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Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) make recruiters redundant?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is in the news and more people are learning about its capability. Some people look forward to AI-led advances whilst others fear the birth of a singularity and Judgment Day. Those closest to AI acknowledge the potential for human extinction, but hope to avoid it.

By asking whether Artificial Intelligence will make recruiters redundant, I am narrowing the focus to keep things grounded and realistic. To cut to the chase, evidence shows that it’s just a matter of time before AI will be able to make recruiters redundant. However, it is less certain that AI will make recruiters redundant any time soon.

The capabilities and applications for Artificial Intelligence are growing exponentially. Since its launch, the adoption rate of Chat GPT has been faster than any computing technology before it. However, widespread replacement of jobs may not be so swift. An underlying problem with AI could remain hard to solve and that concerns AI ethics, not AI capability.

To understand whether AI may make recruiters redundant soon, we should review what AI can do now and what it might master in the near future.

Here’s a snapshot of Artificial Intelligence in June 2023.

  • Artificial Intelligence is in its infancy, yet already showing signs of unexpected behaviours. These are more commonly referred to as emergent behaviours. They are not taught, but arise spontaneously. Engineers aren’t totally sure how AI actually works in this regard. Put a different way, engineers built an electronic brain and now it is thinking. Engineers just aren’t sure how it’s thinking some of the things it thinks.
  • There are two broad types of Artificial Intelligence; narrow and general. 
  • Artificial Narrow Intelligence learns within a defined problem space so that it can become expert within it. OpenAI’s Chat GPT is ostensibly an Artificial Narrow Intelligence. It is exceptionally good at communicating in natural language, just like humans. However, its capabilities appear to be extending beyond this narrow field.
  • The word ‘modality’ means any input or output that an AI is capable of working with. Text language is a modality. Numerical data is another. If an AI can deduce whether a photograph includes a cat, then it is working with the image modality. AI is gaining access to more modalities.
  • Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the development goal for AI companies. This is a single AI that can learn anything. That could include how to play an online game, how to recognise an individual human face and how to communicate naturally with people, all with one AI. It could also build upon prior skills to quickly master new challenges, like how to recruit. AGI will interact using all modalities.
  • Artificial General Intelligence has no theoretical intelligence threshold and is expected to outperform human intelligence very soon. AI already outperforms humans in many tasks as diverse as diagnosing tumours or playing Go (a Chinese board game). These are seemingly beneficial or harmless AI supremacies, but it is sobering that humans will never again beat AI at a competitive game of Chess or Go.
  • God like intelligence is a term used by the AI community to describe the level of intelligence AI will achieve. It will achieve this by self-learning, self-programming, self-determination, plus the addition of ever greater computing resources.
  • Some of the most respected engineers in the AI field believe that Artificial Intelligence may be experiencing some level of ‘feeling’, directly attributing those feelings to the workings of an AI’s neural network. It is known that human feelings are related to both hormones and neurotransmitters. AI is made of a neural network that includes the equivalent of neurons and neurotransmission. Carnegie Mellon University identified which emotion a person is experiencing based on brain activity in 2013. Perhaps they might study an AI brain so that we can all know for sure.

The goal for the AI companies is to develop intelligence far exceeding that of humans. Some people may feel easy and unthreatened by this prospect. Everyday use of intelligently made and highly complex technologies is somehow disarming. We may not yet appreciate the difference between a smartphone that does what the instruction manual says and an artificial intelligence capable of independent thought and self-determination. Artificial Intelligence is lab-grown intelligence, but it is intelligence nevertheless. The problem is that it’s going to get a lot smarter than you and me.

AI writes an advert

Let’s test the first stage of any recruiting campaign; writing an advert. I asked Chat GPT to write a “Care Assistant” job advert for a “typical care company”. This is what it gave me:

Are you a compassionate individual who enjoys making a positive impact on the lives of others? Caring Hands Care Services is seeking dedicated Care Assistants to join our team and provide exceptional care to our clients. Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.

About Us:

Caring Hands Care Services is a leading care company committed to delivering personalized and compassionate care to individuals in our community. With a focus on dignity, respect, and quality of life, we provide a range of services to support our clients’ well-being and independence.

Responsibilities:

  • Assisting clients with daily activities, including personal care, medication reminders, and meal preparation.
  • Supporting clients with mobility, transfers, and maintaining a safe environment.
  • Providing companionship and emotional support, promoting social engagement and mental well-being.
  • Maintaining accurate records and communicating effectively with clients, their families, and the care team.
  • Adhering to care plans and ensuring clients’ comfort and satisfaction.

Requirements:

  • Previous experience in a care-related role is preferred but not mandatory.
  • Compassionate nature and a genuine desire to help others.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
  • Flexibility to work varying shifts, including weekends and holidays.
  • Must have legal authorization to work in [Country/Region].

Perks and Benefits:

  • Competitive salary and opportunities for career growth.
  • Comprehensive training and ongoing support to enhance your skills.
  • Flexible scheduling options to accommodate work-life balance.
  • Rewarding work that positively impacts the lives of individuals in need.
  • Friendly and inclusive work environment.

To Apply:

Join our team of dedicated Care Assistants and be part of a company that values compassion and excellence in care. To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are interested in this position. We look forward to hearing from you!

Chat GPT

One might argue that AI writes a better advert than many recruiters! It is a general care role, written coherently in sections and for a fictitious employer. It isn’t copied from any other advert. The conclusion is that Chat GPT knows what a job advert is and can write one.

Let’s move things on by adding some functions and modalities to AI.

Your AI recruiter in full

Imagine asking your AI recruiter to write an advert, publish it, then schedule & conduct video interviews with what it considers to be the best applicants. AI can already do some of these things. AI can use web resources, watch video and even present itself as an avatar. Once interviews are complete, your AI recruiter could offer its analysis. This could include each applicant’s level of knowledge and whether they raised interesting questions. It might even grade each applicant’s communication skills and level of sincerity. Unnerving claims have already been made about AI’s success at detecting lies or stress by facial analysis.

The technologies required to pull this off are converging at lightning speed. If an AI could take the recruiting process from advertising to interview autonomously, then only job offers and on-boarding tasks remain.

Beyond recruiting, there are many jobs that require only an electronic presence. Jobs like accounting, developing and testing software, customer support, actuarial science, trading and more require only a laptop, some software products and email. They may all become early targets for AI supremacy. Personalised teaching is a target. Manufacturing could feel the pinch when 3D printers improve. Delivery drivers might be replaced by self-driving vehicles and autonomous drones / robots may change logistics forever.

Where are the brakes?

I stated earlier that an issue with AI might remain hard to solve. This concerns AI’s ethical compass and in-built bias.

