Graduate recruitment is set to change according to top global companies at a seminar event held by WCN, the leading UK and global e-Recruitment software provider. 5 graduate recruiters from 51 companies discussed how great talent is identified and how recruitment technology engages potential candidates.
The event which was attended by many, including the likes of KPMG, British Airways, J.P Morgan and Microsoft, highlighted five key developments that will change graduate e-Recruitment over the next months. Opening the seminar was Charles Hipps, CEO at WCN e-Recruitment, who remarked:
“Online and social media has revolutionised the way in which the recruitment industry is able to work. The online revolution has allowed a wider talent pool to be reached, and third party endorsements via social media channels are becoming more important. This year I believe that video interviewing is going to play an important role in more forward thinking organisations. If you think a picture paints 1,000 words, a video does far more!”
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VIDEO INTERVIEWING
Video interviewing were the words on everyone’s lips, although it’s been around for some time, it is set to become mainstream activity in many market sectors. The speed of adoption though is still up for debate, although the technology is already in place for most. Most companies who’d trialled video interviewing found it easy to use. Younger candidates were very adept at video interview and answering a list of recruiter provided questions at a time that suited them. From a recruiter’s point of view, they can watch, review and assess the videos whenever and however many times they want and share them internally. Typically, most companies seemed to be using the process early on in the hiring cycle, and often used as an alternative to telephone or first-round interviews.
MOBILE
Mobile is always on and is always accessible and your job vacancies need to be too. An attendee from J.P. Morgan highlighted this importance ‘no matter what time zone, graduates can and will access the internet anywhere’. A mobile job seeker will potentially have limited time and bandwidth, plus a small screen to view content, so career sites must be mobile-optimised and be able to adapt to the device being used.
GOOGLE HANGOUT
Google+ hangouts also generated a lot of buzz during the seminar. After launching in 2013, global companies are realising its potential to connect with their fans and followers. The key is to use the virtual events on Google hangout to attract budding talent. Top companies are creating interaction with candidates by creating an event with a company’s CEO to encourage participants to check out the company’s career website for openings, while the Google+ hangout facilitators send participants a direct link to the site using the chat box.
GAMIFICATION
Predicted to be a game-changer in graduate recruitment, gamification works by encouraging users to engage in game-like behaviours, in non-game contexts. Brands that are choosing to use gamification are obtaining higher levels of retention, improving employer branding, building bigger online communities, increasing the efficiency of recruitment processes and most importantly – hiring the very best digital talent out there. It is predicted that over 70 per cent of Forbes Global 2000 organisations will have at least one gamified application by the end of 2014 (source research firm Gartner).
TRACKING
To keep track of candidates after application, pre-application or from an event is vital for a company wanting to create and manage its own graduate talent pool. Using the latest technology will make it easier to collect a wide range of data on candidates, which could then be used to identify ‘top talent’ and connect them with the department that best suited their skills.
For more information about WCN please visit www.wcn.co.uk
