Big data is becoming more and more important to organisational success and is changing the face of recruitment. However, it is not just important to have access to this data, but the right tools and expertise to analyse it.
Organisations, in particular small to medium-sized organisations, face considerable challenges when seeking the best talent. Online recruitment marketing, job advertising and branding can deliver a range of candidates; but after advertising, interviewing, shortlisting, hiring and onboarding, analysing all that data can be the most overwhelming and time-consuming part of the process.
While big data is changing the face of recruitment and is fast becoming critical to organisational success, it can potentially inundate day-to-day business. Therefore, it is not just important to obtain data, but to have the right tools and expertise to analyse it correctly.
Michael A. Morell reporting for Wired states: “There’s no shortage of workforce analytics and applicant tracking systems designed for recruiting purposes, and many are great at gathering and aggregating “transactional information.” But the trick isn’t merely in collecting the data–it’s in interpreting it, and understanding the importance (or lack thereof of) [of] each data point.
“Today, recruiters need to be able to understand big data, which boils down to discovery, [visualisation] and insight.”
So how can you interpret and understand data points?
Set benchmarks for reporting
The best data provides insight, facilitates analysis and enables organisations to find the right candidates quickly. Anne Evans reporting for ERE explains how Unity Technologies uses data to do just that. They input good quality data into a recruiting funnel, analyse the data against set benchmarks, share data with industry peers, then present their findings with hiring managers, leaders and executive staff.
They use data to increase diversity in their organisation, assessing which departments are interviewing and offering positions to diverse candidates.
Create a funnel to select candidates
Big data proves useful in talent analytics in that it can quickly funnel a large volume of applicants into a select few.
Evans explains, “Your applicant tracking system needs to have quality data going into it. At Unity, we use the following eight stages for our recruiting funnel: Application Review, Recruiter Phone Screen, Hiring Manager Screen, Code Challenge, Onsite, Second Onsite, Reference Check, and Offer. Our recruiters and hiring managers are trained on the stages and what they mean. We make sure that every new position uses the same stages by having only a few people have access to change stages.”
This is particularly useful for fast-growing organisations and those that need to reduce time to hire. It can reveal weaknesses in your current recruiting process to streamline or improve. Big data can also be useful in assessing personal interaction and communication, for example, which candidates responded to emails and which attended their interviews.
“At the end of the day, big data — when used properly — is a good thing for everyone involved. Recruiters can save time, companies will get positions filled by the right candidates more quickly, and candidates will be matched with the jobs of their dreams.”
Using data to your advantage can be beneficial all round. It saves recruiters time, helps organisations fill positions with the best people, and matches candidates with jobs they love.
How does your organisation analyse recruitment data? Tell us in the comments.
Sources
Big data brings big changes to recruiting process
Michael A. Morell
Wired
How we use data and analytics to make the best hiring decisions
Anne Evans
ERE