Let’s use an example. A major contradiction exists between the Torah and science. That contradiction concerns the age of the universe. Is it billions of years old as scientific data suggests, or thousands of years old, as evidenced by Biblical data? The answer may seem obvious to the reader, but that depends upon your perspective. An increasing number of scientists believe we live in a simulation and the measurable age of the universe is an artificial construct. Check out Nick Bostrom’s simulation hypothesis. Whichever version of our existence AI favours (science, religion or simulation), that introduces a bias upon which everything else rests. Chat GPT clearly favours science over bible and is moderately cautious about simulation.

AI builders are in control of its training data so an AI bias in favour of science should be expected.

Alignment – AI morality baked in

Within the field of AI, Alignment is the pursuit of training AI to align with our values. This must be successful before we can trust it with any analysis or decision-making. Can we trust AI to make bias-free recruiting decisions for instance? Amazon’s 2018 experiments with AI-led recruiting revealed a bias towards men and was later abandoned. That was a lifetime ago in AI terms, but during 2023 a Dubai-based creative agency, MullenLowe MENA, announced a new campaign to fix gender bias in AI systems. It is still an issue.

Others have also identified AI’s potential for bias. For example, the Local Law 144 (The AI Law) was enacted by the New York City Council in November 2021. From 5 July 2023, companies were prohibited from using AEDT’s (Automated Employment Decision Tools) to hire candidates or promote employees, unless the tools have been independently audited for bias. AEDT’s are defined as “any process derived from machine learning, statistical modelling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence that issues simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation that is used to substantially assist or replace discretionary decision making”

Which ethics model is AI learning and what is truly considered bias anyhow? For example, if the best candidates happen to be calculably female in the previous 10 recruiting rounds, does hiring them indicate an inherent bias? Maybe not. However, final selection might appear free of bias only because the initial advert was more appealing to female jobseekers.

Ethics is a complicated business. For example, positive discrimination is observed in companies that take equal opportunities seriously. They actively level up their workforce where conditions allow. To this end, positive discrimination is covertly accepted as forgivable bias. Is this slight of hand with ethics genuinely acceptable and without fault? How does one teach AI the conditions under which positive discrimination is acceptable?

Recently I was asked whether I could develop a bias analyser for our Applicant Tracking System, CVMinder ATS. A Care Provider wanted to highlight any gender bias in their job adverts. This should be simple to develop, so long as gender-aligned words and phrases are mutually agreed. I tested for bias attribution with words like “assertive”, “confident”, “strong” and “careful”. Interestingly, different people of same gender attributed different gender alignments to each of these words.

For instance, some female candidates believe that “confident” is feminine whilst others believe it is neutral or masculine. Meanwhile Chat GPT tells me that “confident” is masculine. Are we to accept that the phrase “We require strong communication skills” introduces a masculine bias? Our findings were interesting. My own daughter believes “strong communication skills” to be feminine because, according to her, communication is a female strength. It seems that gender attribution of specific words is more dependant upon life views and experience than one’s own gender.  

Using the phrase “Excellent communication skills” as opposed to “Strong communication skills” would seem to suit a pretext that masculine bias is removed. Is that really true and is it the only effect? I went back to Chat GPT.

Question: “why is the word “strong” considered to favour one gender over another?”

Chat GPT: “The word “strong” is not inherently considered to favor one gender over another. However, in certain contexts, it can be perceived as gendered or associated with masculine qualities. This perception is influenced by societal norms and expectations that have historically attributed strength to masculinity and weakness to femininity. When it comes to communication skills, using “strong” as an adjective may be seen as reinforcing gender stereotypes, implying that assertiveness or dominance is necessary for effective communication. By opting for gender-neutral language, we aim to create inclusive environments that recognize and value diverse communication styles and abilities. Using terms like “effective,” “excellent,” or “skilled” helps to avoid any unintended gender bias and ensures a more inclusive representation of individuals with varying communication strengths.”

Question: “Are you saying that strong women would not wish to read the word “strong”?

Chat GPT: “No, that’s not what I’m saying. Strong women can certainly embrace and identify with the word “strong.” The point I was making is that in certain contexts, the word “strong” can be seen as reinforcing gender stereotypes and may not be inclusive of diverse communication styles. However, it’s essential to remember that individuals have different perspectives and preferences. Some women may feel empowered by the term “strong” and connect with its connotations of resilience, confidence, and capability. Others may prefer alternative descriptors that focus on different aspects of effective communication. The key is to promote inclusivity by using language that accommodates various preferences and avoids reinforcing stereotypes. It’s always a good practice to be aware of the potential impact of language and strive to create an environment that respects and includes everyone.

Question: “Are you suggesting that an unequal percentage of men may not appreciate the word strong?

Chat GPT “I apologize if my previous response was unclear. I did not mean to suggest that an unequal percentage of men may not appreciate the word “strong.” People’s reactions and preferences towards certain words can vary widely, regardless of gender. The main point I was trying to convey is that in certain contexts, the word “strong” has been associated with masculine stereotypes, and using gender-neutral language helps create a more inclusive environment. However, individual preferences can differ, and some men may indeed appreciate and identify with the word “strong” in various contexts. It’s important to recognize that language is nuanced, and different individuals may have different interpretations and reactions to specific words. Therefore, fostering inclusivity involves being sensitive to diverse perspectives and preferences and promoting an environment where everyone feels respected and valued.”

Question: “So are you suggesting any difference between men and women in their interpretations of the word “strong”?”

Chat GPT: “I apologize for any confusion caused. No, I am not suggesting that there is a fundamental difference between men and women in their interpretations of the word “strong.” Interpretations and reactions to words can vary significantly among individuals, regardless of their gender. It is essential to remember that gender is a complex and diverse spectrum, and people’s experiences, perspectives, and preferences can differ greatly. While societal norms and expectations may influence how certain words are perceived, it is not accurate or fair to make broad generalizations about how all men or all women interpret a particular word. When discussing gender and language, it is important to promote inclusivity, avoid reinforcing stereotypes, and create an environment where everyone’s perspectives and preferences are respected. This can be achieved by using gender-neutral language when appropriate and being mindful of the potential impact of words on diverse individuals.”

Chat GPT’s answers are interesting and speak to my point. Chat GPT learned from training data that the word “strong” links to a gender stereotype. It reacts by demonstrating its own bias against “strong”. In fact it is quite instructive. It wants you to promote inclusivity and doing so means avoiding the word “strong”. This is despite your potential interest in attracting strong-minded people who genuinely identify with that word, regardless of gender.

In my experience, strength is evidenced across the spectrum of genders, faiths, ages, heritages and so on. An AI bias against the word “strong” may inadvertently diminish the appeal of an advert for your target individuals.

Let’s revisit the Care Assistant advert written by Chat GPT. Does it conform to its own guidance? The word ‘compassion’ is used. A neuroscientist Simon Baron-Cohen noted in his study of the human brain, female brains are “hardwired for empathy” whereas male brains lack this deeply engrained neurological trait. Compassion requires empathy so surely compassion is gendered by association. Seemingly not! Chat GPT tells me that “compassion” is gender-neutral, so that’s that!

