Most job sites are the same—with the majority still wired to solve the problems of decades past, like simply connecting people to jobs. And while some platforms have additional capabilities like networking features, the core function of each remains the same.
Here is a basic outline of the standard recruitment workflow that’s been around since dial-up days: a recruiter posts a job on a job site, job seekers view the job, and apply with resumes. The recruiter then goes through all responses, reads resumes, shortlists, and progresses through to further stages. Rinse and repeat.
And while some progress has been made in hiring practices over the last few years, especially when it comes to companies wanting to make the process fairer and more equitable for diverse candidates, recent research commissioned by WithYouWithMe has revealed that organisations overwhelmingly still rely on traditional recruitment methods—with 92% using reference checks, resumes, and cover letters to screen applicants.
It’s not that recruiters and hiring managers haven’t identified that resumes can be problematic—most are aware of a resume’s shortcomings. And this is exactly why cover letters were introduced. The introduction of the cover letter was the recruiter’s way of saying “don’t dump resumes on me, write me a letter telling me who you are and why you’re the right fit for the role”. While initially a great concept and way to get to know the jobseeker better (and put the onus back on them to do the work) cover letters became less effective over time, and recruiters got stuck having to read both cover letters and resumes.
Not only do resumes limit a recruiter’s ability to understand a candidate’s true potential, but they can also hinder diversity in the hiring process. While most organisations today are keen to diversify their workforce and accommodate diverse candidates, details such as a candidate’s gender, age, and race can often be gleaned from resumes, which can cause unconscious biases to creep in.
This brings us to a very important question: How can a recruiter get to know a candidate and understand their true potential—successfully and unbiasedly? Simply asking them will not give recruiters a proper representation because candidates will only be able to share how they view themselves, much like how a resume functions. If a first-person opinion was sufficient, we wouldn’t have 360-degree performance reviews.
We need a better way to understand who job seekers really are in terms of their capabilities and what kind of roles they are likely to succeed in, rather than just a summary of their experience to date. We need visibility into a person’s ‘underlying capabilities’—strengths they may not have yet tapped into over the course of their career. This can be achieved through looking at a candidate’s cognitive ability.
Cognitive ability, which can be measured through psychometric or aptitude testing, is considered a successful indicator of job performance. These tools determine candidate’s suitability to a role by assessing their ‘potential’ over their ‘experience’ then uncover a candidate’s strengths and areas they will excel in, while removing potential for bias. Psychometric and aptitude testing makes identifying the right talent easier—especially when it comes to overlooked talent pools like women, military spouses, neurodivergent individuals, refugees, and indigenous people.
Assessing talent on their ‘potential’ over their ‘experience’ is not just a highly effective recruiting strategy—it’s an equally strong career mobility strategy for a business’s already existing employee base. Once you know the underlying capabilities of your team, you can be prepared to adapt and scale your workforce as the need arises to ensure the future success of your business. Your projections are no longer a wish list, they become clear and actionable roadmaps.
According to WithYouWithMe’s research, only 32% of managers say they have used psychometric or aptitude testing showing that there’s huge opportunity for recruiters to tap into this effective way of screening and hiring talent. My observation is that we are not in a talent shortage crisis. We are not lacking talent, but rather we are lacking visibility into the huge pool of potential that exists in the Australia market. These are people very capable of performing the in-demand skills so desperately needed. They just need their potential to be identified. The future of work is about talent creation.
Prashant Bhaskar is Global Vice President of Product at WithYouWithMe – a tech start-up that works with government agencies and leading organisations globally to address the digital skills shortage while making a positive social impact.