I’ve been in the Talent Acquisition space for over a decade. If you had told me back then about the technology we’d have today—AI-driven everything, automated interview scheduling via SMS, predictive analytics—I would have thought hiring would be seamless. And yet, here we are, having the same conversations about responsiveness, bad processes, poor technology implementations, etc., that we had ten years ago.
Candidate experience is still the primary driver of attraction. Despite this, companies are still debating whether humans should actually engage with applicants. We’re still sending auto-rejections the second someone applies. Despite the explosion of tech vendors, many organizations still have processes that are complex, inefficient, and not effectively automated, and are falling behind.
So, has everything changed, or has nothing really changed at all?
The Evolution of TA Tech
Talent Acquisition technology has come a long way. AI is transforming the nature of Talent Acquisition with tools that touch every part of the process:
- AI-powered chatbots to simplify and streamline the job search and application process.
- CRM-driven candidate nurture campaigns that can keep candidates warm or even pre-close them on future jobs.
- Write compelling and consistent job requirements.
- Matching algorithms to populate shortlists instantaneously.
- Screening tools that assess candidate qualifications quickly and accurately while reducing bias.
- Schedule and facilitate interviews electronically without manual involvement from stakeholders.
On paper, these sound like a game-changers, and in many ways they are; and we expect this trend to continue. AI-powered technology has the potential to reduce recruiter workload and improve hiring outcomes. But for all the advancements, we still see companies struggling with many of the same old problems:
- Ghosting candidates instead of engaging with them personally or in a timely fashion.
- Great talent being overlooked because of an over-reliance on automated screening tools or inflexible scoring criteria.
- Poor execution of strategic goals because business processes are tailored to the technology instead of selecting technology and designing workflows that enhances those processes.
- Inaccurate or outdated candidate information, resulting in data integrity problems and a lack of actionable business intelligence.
- Lengthy, complex applications that candidates away instead of engaging them. An application taking more than 10-15 minutes significantly reduces candidate conversion rates.
What Else Hasn’t Changed? The Human Element
Technology should make recruitment easier, but it can’t replace the human connection. Candidates want engagement; they want to feel seen, heard, and valued. If your process prioritizes efficiency at the cost of candidate experience, you’re missing the point. With the proliferation of AI tools, candidate experience matters more than ever. Smart organizations can differentiate themselves from their competition with an engagement-centric approach. Simplicity wins; the more complex and unengaging your hiring process, the more friction you create for candidates and recruiters.
So, Where Do We Go from Here?
The best TA teams aren’t the ones with the most tools, or the most expensive ones; they’re the ones who use the right tools the right way. How do you find the right balance?
- Audit your hiring process. Where is the friction? Where do candidates drop off?
- Reintroduce and emphasize human touchpoints. Not every stage needs automation; strategic human interactions make a difference.
- Use technology as an enabler, not a crutch. Tech should enhance candidate experience, not replace it.
- Prioritize data accuracy. Ensure that candidate records, hiring metrics, and system integrations are consistently maintained. Figure out what data you need first, and design a process to collect it.
- Optimize the application process. Remove unnecessary fields, make it mobile-friendly, and aim for a completion time of 10 minutes or less.
The Talent Acquisition landscape has evolved, but at its core, hiring is still about people. The companies that strike the right balance between technology and human connection will be the ones that win the talent war. Technology changes everything, except the people that use it; and those people should drive every technology decision you make.
Are you seeing the same patterns? What’s your take on how TA has evolved? Let’s discuss.**