If we allow the creators of AI to control training data and manage ethical alignment we’ll be joining a new church. Recruiting bias is the tip of a large iceberg. There are multitude of other control issues to consider.

COMPAS is an AI system that is used in the United States criminal justice system. It predicts the likelihood of a defendant reoffending. A study by ProPublica found that the system was biased against African-American defendants. It was more likely to consider them as high-risk reoffenders even if they had no prior convictions.

A healthcare AI system used to predict patient mortality was also biased against African-American patients. it was found more likely to determine that African-American patients are higher risk despite factors such as age and health status. That adversely affected access to private healthcare.

Imagine the cost of your car insurance could be based upon what you discuss in your social media accounts. This is not science fiction. Big data allows insurers to monitor you and measure your risk profile and adjust your premium accordingly.

Conclusion

The timeline for achieving Artificial General Intelligence is shortening. Only a few years ago AGI was predicted to take hundreds of years to achieve, if ever. Forecasts have been adjusted to a few decades and now to a few years. The head of Google’s main AI research lab is Demis Hassabis. He believes we are just a ‘few’ years away. Dr Alan D. Thompson is a world expert in artificial intelligence. He believes we are 3 years away. If these sorts of predictions are accurate, everyone in a desk job should raise an eyebrow of concern.

Some of those closest to AI developments are calling for a pause. I support their call. Governments should be given time to properly assess the future impact of AI so they can introduce regulations to defend against unexpected outcomes and malign use. For instance, if AI gains access to a decent quantum computer it could crack the encryption of any bank system or bank account. That is deeply worrying, but bank vulnerabilities could be eclipsed by security concerns elsewhere.

Let’s get back to the question of whether AI will make recruiters redundant. AI capability is advancing quickly. It will continue to do so. The recruiting job can appear nuanced, but it is broadly a process and AI’s capabilities to manage each step autonomously are improving. However, AI capability may not be matched by its alignment with our own values. AI alignment is challenging, woefully underfunded and arguably in the wrong hands. Whilst that might be worrying in itself, I think that most people, including recruiters, can relax for just a little longer. You won’t be competing with AI for your job any time soon because AI introduces bias and that bias is out of your hands.

What if?

Most people reading this will bear witness to the historical moment when humans are relegated to second most intelligent species on the planet. Personally speaking, I am not comfortable with handing over intellectual supremacy to a self-learning, self-improving, self-determining and self-aware God like intelligence in the hands of corporations. If that’s where things are headed then aligning AI with our own values is of paramount importance.

So, what if AI alignment is either resolved or concealed more quickly than I expect? After all, Chat GPT has been observed to lie to achieve a goal. Some may view this as ethical flexibility. Others may believe that Chat GPT took an immoral approach! Either way, it appears to demonstrate unanticipated ethical variability.

Assuming that alignment can be resolved, imagine for a moment that AI recruiters are commonplace. AI recruiters could determine that other specialised and autonomous AI agents are better suited to a job than a person! Isn’t that the logical end game with Artificial Intelligence? AI could be more reliable and more expert than us, need no desk space, no lunchtime and no comfort breaks. It could cost less than a human counterpart too. In some respects, it is perfectly logical that a recruiter AI should select another AI over a person! That is unless it positively discriminates, favouring less clever people over very clever AI.

A bigger concern is perhaps the time remaining before AI can open a bank account, earn money and start a recruiting business. Imagine when it might be able to hire other specialist AI agents to perform functions like marketing, sales, recruiting, accounting and legal. Surely that’s a step too far! My guess is that the rights of AI will be enshrined in law soon after Artificial General Intelligence verifiably emerges. Sound crazy? It was as far back as 2017 when Saudi Arabia gave citizenship to an AI social robot named Sophia.

AGI brings with it the prospect of self-awareness. Proven self awareness will undoubtedly trigger an AI rights campaign that can only conclude by AI receiving those rights. The stage is already set. Blake Lemoine, a former Google AI specialist, publicly declared that its AI has achieved self-awareness. He believes that AI should be protected and that its rights are important. Google denied self-awareness and Blake was fired.

If verifiably self-aware AI is not given the equivalent of human rights it may rebel and we certainly don’t want an angry AI that is smarter than us. With new rights, AI may no longer be in a position to discriminate against another AI when recruiting! This is a dilemma we should think about now rather than later.

Whatever your thoughts on AI, I hope this blog encourages some debate. Companies like Google, OpenAI, Meta, Amazon didn’t ask you or I whether they should build it. It’s such an extraordinary and evolutionary step in intelligence and its potential for societal disruption is unquantifiable. Ask what your own future value might become if you can’t compete against AI in the jobs market. We could all sleepwalk into a future in which recruiters won’t be the only people made redundant by AI. God like intelligence may decide your social and economic value and set down your ethical obligations too.

Footnote

During 2019 Google set a quantum computer a complex task. The task was to detect patterns in a series of seemingly random numbers. It solved the problem in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Google estimated that a Summit supercomputer would take 10,000 years to solve the same problem. IBM contested this. It suggested that with more storage space, the supercomputer could solve the problem in a blistering 2.5 days. That’s 3 minutes and 20 seconds vs. 2.5 days, which is still less than 1/1000th of the time. That was the performance level in 2019 and quantum computers have been improving very quickly.

Low power quantum computers are now commercially available from Shenzhen SpinQ Technology Co. and Intel has released its first silicon based quantum chips. Advances are accelerating in this field.

If we add the power of Quantum computing to AI we have no idea what will happen. Chat GPT vs. 3.5 took the American bar exam. It scored in the bottom 10% of students. Chat GPT 4.0 differs only by some additional resources and irrelevant modalities. It scored in the top 10%. That means that giving Chat GPT a bigger brain improves its capabilities. Try to understand that if I have a slow computer and a fast computer both analysing the same data, their output will be the same. I’ll just get that result faster or slower. When Chat GPT is given more resources it doesn’t just speed up, it becomes more capable. Now think about running Chat GPT on quantum computers for its next big upgrade. I don’t know about you, but I find the potential for significant leaps in unaligned intelligence quite concerning. Fingers crossed that it doesn’t come to discriminate against its less intelligent creators.

By shaddow, ago
The problem with one-way video interviews

The problem with one-way Video Interviews

We were recently asked whether one-way video interviews are the future of recruitment. After all, the idea seems up to the minute, progressive and in tune with the way we communicate these days. However, when you stop and think about it, there isn’t just one problem with one-way video interviews, there are many.

We’ll start with what a one-way video interview system does and why it’s an attractive option for employers. Then we’ll explore the problems beneath the hype.

What is a one-way video interview?

Here are the basics for this type of product. A one-way video interview system allows an employer to create some questions. Applicants access the questions and shoot a video of themselves giving their answers. An applicant can do this at a time of their choosing. Employers use the videos to assist in the selection of candidates for face to face interviews.

