Recruiting is an increasingly sought-after and, at the same time, challenging task due to the competitive market and industries, which implies giving and being able to hire the most suitable and qualified talents.

In this article we tell you what is recruitment 5.0 and how it can help companies to face and overcome the difficulties related to finding those ideal candidates, especially in a context of digital transformation that has impacted not only the hiring of candidates but also of consultants.

Recruitment 5.0: what is it?

Recruitment 5.0 refers to a new form of recruitment that makes use of technological tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digital platforms during the selection process, emphasizing candidate experience, interactive tools as well as empathy and personalization.

This type of recruiting is an advancement or evolution in talent acquisition and, unlike traditional recruiting, 5.0 recruiting focuses on providing a personalized and positive experience to applicants, from the time a candidate is attracted until they are hired.

But in order to understand this type of recruitment, it is necessary to review the evolution that recruitment has undergone. In the 1990s, recruitment 1.0 reigned, with interviews and candidates bringing their printed CV’s to recruiters, who filed this information in folders, and there were also certain possibilities for companies to have their own databases to search for ideal candidates.

Recruitment 2.0 came hand in hand with the use of the Internet and the possibility of attracting talent through this channel, thus generating a closer approach to the candidates as well as a greater amount of data that, with conventional methods, would not have been possible to obtain. With the arrival of the second decade of the 21st century, the internet, social media and the use of cell phones and smartphones are becoming more and more common and the cornerstone for the recruitment strategies of version 3.0. In this context, professional platforms such as Linkedin are gaining more and more strength, as well as more and more specialized and segmented job portals.

For recruitment 4.0, the focus was placed on everything from 3.0 but with the incorporation of technology and its advances: it combined the traditional way with resumes, references and interviews, with digital tools that optimize and automate many of these processes. Likewise, greater relevance is given to employer branding to attract and retain the best talent. It was the prelude to what we know today as recruitment 5.0.

The main features

There are several defining characteristics of Recruitment 5.0, some of which are detailed below.

Technological innovation

Simply put, it is about incorporating new technologies into the recruiting process, such as artificial intelligence to analyze data and obtain information; virtual reality for more immersive recruiting simulations and tests; and digital platforms for automation and streamlining administrative tasks.

Data analysis

This is not new, but it is crucial in Recruitment 5.0, as it helps to collect and analyze large volumes of information related to candidates, job descriptions and profiles, as well as selection processes. This provides HR managers with important data to make better decisions.

Employer branding

This aspect focuses on communicating to applicants the values, culture, work environment and benefits of working in that company, and that attracts talent that identifies with and makes sense to the organization.

Candidate experience

A personalized recruitment usually has a greater impact on the candidate, so that a positive impact on candidates is generated. This implies taking care of the candidate experience (whether this ends in hiring or not), and for this it is important to provide accurate information and quick responses that help create a solid candidate base to serve as internal recruitment sources in future selection processes.

Gamification

This is a tool that uses games or video games, and seeks to replace traditional methods because role-playing games are effective in assessing the less explicit or hidden skills and abilities of employees, for example.

Online networking

As a strategy for attracting new talent, online networking, for example through virtual events, is used as an instance to generate potential contacts with candidates for current or future vacancies in an organization.

The advantages for companies

It should be known that both companies and candidates can be quite favored by recruitment 5.0. Why? Take note:

• Reduced expenses associated with recruitment. As the process is done online, the costs are lower than with traditional or offline recruiting.
• Agility and efficiency in the selection process. There is greater agility and efficiency in recruitment, given by the inclusion of new technologies that, for example, automate repetitive tasks, which also reduces the risk of errors. It should not be overlooked that the use of AI also helps to reduce the time spent analyzing CVs and candidates.
• Better candidate experience. The candidate creates a positive impression of how their selection process is carried out, which is fast and modern. The candidate is also the protagonist, being the center of the recruitment strategies, and is given individualized attention that also helps to create a positive impression of the organization and improves, in turn, the retention of talent.
• There is less bias or prejudice in hiring. By entrusting a screening procedure to automation, rather than to the human “eye,” decisions are made based on objective data before face-to-face contact, which largely avoids bias on the part of the recruiter.
• Data analysis. Partly linked to the previous point, being data-driven helps recruiters make decisions based on the most objective data possible (and also more detailed information about each applicant backed by data) rather than on judgments that may be more biased or more prone to error.
• Better quality hiring. Everything addressed up to this point leads to a happy point for companies: better hires. When the talent that is really required for a position is incorporated, without forgetting to take care of the experience of this new employee at the beginning of his or her career in the company, it contributes positively to a greater retention of that talent.

There are also disadvantages

While Recruitment 5.0 has strong aspects that have been detailed above, there are also some points against it that are mostly based on relying too much on technology for this process, such as:

• Reject a potentially good candidate for the organization for reasons such as what he/she posts on social networks, for reasons such as not liking him/her, impacting our values or having a different opinion than the recruiter, for example.
• Hiring a candidate who is not relevant for the position based solely on their good recommendations on social networks, and not on demonstrable experience and who can really provide benefits to the organization.

In conclusion

In a time of full digital transformation it is essential to use technologies to be in tune with global trends in general and recruitment in particular, but at the same time use them with attention and professionalism so that they are really useful tools in order to achieve a good recruitment process.

If you want to implement 5.0 recruitment in your company, Kilpatrick’s professional experts can help you to achieve this goal successfully.