The Uber of HR
Technology and the rise of Candidate Management Systems (CMS) have revolutionised the way HR do recruitment. They have made processes more efficient, more convenient and more likely to succeed in the long-term, in that they can increase the likelihood of finding the right candidate first time.
The problem with CVs
CVs have long been at the heart of recruitment, but this is changing and for good reason. Not only is reviewing CVs time consuming, but details are also lacking and sometimes inaccurate. They are easily embellished, often written by other people and whilst they list skills and experience, they don’t show aptitude. Personality and values are also not portrayed on paper, and these are often key in determining how successful an employee will be in a company.
Shortlisting from CVs is challenging. For one thing, there is no standardisation, so comparisons are hard to make – it isn’t always clear what makes one candidate better than another, and also how one candidate fares against ideal job criteria. Rely purely on CVs and you risk turning down the perfect candidate for a candidate who maybe has the experience you need, but not the personality.
Candidate management systems
Once you have CVs and applications they need to be organised and managed, and this is where CMSs come in. They collate candidate information, track application progress and make reviewing and contacting candidates easier – they standardise applications. Features vary substantially, but generally candidates apply online and information is automatically uploaded into the system, which is beneficial for you and for candidates. You save time on organisation and candidates get flexibility and can apply from anywhere and at any time. But, CVs are still very much a part of CMSs as many rely on CV parsing, which is essentially using technology to scan CVs and applications for keywords relevant to the role. Data are then extracted into the database for you to review later. The problem, however, is that candidates can be accepted or rejected for the wrong reasons. Great candidates may be put aside for missing out certain keywords from their application and less suitable ones maybe selected purely because they filled their CV with the right keywords.
Psychometric testing
If you’ve ever let an employee go because of bad attitude or inappropriate behaviour, you will know that personality and behaviour matter. This is not something you can work out from a CV. Interviews offer an opportunity to meet candidates but not all candidates show their true selves on interview day, whether that is because of the need to impress or the presence of nerves, so your assessment may not be accurate. Psychometric and behavioural tests, however, tell you exactly what you need to know. They assess skills and competencies as well as how candidates work, what motivates them and whether they will work well with your existing team. But, depending on where you include these tests in your process, you may still have to review a whole pile of CVs to decide who to shortlist and who to ask to complete psychometric tests – the focus is still initially on CVs.
The solution: e-Talent
CMSs and psychometrics are helping to change the way HR do recruitment individually, but together their impact on recruitment is huge. And, combining them is exactly what e-Talent have done, along with removing the need for CVs. Candidates apply online by answering a series of questions that assess skills and experience, and by completing psychometric personality and behavioural tests. Results are analysed and compared with your ideal criteria and candidates are ranked based on their suitability – your shortlist is created without you having to read a single application, and it is more likely to include your perfect employee. So, free yourself from CVs and talk to us today!