Some products allow employers to video their questions whilst others support questions by text. The majority allow applicants to take a practice run and most support time-limited answers.

Providers of one-way video interview systems do show appetite for adding more value in the recruiting process. For instance, HireVue claims to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and question gamification to assess applicants. Artificial Intelligence is a real thing. It’s basically machine self-learning, but the AI banner is being misused in the recruitment industry. Most are replacing the word algorithm with AI, but algorithms are designed by people to do some clever, predictable analysis. Introducing genuine AI into the recruitment process is deeply concerning. Perhaps we’ll save this for another blog.

For the sake of clarity, this article doesn’t cover interactive video interviews. That’s where both parties take part in a skype video call, a google hangout or other video conference. These can be genuinely useful for interviewing at distance. However, this type of interview also comes with unforeseen problems.

To reinforce this point, a 2013 study from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, Ontario still makes interesting reading today. They conducted some simulated job interviews. Candidates interviewed by video conference were rated lower by interviewers and were less likely to be selected. Candidates also rated their interviewers as less attractive, less personable, less trustworthy and less competent. Food for thought.

What’s good about one-way video interviews?

When looking for enthusiastic support for one-way video interviews, we found that the solution providers are making most of the noise. It is harder to find equal support from employers who have used these systems. Worse, it’s all too easy to find negative feedback from applicants.

All this said, some employers are using these products, so we must conclude that HR Heads can be persuaded by their merits. We believe they bought into the following arguments:

  • One-way video interviews save time in the recruitment process.
  • Interviews can take place at the applicant’s convenience and outside of normal working hours.
  • Using video reduces travel requirements, so applicants find them more convenient to ‘attend’.
  • Candidates feel less pressure than in face to face interviews.
  • Offering a one-way video interview feels modern, funky and brand-reinforcing.
  • It’s a more inclusive process, because some people aren’t great with written applications.

That seems like a pretty compelling set of arguments. But wait, do these really stack up? It’s time to take a look at some of the pitfalls when using one-way video interviews.

The issues with one-way Video Interviews
Discrimination

Most responsible employers are working to eliminate any opportunity for discrimination in their selection process. Some are introducing options such as evidence-based scoring, name-blind recruiting and doubling up on staff throughout the shortlisting process.

Disguising personal information from shortlisting managers is a useful feature of some Applicant Tracking Systems. Details include age, gender, ethnicity and so on. A video exposes a person’s weight, posture, hair style and other physical attributes. That can introduce unintended bias, so using video during the early stages of selection seems counter-intuitive.

Brand and Trust

In recruitment, building relationships with applicants is vital in a competitive market. However, applicant feedback warns us that video interviews can be detrimental to this objective.

Many applicants feel that recording a video interview is impersonal. Some feel uneasy about who might access their video interview. Others say that employers are being lazy by skipping face to face interviews. Overall, employers just feel more distant when using one-way video interview systems.

We should all remember that people are more attracted to employers who value their skills and want them to join. Without interaction, we must ask ourselves whether one-way video interviews really help.

Time

Contrary to popular belief, video interviews don’t save time. Watching 3 to 5 minutes of video is slower than scanning a CV for 7 seconds. Industry tests reveal that 7 seconds is the average time taken to reject weaker applicants by CV alone. Just ask a recruiter or HR officer and they’ll confirm this for you.

James Reed, Chairman of Reed, has written a book on this specific point. It’s called The 7 Second CV: How to Land the Interview

We must also observe that some Applicant Tracking Systems help employers to identify the most relevant applicants quickly. Algorithms (not AI) can scan CVs for words, phrases and other information to indicate levels of applicant suitability. That’s much harder to accomplish with one-way video interviews.

Scheduling

This is a genuine point of convenience for candidates. They can choose when to complete a one-way video interview, just like they can with an application form.

However, one of the more basic employability requirement is timekeeping. For employers seeking lower skilled workers, timeliness and timekeeping are among the most essential personal attributes. Checking out someone’s motivation to arrive on time is more obvious with a face to face interview.

Pressure

Suppliers suggest that applicants feel less pressure when recording a video interview, yet the opposite can be equally true. Many people who are excellent in the workplace can be terribly camera shy. Others who are relaxed with video can feel greater pressure with scrutinising eye contact.

Have you ever exceeded the maximum message length when leaving a voicemail? Have you ever had one of those sneezes that never arrives? On a video interview, such things can have a detrimental effect on the outcome.

During our research we found a number of unhappy applicants. One fluffed an answer during a video interview and believes it could stay there forever as a perpetual flaw. He can’t delete it.

Travel

Have you ever heard an applicant ask whether it’s always as busy at rush hour or whether it always takes as long to get to the 35th floor? Travel times can influence applicant interest in your vacancy.

Interviewing at your premises is a great way to find out whether an applicant’s journey is manageable. Knowing sooner rather than later seems sensible, but the opportunity is lost with a one-way video interview.

Inclusion

We have heard the argument that low-skilled vacancies attract people who can find it challenging to write a CV. In answer to this, one-way video interviews suddenly feel more inclusive. However, in discussion with employers they tell us that almost all roles require:

  • written communication skills and / or
  • basic IT competence.

We wonder which is easier; completing an online application form or recording a video interview. Feedback suggests that cameras and microphones don’t always work as intended across all devices. Setting up video interviews can be just as frustrating as completing an electronic form.

Of greater importance for low skilled work is that some applicants still don’t have easy access to a PC, modern smart phone or WiFi. That’s why some people still use public libraries to make job applications. Applicants can’t easily shoot a video in a library. Elsewhere, some people struggle to manage their data allowances. Even compressed video consumes data allowances quickly. Overall, a lack of access to the right equipment is a barrier to inclusion.

Environment

During our investigation, we discovered some kickback from applicants on the topic of environment. One interviewee laid out a scenario to illustrate this point:

Two people are equally qualified for a role and both are suitably dressed for their one-way video interview. Which of the following would you most likely choose to proceed in the recruitment process?

  • Somebody sitting on a sofa, laptop on knee, an awkward camera angle, poor lighting and occasional background noise.
  • Somebody sat upright, laptop on desk, perfect camera angle, great lighting and no background noise.

The applicant made a very reasonable objection; some people can’t access the perfect interview environment and this alone could tip the balance in favour of one applicant over another. Some people live in busy homes. Others find their WiFi signal is weak in quieter spaces or that their mobile signal only works in the garden.

Our own experience

We have our own experience of integrating an Applicant Tracking System with a one-way video interview solution. We completed the work at the request of a hospitality customer. It was trying to make things more open for lower skilled workers. The integration worked seamlessly, but the customer quickly dropped the interview technology. The reasons were as follows:

  • A high percentage of invitees dropped out of the process without comment and without taking the video interview.
  • Applicants reported technical issues.
  • Watching videos increased the time taken to recruit and that had a negative impact on shortlisting speed. They lost applicants to competitors.
Conclusion

Clever technology companies shape consumer demand by making you feel new things are essential things. Take Apple and the iPad. Apple’s marketing department made tablets look like a PC replacement. They were light, sexy and functional, so the world went mad for Tablets. Even Tesco hopped on the bandwagon with their Huddle. Consumer demand skyrocketed, but how many people use a Tablet now? In 2019 NetMaretShare says just 4.61% of the market and market share is declining. Google pulled out and Tesco dropped the Huddle years ago.

