“The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will not occur because of technology but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human”. These beautiful words act synonymous to the current trends of automated recruitment process outsourcing. This thought provoking, yet realistic quote by John Naisbitt is a befitting metaphor for the results based on an OmniPulse survey retrieved by national polling firm, Research Now, on behalf of Randstad US. Since the concept of jobs has originated, the recruitment process outsourcing has always been carried out through personal interviews and other screening processes that strongly demand human interaction along with supervision by expert officials. From group discussions to panel interviews, the HR department has played a significant role in shaping the company’s future by conducting successful recruitments.

The above-mentioned processes conducted by human professionals help in appropriate evaluation of a job hunter on various psychological, moralistic, personal, creative and intellectual grounds. The indispensable personality assessment is also beneficial if carried under human supervision due the sole fact that some aspects can’t be replaced by technology and the results of the Randstad US survey proves the same. The survey was conducted over 1,200 adults and as per the results, 82% of the respondents weren’t in favour of an excessively automated job search experience.

The survey was conducted with the intent of studying the reactions and views of the respondents over the advent of automated technology in the recruitment process outsourcing and its implications. On further delving into the results, the revelation was quite conspicuous, as 95% of the respondents were not in favour of technology replacing the human interaction. However, they also pointed out that technology can be beneficial if used on a complementary basis to aid the recruitment experience. This has surely proven to be a slap on the face of technology fanatics as it is certainly not in congruence towards the fascination that technology has created in almost all spheres of today’s modernized era.

Further, 87% of the respondents agreed technology has made the recruitment process completely devoid of any human character or traits, which form very essential elements of a successful job search experience. Still, there is a widespread belief that the combination of technology with human connection can prove to be a lethal combination and can take the success rate of talent acquisition to new heights. This statement by CEO of Randstad North America Linda Galipeau, sums it up totally, “By leveraging emerging technologies, we are able to deliver on our clients’ and candidates’ expectations in a predominantly digital world, but with more freedom to focus on the human connection. If done correctly, the right combination of personal interaction with the power of today’s intelligent machines can create an experience that is inherently more human.”

The various products of emerging technology that are employed for recruiting best candidates include:

• Big Data
• Machine Learning
• Complex Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Tools for Detailed Analysis

These tools and products have proven to be beneficial for effective recruitment, but only to a certain extent. The wider notion is still in favour of recruitment by human interaction, whereas, technology is better to be kept as a backup or an aiding tool for the process. Therefore, the bottom line reveals that technology can’t replace recruiters and HR professionals as the basic essence of the whole procedure is human connection. At the same time, it is important to state that technology shall not be devalued as it has created an enormous revolution in the lifestyle of people and has marked the beginning of a new era by opening new horizons for people, since the 20th century. Due to this robust impact of technology in multiple sectors, candidates are aware of the worthiness of the technology-oriented processes, but when technology displaces the human aspect of any process, it can lead to backfiring accompanied by frustration among candidates and that is exactly what the legendary scientist Albert Einstein also stated once, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.”

There are various advantages associated with having a human resources department instead of solely relying on automated process for recruitment and effective talent acquisition. These advantages are not just restricted to simply processing payroll, but they play a vital role in the construction and implementation of the company’s strategies. Below are some of the core advantages of conducting the employment process through a dedicated human resource department-

Cost Savings

The total cost involved in hiring candidates through a fully automated process can easily shoot up to exorbitant levels, due to the high expenditure incurred in installing new technologies at a large-scale. Thus, it is much more sensible, especially for the small businesses to hire recruitment process outsourcing firm that involves human interaction at all levels.

Employee and Candidate Satisfaction

The desired candidate experience is achieved through an amalgamation of technology and human connection as observed in the results of the survey mentioned above, this is because human involvement initiate positive feedback of the probable employers. There are various aspects judged by recruitment professionals such as exchange of spiritual energies, judging the aura of candidate, communication skills, soft skills, thought process, socio- political awareness and positive impressions at a personal level that give a satisfying and accurate analysis of the candidate, making all of the job seekers feel valued, which an automated process can’t.

Resolution of Conflicts

The conflicts at workplace and the time of recruitment is major concern for companies. These conflicts are growing by the day due to increased competition and unemployment. At workplaces, these conflicts can arise due to different sensibilities, diversity of personalities, varying beliefs, and backgrounds. Thus, to resolve these conflicts, presence of an understanding, mature and patient professional is a must. The automated technology, however sophisticated it may be, will fall short of encouraging positive relationships among candidates and employees. It is highly important to have a team of practical and empathetic HR employees to deal with such conflicts.

So, before going for any automated technology, you must ensure that your chosen recruitment outsourcing firm must have human recruiters that can conduct the entire process in a traditional pattern, as at the end of the day, it is only going to matter. If you are looking for world-class recruitment process outsourcing services, look no further than Profit by RPO. #1 RPO Company India, Profit by RPO offers numerous services, including Offshore Research Specialists, Offshore Dedicated Recruiters and Bench Marketing, just to name a few.