Technology is everywhere and it makes our lives so much easier in so many respects, from heating food in seconds in the microwave (considered old in technology terms these days!), to being able to talk to, and see, friends and relatives on the other side of the world, all in real time. Within milliseconds, a message can be transmitted around the globe via email. 

And the applications for this technology seem endless. Within business, technology has revolutionised so many processes and now it seems that the recruitment field is next in the long list of business tasks that technology can change the face of. With websites and companies such as Staff Bay leading the way, it is no surprise. 

Moving away from the traditional

From shopping to studying, banking to reading, technology is making life simpler and easier. Recruitment can, for some businesses, be a thorn in their side. Think back decades when companies used to advertise vacancies in shop windows… then they started to place adverts in the press… and now, the Internet is making job vacancies open to an ever-increasing audience of prospective candidates. However, it can be as much of a curse as a blessing. 

But technology can help here too. Recruitment, essential as it is, is a drain on time, money and effort – the exact three resources that are often in short supply. For micro, small or fledgling businesses, they may not have the luxury of time, effort or money to spend days advertising, processing and interviewing prospective candidates. Opting for the first person through the door is a risk; it can either backfire spectacularly or you can have an amazing success on your hands. 

But you could use technology to take away this risk – how?

• Skype Interviews

Interviews can be fun and are still a great way – in all honesty, the only way – to meet and find the right people for you. But they can be time-consuming; candidates will need to take a day or more off work, especially if there is travel involved. Businesses will need to set time aside, not just for the interviews themselves, but for the planning of them too. 

Skype could be the answer and, with most people and places having a secure and reliable Internet connection, what is there not to like about conducting an interview via Skype?

What is Skype?

It is an Internet-based telephone service that allows callers to make free or very cheap calls; this includes national and international calls. It is also possible to see the caller and recipient too, making it an effective and reliable real-time interview tool. 

• Can Google Hangout work too?

Yes, it is a similar platform to Skype that offers both instant messaging and a video chat function. Many experts see these types of platforms as being the future of telephony and the great thing about both of these services is that the majority of people already know how to access and use them.

They are free to set up and are reliable too; so if you are interviewing people from far and wide, why not experiment with either of these two real-time video chat services? You can set up your account several weeks prior to the interviews, and practise by calling your colleagues.  

However, it is not just about logging on and dialing; you will need to bear in mind the backdrop and room that you are showing to your prospective candidates. Interviewees will also need to treat it as a ‘real’ interview, dressing and acting accordingly.

• Being organised

The interview process is the final stage in what can be a long process, and it can be an organisational nightmare for some small- and medium-sized enterprises. 

Again, technology can help here with a system such as an ‘applicant tracking system’, although this does have one drawback: cost. It’s a significant investment, and unless you have plans for world domination, might be a little too heavy to invest in. 

However, there are solutions with websites such as Staff Bay. The ability to monitor and group prospective candidates means that an influx of CVs and resumes clogging your inbox is a thing of the past.

• And don’t forget social networks

The social platforms that we are all a part of can also be a technology to help many an SME effectively sort through the recruitment process, and end up at an interview process that is useful for the company – and the candidates too.

Technology can help in so many ways, and it need not be complicated or difficult to use either. Take another look and harness its true potential when it comes to the all-important interview process.