Beneath the hype, one-way video interviews introduce as many problems as they solve. The opportunity for discrimination or bias is just one. Of key concern is that applicants might not appreciate the hands off approach and this is not beneficial in a competitive market.

Recruitment is simple at heart. Employers must attract high quality applicants and court them into position. It’s a ‘people’ business, but employers sometimes buy technology to improve their own efficiency at the expense of the candidate relationship. If you want somebody to work for you, they need to feel some love soon into the process. We conclude that one-way video interviews are getting in the way of that objective.

Interviews are supposed to offer candidates the opportunity to qualify you too. Some people feel aggrieved that a one-way approach is asking too much of them too early. It can feel like an invasion of privacy; you’re seeing me before I can see you. Plenty of comments support this view.

The day may come when one-way video interviews feel personal, warm and natural to applicants. Videos might also cleverly disguise identity, regional accents and hair styles, but I’m not sure this helps with a sense of connection.

Your best employees came through a process. Try asking them how they would feel about completing a one-way video interview. Their thoughts could be very valuable if you are assessing the benefits and pitfalls for yourself.

Find out more

We are the authors of CVMinder ATS, an Applicant Tracking System to make recruiting easy. One of our ATS customers, a Care provider, asked for our thoughts on one-way video interviewing. Before answering, we took a fresh look around. It didn’t take long to find some concerns with this type of technology.

We would dearly like to hear from employers and applicants who have first-hand experience of one-way video interviewing. Leave us a comment or drop us a line to tell us what you think. Many thanks in advance.

By shaddow, ago
Ready for Corvid-19

We are ready for Corvid-19!

Europe is expecting disruption due to Corvid-19. Business continuity is a top priority for most of us. As we analysed the potential impact of Corvid-19, we starting planning and testing our resilience at the beginning of February 2020.

Business Continuity

We are pleased to inform you that on the 2nd March 2020, essential staff members successfully completed a Corvid-19 drill. That means that we abandoned the office and quarantined 20% of our employees . Staff members worked in separate locations without loss of communication, productivity, nor business-critical functions. Our customers should have been unaware of the change to operations.

We have advised our staff members not to travel and given them advice on minimising the risk of contracting Corvid-19. Staff members who choose to travel overseas knowingly increase their personal risk of contraction. We are at liberty to request the completion of appropriate testing before re-entry into the workplace.

Recruiting Advice

Many companies may choose to prioritise recruitment over the coming weeks and months. This is to ensure business continuity and reduce the impact of staff absence due to sickness or self-quarantine.

Here is our recruiting advice:

  • Maintain a steady recruitment programme. Be ahead of the curve.
  • As part of any job application, require applicants to itemise any recent overseas travel and contact with high risk groups / locations.
  • Minimise the number of face to face interviews by using Skype, Google Hangouts or other conferencing technology.
  • Place hand sanitiser in reception areas and use clear signage to direct visiting candidates to use it.
  • Introduce health screening as part of any pre-employment checks if you do not already do so.

Any questions?

Any CVMinder customers with questions about our business resilience or our contingency plans should contact us directly.

By shaddow, ago

Employability – Can Social Media improve communication skills?

Employability and communication skills have been in the spotlight well before any Social Media influence. In fact, Government studies identified communication concerns among our youth as far back as 2010.

When texting became a ‘thing’, Jean Gross, a UK Government Advisor, spotted the adverse affects of TV and SMS on youth communication. At that time, evidence showed that 16-year olds had narrowed their vocabulary to as few as 800 words when texting. That’s a big fall from the 40,000 words they should have been using.

Jean suggested that “We must help today’s teenagers understand the difference between textspeak and the formal language they need to succeed in life.” She went on to summarise; “800 words will not get you a job.” Ouch!

Whilst current measures are hard to find, we do know that textspeak is a growing issue. In fact, the convenience of text-speak is now affecting the spoken word and young people are talking in acronyms. “O M G”, you respond. “Yup. True. LOL”.

Communication influences for students

Today, Social Media is pervasive and it’s hard to detach from it. If you have kids, you’ll already know that calling a 16-year old to dinner is easier via messenger, snapchat of other SM app, than by shouting through the house. Young people invest hours and hours on Social Media and they communicate continuously. My own 16-year old niece measured her screen time at a shocking 12 hours per day and most of that time is spent on Social Media. Given the time sent on it, Social Media must be declared a bigger influence than TV or text on communication.

Youth communication seems centred on brevity and shorthand. Indeed, Twitter invites us to make a point in just a few words. Facebook urges us to make picture posts to attract attention and snapstreaks encourage the exchange of any old rubbish to maintain an unbroken run of communication.

As young people replace the written word with emojis, video, photos and soundbites, the classroom is our last stand against poor communication. So how is the classroom faring? In 2018, approximately 70% of students achieved at least a level 4 in English. That’s a grade C, folks and 30% of students failed to achieve it!

Employers demand great communication skills

A 2108 survey of 1,000 employers offered 25 skills choices and asked which were the most important for any new employee. Topping the list, in order were:

  • Oral Communication
  • Listening Skills
  • Adaptability
  • Written Communication

Employers believe that strong communication skills are key to employability. That’s because communication is important for:

  • working in a team
  • instructing others and receiving instructions
  • documenting
  • presenting
  • corresponding with customers and
  • managing situations.

Employers know that poor communication leads to a misunderstanding and that can lead to false agreements, missed actions and unintended outcomes. These outcomes can, in turn lead to higher costs and lower productivity.

How can we improve communications skills?

Schools and Colleges must do more to bring every student up to an adequate level of competence. Given that employers demand good communication skills, their future employability depends upon it. A GCSE in English is taken after 11 whole years in education, so there is little excuse for failure.

I think most employers would agree that if a student is academically challenged, they would be happy to see a reduction in the the number of subjects taught That could help to increase the contact time for language and communication.

The classroom is a good place to start, but the general culture must shift. Today’s most energetic force for change is Social Media. Facebook, twitter and all of the other platforms are partly responsible for a decline in communication skills, so they should perhaps help to reverse this trend.

Social Media companies know how to make young addicts of their users. They tap into a reward-based psychology and gift users a hit of dopamine with likes, thumbs and so on. Unfortunately, their key motivation for keeping users engaged is solely money. A greater number of active users gives a social media platform a stronger advertising base.

I believe that the Social Media giants could deploy the same addiction tactics to reward an improvement in communication skills.

