For the better part of the year, the Great Resignation has been a hot topic—a phrase coined to represent the staggering numbers of workers that quit their jobs in search of better opportunities. But where there are quitters, there are also job seekers. Unfortunately, your applicant tracking system (ATS) may be doing these potential candidates a disservice by filtering them out as soon as they apply.
A report by the Harvard Business School took a deep dive into the plight of “hidden workers”—that is—people seeking work but, for one reason or another, are not making it through to the interview process due to the parameters companies set in their ATS systems.
Hidden workers fall into three broad categories:
- Missing hours: workers that are willing to work full-time but work one or more part-time jobs instead
- Missing from work: workers that are seeking employment but have unemployment gaps
- Missing from the workplace: passive, non-working candidates but those willing to work in circumstances that suit their needs
“[Automated hiring software is] used by 75 percent of US employers (rising to 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies)…” – The Verge
The Verge reports that “The exact mechanics of how automated software mistakenly reject candidates are varied, but generally stem from the use of overly-simplistic criteria to divide ‘good’ and ‘bad’ applicants.” An ATS, for example, may filter out hidden workers because they are missing one qualifier on their resume despite all other skills matching the requirements in the job description.
An RPO provider can provide a quick fix for this problem by ensuring you aren’t missing out on candidates who don’t make it through the ATS to your recruiter’s desk. You’ll turn more candidate heads when you have dedicated recruiters who not only understand how to navigate ATS technology but understand the nuances of vendor relationships with those systems.
“The caveat I see for talent acquisition departments that are continuing to do it themselves is that if they try to explore new technologies, the implementation timeframe for those new technologies is very long.” - Joe Marino, EVP with Hueman
RPO providers have relationships that can help you quickly deploy recruitment technologies. Though technology is a vital component of the hiring process, human talent must be behind these ATS processes. Our recruiters are experts in these systems and can adequately account for employment gaps (i.e., maternity leave) or determine skills that may be missing but not detrimental to success in the role, all while harnessing a deep understanding of your business and cultural needs.
As a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner, Hueman provides a world-class recruitment strategy so you can attract and retain top talent. We know exactly what it takes to recruit and retain new hires who truly fit your culture. For us, it all starts by putting people first in everything we do. To learn more, visit huemanrpo.com.
