This is useful to a point. Whilst algorithms and huge databases allow us to analyse vast amounts of data quickly, the accuracy has to be questioned. What if a CV is outdated? What if the CV is a poor representation of the individual? Or a poor representation of what they’re looking for? These issues have, as we’ve found, caused massive headaches for recruiters and employers looking for candidates, largely down to the amount of time wasted contacting and meeting candidates who were simply not interested or right for the role.
To try and solve these issues, we’ve tried to understand how to move away from the current databases in this industry which are all time stamped to an extent. We’ve seen the use of live data a lot in other areas, such as taxis, dating, holidays etc. but never really in recruitment. Throughout this article, I’ll be looking at how recruiters and employers can utilise live candidate data effectively to identify relevant candidates.
Firstly, identifying what information to collect is important. There is a fine line between collecting useful information which isn’t of detriment to the job seeker’s experience, and collecting lots of useless information which may limit the candidate’s experience. We found that the most useful information to recruiters is knowing what people are searching for, when they’re searching for it and why they’re not applying for their jobs – as well as having the ability to see who has just browsed their jobs and why they’ve not applied.
Once this information has been collected, it’s then down to the recruiters and employers to utilise this new information to streamline their recruitment process. Obviously how this information is used is down to the recruiter/employer, but in order to get the most out of this information it is important to react to it. This data is collected straight from what job seeker’s have told us, as such, it’s generally very accurate. If you’ve seen, for example, a disproportionate amount of people not applying to your job because they feel they’re ‘overskilled’, then you may well be losing the best candidates by not offering enough responsibility with the position.
Similarly, with wages or location. Is there room for salary negotiation if the candidate is truly excellent? Is there a possibility for the individual to work remotely if they’re perfect for the role? If this is the case, then it may be beneficial to include this information in your job post. Previously, these kind of individuals will have been lost in the process. They’ll have simply scrolled over the job, unaware of these possibilities. Similarly, the recruiter would be unaware of their existence. Without the use of live data and without access to this passive market many thousands of potentially valuable candidates have been lost. With access to this passive marketplace through a live candidate database, however, these candidates would be presented to you in real time and job seekers would get a level of exposure never before accessible.
Another benefit of utilising live databases is the ability to compare the relative success or failure of job posts to identify where your job adverts are resonating with job seekers, and where they’re not. In the past, we’d only see the discrepancy between the quality and quantity of individuals applying through our job adverts. With live data, we can see exactly why there is this discrepancy, allowing us to make alterations to future job adverts to optimise their reach.
Overall, the ability to access the passive market through the medium of a constantly evolving live database has seen recruiters from sole traders to multinational firms get excited. The uses for this information are seemingly endless, with a couple of the more practical applications mentioned above. The ability to see in real time what people are searching for and why they’re not applying to certain jobs, will allow recruiters to identify more relevant candidates far more efficiently
With more information than ever before available to recruiters, it is certain that the recruitment process is only going to get more efficient moving forwards.
Jropp has created the first live candidate database of its kind, allowing recruiters and employers to have access to candidates never before accessible, whilst simultaneously providing information on why people haven’t applied for jobs. We have had excellent support from companies and employers looking to be a part of our national launch so far, as they have unlimited access with a 60 day no obligation free trial, and we are even loading their current vacancies onto the site for free. For more information, head to jropp.com.
Alex is a proud Teesside Graduate and founder of Jropp Jobs.
He experienced the difficulties of recruitment first hand,
when working as a recruitment consultant in London. He then
went on to creating Jropp, which is the first company to
offer real time information about the passive candidate market.
For further information, visit www.jropp.com