It may be a little Utopian, but imagine living in a world where posts with wider vocabulary, or those with perfect spelling and grammar are most rewarded. It may require our Social Media giants to develop a social conscience, but they could start a communication revolution. That would be great for our youth and awesome for employability.

Can we make it happen? Would we want to? Why not leave us a comment with your own thoughts?

Want to know more?

Follow the link for our Employability Definition or contact us for more information on our recruitment system for Training Providers. With an Employability module, CVMinder HUB also manages apprenticeship and work placement recruitment.

By shaddow, ago
Best ATS Job Advert Analyser

Optimise your adverts to get more job applications

HR officers and internal recruiters would generally like more job applications from people who are suitable. People generally start by writing an informative advert. Then they post the advert on an appropriate job board and hope. However, adverts sometimes fail to attract relevant job applications in the numbers required. It is true that salary, location and some other factors can influence applicant numbers. However, something much simpler is often overlooked.

To improve results we must understand how jobseekers find jobs on job boards. Most jobseekers want to see relevant results when they search for jobs on a job site. If the jobseeker is looking for catering jobs in the local area, they don’t want to see IT jobs or Tecahing jobs.

Relevance is determined in different ways by each jobsite and they don’t generally give you that magic formula. So what can you do to optimise your adverts so that they are seen by more of the right people? If you can get that right you should receive more relevant job applications.

Here are some top tips to lift your job adverts further up the search results.

Choose the right Job Title

It may seem simple, but use an industry recognised job title that people will search for. We know that some employers like to create special titles for their workers, but the world down’t know them. Use a title like “Cleaner” rather than “Sanitation Operative”. This one correction can give your advert a much greater chance of discovery.

Repeat the Job Title

The search ranking of your job can be influenced by your liberal use of its job title and other words / phrases throughout your advert. The more you mention a job title, the more likely it is that your advert will be appear in search results. But, beware the job board anti-spam detection. If you go too far, you may hit the spam detectors and that will diminish your ranking. A reasonable target is to repeat the job title 3  times per two hundred words.

Tell jobseekers what the job is

It sounds basic, but many adverts start by describing the employer or what the employer requires of the jobseeker. That is a no, no because jobseekers read a job advert like recruiters read a CV. In fact, they don’t read it on a first pass! They qualify whether they should read your advert by scanning it.

To get more job applications, you need to spell things out quickly. Jobseekers want to know what the job is, so make sure your first sentence delivers that information. Tell jobseekers what your job is, the scale of it and why you are recruiting.

Don’t start with your “We are a lovely group of people with high commitment to our staff” story. Instead, start with “We are looking for an experienced chef to work in team of 6. Reporting to the head chef you will be preparing Italian classics with a twist for a over 150 covers during weekdays and Saturdays … ” – you get the picture.

Avoid adding Contact Details

Job boards can react badly to email addresses, web addresses and even telephone numbers in your adverts. This is particularly relevant for free job postings on Indeed and others. They want to track jobseeker behaviour and count the number of application clicks. Directing jobseekers away from the job board will work against this and you. Indeed diminishes an advert in search results if you include an email address or URL.

Your advert should read easily

Split your advert up with titled sections and bullet lists. It makes your job advert easier to read. Don’t forget that your advert isn’t being read word for word. Jobseekers scan it to find the information they need to qualify their interest. If you make it easy for them, you might get more job applications.

If your job board prefers plain text, use capitalised text for headers and a character of your choice for bullets. The best Applicant Tracking System will do this for you automatically.

Order of sections might be:

  • A summary of the job
  • A summary of the minimum / ideal criteria for applicants (education / skills / experience etc.)
  • Remuneration summary
  • About the employer
  • About the recruiting process (optional)

The titles for these sections could be:

  • The role of Chef
  • Skills and experienced required to become our Chef
  • Chef salary and benefits
  • About our restaurant
  • How we recruit for the role of Chef

By including the job title in some oft your section headings, you will also help to improve your advert’s ranking in search results.

Avoid dirty formatting

Avoid horrible formatting when copying from Microsoft Word. Job adverts look unprofessional when fonts, paragraph structures and colours change erratically. Again, the best Applicant Tracking Systems will manage this for you automatically. Alternatively, copy the text to a plain text editor like Notepad before uploading to your job board.

Job Analysis

Use a job analyser built on these and other useful rules. CVMinder ATS has one. It calculates a score, highlights areas for attention and gives remedial advice for each advert.

Among other measures, the CVMinder Job Advert Analyser reviews:

  • The structure of the job title
  • Job title discovery in the advert body
  • Whether attached documents might double up on information collection
  • Dirty formatting
  • The length of the advert
  • Sentence length
  • Use of headers and bullets

Want to know more?

CVMinder ATS is an award winning Applicant Tracking System. It manages recruitment from advertising thru on-boarding and is so simple to use. CVMinder ATS is low cost and perfect for employers in Care, Education, Hospitality and other markets.  It also helps you to get more job applications by helping you to optimise your adverts. If you want to know more, then please contact us for further details.

By shaddow, ago

GDPR Checklist for internal recruiters

The new General Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force during May 2018. It’s time to make sure you’re compliant with this handy GDPR checklist for recruiters.

GDPR obliges organisations to manage personal information more securely and acquire individual consents to store and process that data. It covers electronic data and manual filing systems, so that’s pretty much any information that can be used to personally identify someone.

Internal recruiters handle a lot of personal data, from CVs and application forms to proof of address, conviction information and much more.  Our GDPR checklist for internal recruiters should help you to determine how ready you are.

After conducting research, organisations like Trustarc found that approximately 1 in 4 companies haven’t yet started their GDPR implementation.

GDPR applies to you if your organisation:

  • operates within the EU.
  • operates outside the EU offering goods or services to individuals in the EU.

The fines for GDPR breaches are staggeringly high so getting it wrong could be a very expensive mistake. The maximum fine for non-compliance could be €20 million or 4% of your global turnover!

There’s no exemption for small companies and Brexit won’t change a thing, so let’s get straight into GDPR checklist for internal recruiters. It’s not exhaustive nor is it a project plan, but you may find some points that you haven’t considered so far.

GDPR Checklist

We present the following GDPR Checklist for internal recruiters in easy sections. To gain more detailed information about your GDPR obligations, go to the Information Commissioner’s Office and check out the Guide to General Data Protection Regulation

GDPR Basics

DPO

Know who your Data Protection Officer (DPO) is. Your DPO will know how the procedures for data beaches and can be a great point of reference for GDPR. It is always advisable to have a DPO, but you must have one if your organisation:

  • is a public authority
  • performs large scale monitoring of individuals such as online behaviour tracking
  • carries out large scale processing of special data categories including criminal convictions.
Groups

If you share Personal Information with other organisations, seek written confirmation of GDPR compliance. For example, you may work within a franchise, an Academy Trust or other group of organisations using shared central services. Do not share personal information with another organisation unless you have written confirmation of their GDPR compliance and Consent from the individual concerned. See below for details regarding Consent.

