Everyone can agree that undergoing a recruitment process is a daunting experience—even when you have gone through it multiple times. As a candidate, you will be given the opportunity to showcase your skill sets, prior experience, and personality in order to fit a job vacancy.
But, not one recruitment process will ever be the same as another; a project or a position that you would want to undertake will highly likely not have the same job descriptions and/or key deliverables although they are advertised under the same name. Furthermore, recruitment processes have changed over the years; traditional methods were configured and developed to adapt to the usage of technology. That being said, the presence of humans and the usage of technology for recruitment should not be mutually exclusive. On the other hand, we would also like to put forth the notion that personal touch will always be relevant even in automated processes.
What is a Personal Touch and Its Benefits?
As a recruiter or an employer, you may have realised the practice of personal touch in recruitment.
With every candidate, it is worth noting that they have the potential and capabilities. Using personal touch means providing a support system to the candidates and giving an essential chance for them to leverage on their own competencies through feedback from recruiters and hiring managers.
Personal touch can be applied in various ways. Even through modern applications, personal touch can still be maintained to ensure that hiring experiences and recruitment processes feel personal. Actively listening and respecting candidates is at the main core of personalisation, understanding that will be the first step in creating a safe space for potential employees to discern their position with recruiters or employers.
It is also equally important to manage the expectations between both parties (candidates and recruiters/hiring managers) in the recruitment process. The practice of personal touch should be beneficial for all; it is a two-way communication after all.
Candidates have the right to have their questions answered, to be given a timely response for personal enquiries and get constant engagement with recruiters or employers. On the other hand, the latter party can identify and learn better about their candidates, recognising if an individual is the right fit for the position they are hiring, and understanding their personality and ability to adjust to office culture.
At the end of the day, recruitment is a human process. Only a human can truly recognise another human.
Inclusion of Technology in Recruitment
As technology advances, it has helped to increase efficiency, streamline necessary processes, and reduce time and cost for all parties involved. Thus, companies and recruiters don’t find the need to continue with traditional methods of recruitment, such as through face-to-face interviews, maintaining a relationship with candidates, having constant communication and responses, and essentially being present throughout the whole process.
Several automated recruitment methods include:
Take-home exams;
AI-powered tools in pre-selection process;
Video interviews;
Applicant tracking system;
Online job postings;
Social media services, such as through submitting applications on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Although automation comes with its benefits, it also has its limitations. In a study conducted by Randstad, 54% from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore expressed their frustration towards automated processes in recruitment. The respondents agreed that automation has made recruitment more impersonal, negatively affecting their overall job search experiences.
Generation Z has also argued that digital communication tools have reduced personal touch in the workplace and recruitment. As they are constantly surrounded by technology, Generation Z is craving for more human connections—particularly when it comes to career and profession. They have chosen face-to-face interaction as their preferred method of communication.
Balancing the Human Touch with Automated Recruitment
Personal touch can be weaved into an automated recruitment process. In fact, it is not a newfound methodology. Achieving the balance, however, is not an easy task. Nevertheless, there are some examples of personal touch blended into automated systems for recruitment, and they are:
1. On-demand Interview: This is a process whereby recruiters or employers split up their interview process into different sections to allow candidates to complete recorded interviews at their convenience. After each interviewing process, recruiters or employers can engage with the candidates and provide more specific questions to allow them to reconfigure and present themselves better.
2. Chatbots with Live Chats: A digital communication tool to provide quick responses to candidates who require prompt attention. The live chat option also allows candidates to communicate with recruiters or employers should they prefer to directly talk to another person.
3. Personalised Video Guidance: A humanised automated video to guide candidates through their recruitment journey from beginning to the end. Although automation has helped in making processes easier, it can still be confusing. Video guidance will show candidates all the necessary steps that they have to follow, such as what needs to be done after submitting a job application and so on.
As technology develops further, the job market will become increasingly competitive. To ensure that companies are able to attract and retain employees, more innovative automation utilising personal touch should be implemented throughout the workspace.
TRIIIO’s Pledge towards Practising Personal Touch in Our Recruitment
At TRIIIO, we strive to offer the best recruitment services to both our clients and candidates. As we specialise in technology recruitment, we constantly evolve and learn up-to-date market trends to ensure our consultation and information sharing reflect the current status quo of technology industries in Malaysia and globally.
Every client and candidate we engage will have their own unique concerns and needs. In order to understand how the TRIIIO Wolves can provide the best solutions and services to our clients and candidates, we uphold the practice of personal touch. It is our own personal pledge and principle to serve to the best of our capability.
We have our organisational metrics to showcase how we emphasise human connections and personalise processes for our candidates and clients. In simple manner, some of TRIIIO’s personal touch approach include:
Practice a high-touch engagement model with our customers and candidates. A minimum of 6 touch points with candidates from vetting to starting;
Provide preparation, feedback, and advice to both customers and candidates for improvement;
Provide information sharing service on talent availability and benchmarking;
Understand customer’s business and its challenges to provide sustainable solutions;
Provide a personal message to candidates that provide reviews regarding TRIIIO’s services and consultants.
If you would like to know more about how we provide a personalised recruitment journey and hiring experience for our candidates, you can refer to the reviews and feedback that were given by them on Google Reviews
What other personal touch practices that you have encountered while going through a recruitment process? Let us know more! We also embrace any suggestions on how we can improve our own processes!
TRIIIO is a Malaysian recruitment firm focused on partnering with companies to find and recruit top talent and build their Software Engineering teams. For more information on how we can help you recruit Software Engineers in this candidate tight market, visit our service page.
Techdesk.my is a curated job board lovingly created by us at TRIIIO Recruitment to make your job search easier! Visit Techdesk.my and start searching for Software Engineering jobs today!
