR personnel. 

(Author is Co-founder at HR-One)