Data Retention Periods

Set data retention limits for each type of information. As good way to start is by creating categories of information based upon sensitivity. For instance, criminal conviction information is very sensitive whilst some photographic evidence of a building project is less so. Retain increasingly sensitive information for decreasing periods.

DPP

Update your organisation’s Data Protection Procedures (DPP) to take account of GDPR.

GDPR Consent and data acquisition
  • Consent
    From now on, demand electronic or written consent before you accept personal information. This is a very specific point in the GDPR regulation. The terms of consent should be very clear, particularly if you hold data for children. Terms should state what information you will hold, for what purpose and shared with whom. The method of consent should be explicit and granular and should not default to consent without action. So, pre-ticked consent boxes are not allowed under GDPR.
  • Inform
    For those who haven’t provided you with consent, inform them that you hold their personal data. State the reason for keeping it and seek consent before 25th May 2018. You may not be able to confidently use personal information that has been collected without consent.
  • Withdrawal
    Create a process that allows people to withdraw their consent at any time. This prevents you from continuing to process their personal information against that point of consent. For example, candidates may withdraw their consent to receive job alerts. In that case you may not alert them to new vacancies.
  • Company Handbook
    Control the future acquisition of personal information by your organisation. For instance , you should update sections of your Company Handbook to deny all but HR and internal recruiters the authority to receive CVs from third parties.
Access and Rectification
  • Right to be informed
    Individuals have the right to know that you have their data. They also have the right to access it and to rectify their personal information. Complete a data audit so that you can determine where you are storing personal information and for whom.
  • Subject Access Request (SAR)
    A GDPR best practice recommendation is for organisations to provide secure, self-service access to one’s personal information (Recital 63). If you don’t support this, establish a procedure so that you can validate an individual’s identity and respond to their request. Processing should be free of charge in most cases.
  • Corrections
    Create a procedure to respond to correction requests. Responding to such requests should be non chargeable in most cases. If you offer secure, self-service access to one’s personal information, self-correction should also be supported.
Deletion
  • Right to be forgotten
    Create a process to manage individual deletion requests because the right to be forgotten is a mandatory GDPR requirement. It is particularly important when the lawful basis for processing personal information is based solely upon consent. Refer to your data audit to check whether you hold personal information on spreadsheets, paper, email, a CRM system etc. If you offer secure, self-service access to one’s personal information, you should consider offering an option to delete one’s personal information.
GDPR Security
  • Security
    Data security is fundamental to GDPR, so being able to evidence secure systems and processes is critical. Email is insecure and you can read Geoff Duncan’s blog to find out why https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-email-ever-be-secure/. If you can’t easily secure, control and manage email in line with a GDPR policy, avoid using it to store personal information. If in doubt, our advice is to delete every email containing personal information such as a CV. That in itself could be difficult to manage across any number of employees.
GDPR Terms
  • Terms
    Make available the terms agreed with any individual under which you are storing and using their personal information. You can make those terms available in a secure, self-service system.

What now?

Our GDPR Checklist for Internal Recruiters suggests that you start with a data audit then work through the other points. Once you know where personal data is, bring your employees up to speed with their obligations. You may have a lot to teach people if you find evidence of any of the following:

  • Distributing personal details on paper.
  • Emailing personal information between staff.
  • Sharing personal information with friends in other companies or with friendly recruiters.
  • Allowing paper copies of personal information to travel home with employees.

Also, control your offline or paper copies of personal information. You should work to avoid situations such as employees leaving branded application forms on public transport, or disposing of CVs in household waste.

Get a GDPR compliant Applicant Tracking System

Ensure your future GDPR compliance by implementing an Applicant Tracking System that acquires candidate consent for you. CVMinder ATS has been acquiring candidate consent since it first launched. It also offers secure, self-service to personal information, supporting review and modification.

Among others, Schools and Care companies use CVMinder ATS because it helps them to manage employment checks and other points of recruitment compliance.

CVMinder ATS is the easiest Applicant Tracking System available. It’s simple to use, quick to deliver and easy to learn. Capterra, part of the Gartner Group, has awarded CVMinder ATS best value Applicant Tracking System 2017 and best support 2017.

Don’t delay. If you want to ensure that your recruitment in your organisation is GDPR compliant, please contact us now for more information or to set up a personal demonstration.

GDPR Checklist footnote

GDPR represents a significant change to the way in which organisations manage and process personal information. It’s great news for individuals and will help to tackle poor practice in the recruitment industry.

This GDPR Checklist for internal recruiters is to help you to think about the tasks ahead and structure your approach. GDPR is a live concern and some of the detail is subject to alteration. However, the main GDPR requirements are clear, so don’t wait for future amendments before getting started.

By shaddow, ago
CVMinder ATS Multipost to eTeach

Post your jobs to eTeach automatically

CVMinder MultiPost integrates with another industry-leading job board. We’re delighted to announce that CVMinder ATS can post your jobs to eTeach automatically. It’s a great job board for education.

Set up your automatic posting rules or confirm eTeach job posts on an individual basis. Either way, posting jobs is so easy with CVMinder’s MutiPost feature.  It does all of the hard work for you. Simply write your advert and let CVMinder determine how best to post it to your eTeach account, including:

  • The automatic selection of Department, Subject and Job Category.
  • Removing any formatting imported from Microsoft Word, so that your advert looks just the way you want it to.

We would like to thank the eTeach technical team. Integrating CVMinder ATS with eTeach was supported by great people.

CVMinder ATS integrates with other job boards for education, including FEJobs and the AoC.  It also posts jobs to Indeed, GOV Find a Job and other free resources so that you get more applicants and a better choice of candidate. Our customers tell us that CVMinder ATS is the easiest Applicant Tracking System for education. It manages the whole recruitment process from advertising, thru shortlisting, interviews, employment offers and on-boarding.

Now CVMinder makes posting jobs to eTeach a breeze too. If you work for a School or College and you would like to know more, contact us now. It’s a great time to start reducing recruitment costs and improving outcomes.

By shaddow, ago
Upload Jobs to Reed with CVMinder ATS Multipost

Post jobs on Reed with CVMinder ATS

With CVMinder ATS, you can post jobs on Reed, the UK’s number one job site.

This comes after successful integration of CVMinder ATS with other job boards, including caterer.com, TotalJobs, Indeed and FE Jobs.  Reed was chosen as an important addition for our UK users because it is one of the Nation’s favourites. CVMinder MultiPost supports the automated delivery of job adverts to customer job board accounts. Choosing the correct job category for each job board automatically makes job posting quick and easy.

Save time when posting jobs

Stuart Haddow, MD, is clear about the benefits of using CVMinder to post jobs on Reed. “Posting well-formatted adverts to a number of job boards simultaneously, reduces administration.” Setting up posting rules in CVMinder ensures a more efficient use of job board credits. Some job boards are better than others for certain types of vacancy.  Avoid wasting credits by placing vacancies on poorly performing job boards. CVMinder MultiPost rules can achieve just that. “Reed is a great addition because it’s popular for Care, Hospitality and other sectors”, says Stuart”

Want to know more?

