Human interaction, whether by professional networking, social networks or acquired reputations, is still critical and should in no way be overlooked when discussing the recruiting and hiring process. And whilst that is incredibly important another very important path to cover when developing one’s career, is the one driven by existing and emerging technologies intended to streamline and optimise the process of employment.
Currently this varies from online job board advertisement positions to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which parse resumes for Human Resources and Recruiters, and now Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning Tools designed to assess the job prospects of candidates. How to position yourself for these digital aids and gatekeepers in an advantageous way needs to be a key component of a well-planned career growth strategy. Let us look at each of these technical features in a current light.
Online work boards are not very modern, complicated or in short supply. They are little more than interactive websites which post employers job descriptions. More recent are work search engines such as Indeed and Simply Employed that rummage work posts from a variety of sources aggregating the internet.
Such sites are seductive in that they offer a work store appearance with ample quantities of positions just ready for you to pick up when shopping. An unsuccessful tactic is to spend hours reacting to board jobs with the only thing created being recruiters trying to attract you to 100 percent commission sales jobs with high turnover. However, working with job boards is not a total waste of time and good work can be done. It is recommended that you spend about 10 to 20 percent of your work search time using the boards by being patient and selective on what you are reacting to.
ATS software helps recruiters to compile large lists of candidates and their related requirements, such as credentials, job background, degrees obtained, etc., which are most useful for hiring managers when deciding who to approach for interviews. For those of us who are trying to secure an interview, we need to be aware of preparing keyword-rich resumes with contextually used words that match our skills and experience with the roles and results listed in job descriptions.
Therefore, despite the need for an ATS-friendly resume that is simultaneously appealing to human readers, the challenge is to find a visually attractive format that does not confuse the ATS. That can be very tricky. If you want a designer resume that looks like those on a website for a series of photos, then forget to pass ATS muster. And with so many businesses using ATS, the best approach may be to pay tribute to the many requirements required not to be digitally rejected in a millisecond, while adding enough aesthetics, and of course solid material, not to make your resume look like just another slice of white bread. Achieving this degree of resuming optimisation is a required aim.
The new development, expected to proliferate in usage and complexity, involves AI’s influence in hiring decisions. There is a growing belief that depending on the skills of an applicant alone will not reliably yield better employees. The changing thinking is to further analyse personality with the goal of seeking a well-rounded and cooperative colleague. To this end, AI is being deployed to classify personality characteristics gleaned from resumes, online profiles, presences on social media, appearances on videos, you name it. This is evidently seen as less biased than human observers.
Developing a clear brand and value proposition that incorporates both your technical skills and your style of work / interpersonal characteristics across all channels can be prudent to introduce both human and technological appraisers.
Preparing for the evolution and encroachment of technology into hiring decisions, and by expanding career growth, has become a necessity in today’s world of work.
