The rise of digital in the hiring process

We’re well aware that digital is now an important aspect of all that we do in society. It plays a pivotal role in how we communicate, how we book holidays and other travel excursions, and is now also beginning to have an impact on the hiring process within the world of business. Can the experience of human interaction truly be replaced by a digital decision maker when it comes to making crucial hiring choices, however? Can we really trust an online system to be 100% secure? Here, we look the rise of digital in the hiring process and the potential issues arising from the employment of new technologies within the recruitment process.

When we think of recruitment very few candidates are now ever asked for paper CVs in the first instance, as once would have been common practice. Nowadays it’s more widely expected that a CV will be sent over email, or that a would-be employee will be asked to input their details into an online form. In terms of sourcing candidates, UK businesses are also increasingly relying on social media to find the right kind of individuals for possible recruitment, utilising platforms such as LinkedIn to promote vacancies on a much wider scale than before. In 2016, a study from Alexander Mann Solutions showed 37% of recruiters felt their primary source of finding talent was through social and media outlets. We can’t help but wonder how many of these recruiters consider the possibility of fake accounts or catfishing in the business world, therefore, and whether there is a thorough process in place to ensure each of these accounts is validated before an individual is pursued for potential job opportunities.

Nevertheless, studies indicate that we’re now more likely than not to turn to digital when searching for prospective applicants, which may be suitable in the first instance – but should we be conducting the whole recruitment process online? Theoretically, organisations are now able to conduct the entire recruitment process through online systems from start to finish, and there are certainly some looking to adopt this approach. CVs and previous employment information can be shared online, any questions usually asked in an interview can be filled out online or conducted through Skype (which 55 per cent of recruiters said they use in the recruitment process), and background checks are also performed through an online system at the same time. All of the information required can then be stored online, perhaps directly within a company system forming a record of all parts of the process, all of which – in theory – sounds incredibly useful. Yet, we only have to look at the recent example of the NHS cyber attack to understand how easy it is for individuals to break into an outline platform if they are determined and digitally skilled enough. Should this happen, all of your staff personnel information is left vulnerable, as well as the entire security of your business.

It’s better to question, therefore, whether being completely dependent on technology during the staff recruitment is actually the safest option. If you are in charge of employee recruitment, you bear the sole responsibility of ensuring that each and every candidate is a safe and reliable fit for your organisation. For this reason, it’s important to note that the human element cannot be underestimated during the employment process. Much of the time, you will be looking for a candidate who is not only qualified but will personally sit well within with the rest of your team and, realistically, an online document cannot tell you this, while personal interaction is much more likely to. After conducting a face-to-face interview, performing a background check can support in helping you to make a more educated hiring decision by providing you with previous employment history, any record of criminal history and reference checks from previous employers. Doing this will set you apart from the 50 per cent of hiring failures that are attributed to gut instinct hires.

If you would like to speak to a member of the CBS team with regards to your background screening requirements, you can call us on 01443 799 900or email us: info@cbscreening.co.uk