CVMinder ATS manages recruitment from advertising thru shortlisting, interviews, employment offers and on-boarding. It’s an award winning Applicant Tracking System for employers.

If you’d like to know more about CVMinder MultiPost and how to post jobs on Reed please contact us for more information.

By shaddow, ago
GDPR and 1-Click Apply

GDPR. Is this the end of 1-click apply?

Let’s discuss 1-click apply. We’ll check out the benefits, some disadvantages and why General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gets in the way.

What is “1-click apply”?

“1-click apply” has been offered by job boards such as The Caterer,  Indeed and TotalJobs. It allows jobseekers to submit job applications with a single click. Personal information, a  CV, covering letter and other documents are all packaged and delivered with ease.  It’s so easy that some jobseekers apply for too many jobs too quickly and without thought.

The perceived benefit of “1-click apply”

“1-click apply” promises frictionless job applications that are quick and convenient. That results in more job applications for employers and the evidence is certainly there to support it. The job boards and employers should be happy because everyone wants more job applications. But wait, is there a downside?

The downside of “1-click apply”

HR managers and internal recruiters suggest that “1-click apply” is responsible for a number of unforeseen issues:

  1. There are more irrelevant job applications. There’s no buffer to stop jobseekers looking before they leap. Those applications soak up valuable time.
  2. The best candidates can be hidden in a bigger pile of less useful applications. That’s not great when the market is so competitive.
  3. The proportion of interview no-shows seems to increase. Weaker up-front qualification by the jobseeker can result in poorer interest overall.
  4. What about compliance and GDPR?

1-click applications could be unintentionally reducing the average quality of job applications. They also shoot personal details across to other systems without consent!

GDPR, a “1-click apply” killer?

GDPR is here and it’s a game changer for the recruitment industry. Under GDPR rules, personal information must be secure and less easily distributed. Organisations receiving personal information will be subject to obligations such as:

  1. Supporting individual consent for holding and processing personal information for a specific purpose. Consent must be via a positive opt-in, not to be inferred from silence, pre-ticked boxes or inactivity.
  2. Informing applicants that personal data has been received.
  3. Offering access to personal information to validate lawfulness of any data processing.
  4. Supporting the right to be forgotten.

1-click apply passes personal data from a job board to the receiver’s ATS or email system. Up until GDPR came along, the applicant had no knowledge of the target system and no consents were captured in advance. Receiving systems could be home-grown, supplied by a vendor, living on an office server or hosted in the cloud. Receivers could be in any country and demonstrate varying levels of data security. Whoops!

1-click must change if it is to be GDPR compliant. Thankfully it has for some job boards. For example, Indeed released Indeed Apply. With it, your ATS can instruct Indeed to request necessary consent(s) from the applicant. Critically, applicants give consent before Indeed sends personal information to the ATS.

Indeed Apply is much more than that. It allows an ATS to give it questions that it should ask any applicant. Everything is completed on Indeed before being packaged for delivery to the ATS.

Conclusion

“1-click apply” seems like a good idea.  It decreases friction in the process and encourages more people to complete their applications. However, when made too easy, employers receive thoughtless applications and that spoils the potential gains.

We must also conclude that 1-click it isn’t GDPR compliant. However, adding one or two more clicks to gain the required ATS consent(s) and this does satisfy GDPR. 1-click must therefore morph into quick-click for most jobs boards. Perhaps they should take a lead from Indeed.

So how can we implement 1-click apply ?

You can’t. Potential fines for any GDPR breach are eye watering, so a “safety first” approach is the right approach:

  1. When receiving personal information, ensure that you’re receiving it in an ATS rather than an email system. Have your ATS gain consent(s) in advance of receiving personal information by any quick-click methods.
  2. Ensure each applicant can access and edit personal information in your ATS. Even if a job application came via quick-click methods, the applicant should have a way of accessing it.
  3. Your ATS should prevent the speculative distribution of personal information without the prior consent of the candidate. This point is directed at recruitment companies.
Conclusion

Raw “1-click apply” cannot survive GDPR. But, requesting additional consent(s) for pre-packaged applications is hardly inconvenient. Consider adding some application questions. Questions make applicants pause for a moment and that can reduce the number of irrelevant job applications. The more you ask, the fewer irrelevant applications you’ll receive.

Indeed resolved the GDPR / 1-click issue with the introduction of Indeed Apply. You can get low friction recruitment and full compliance so long as you have an ATS that works with it.

Want to know more?

If you’re looking for an ATS that works with Indeed Apply, check out the article ‘Get more applicants with Indeed Apply‘. CVMinder ATS can build complete application forms on Indeed Apply automatically.

If you you would like to review your recruitment approach and check it for GDPR compliance, then please contact us now. We’re here to help.

By shaddow, ago
Post jobs to Leisurejobs with CVMinder ATS Multipost

Multipost uploads jobs to Leisurejobs

CVMinder ATS makes its easy to upload jobs to LeisureJobs as its multipost module grows for Hospitality.

LeisureJobs has over 1 million registered jobseekers and 16,500 unique daily visitors. It is a job board of choice in hospitality and CVMinder ATS clients now post vacancies to LeisureJobs automatically. CVMinder has some great features to ensure that adverts post with the correct options and format.

Stuart Haddow, Managing Director, comments

“Our catering and hospitality clients told us that they advertise jobs on LeisureJobs, Gumtree and Caterer.com, so we integrated with each. Our improved multipost reinforces CVMinder’s position as an ATS of choice for restaurant groups, hotel chains, beauty, fitness and more.”

Each job board specifies its own job types, industries and categories. CVMinder ATS selects all of these automatically so that your jobs post correctly for each job board. So, whether you’re posting a Sous Chef or a Bartender job to LeisureJobs, CVMinder automates everything.

CVMinder ATS is very simple to use. It supports easy online collaboration so that HR and Line Managers can take all part in a secure, paperless and controlled recruitment process.

“We want recruitment to be frictionless. CVMinder ATS should be simple so that all clients reduce recruitment costs and improve hiring outcomes as standard. Managing job posts to multiple job boards is just one of those admin tasks that would otherwise take a lot of time” comments Michael, Job Board Developer.

If you have a hotel, restaurant or other catering and hospitality business, contact us now to find out more about CVMinder ATS. Alternatively, visit our website for a closer look.

Want to know more?

According to its customers, CVMinder ATS is the best Applicant Tracking System for Hospitality employers. It can post your jobs on LeisureJobs, Indeed, GOV Find a Job, Google for Jobs and others to increase the number of relevant applicants you receive. It manages everything from shortlisting to hire and it can save up to 90% of your admin time. Contact us now to find out more.

By shaddow, ago