Automating Recruitment while Retaining the Human Element

Human connection can feel like it’s fading in the wake of the current AI revolution, and some recruiters may worry that embracing automation could lead to an impersonal experience for the very people they’re trying to build relationships with.

Fortunately, there are ways of leveraging automation that enhance your ability to build and nurture those crucial relationships rather than harm them.

Personal vs. Impersonal Automation

The word “automation” can conjure images of generic cold calls, a churn of low-quality inMails, and emails that “hope to find you well.” However, in the context of recruitment, especially for small agencies and solo professionals, proper automation isn’t about replacing human interaction. Strategic automation instead eliminates the time-consuming, repetitive tasks that can steal your focus from what truly matters, which is building rapport with others and understanding the needs of your market.

Think about how much time you spend each week on sending follow-up emails, setting reminders to check in with candidates, or manually updating contact notes? These tasks are vital, but they can also be a drain on your valuable time and energy. Recruitment automation steps in to handle these processes efficiently, freeing you up to dedicate more time to having meaningful conversations, actively listening to candidate aspirations, and truly understanding your clients’ unique hiring challenges.

A Personal Touch That Scales

You already know how important personalization and genuine connection are in recruitment. Here’s how automation can help you maintain a human-first approach:

• Personalized Communication
  Send email or SMS messages that automatically populate with details from the contact record. This level of personalization shows candidates and clients that they aren’t just another number in your system receiving a blanket message.
• Strategic Reminders
  Automated sequences keep reminders for crucial human touchpoints in front of you when you need them and out of the way when you don’t. Timely reminders for post-interview follow-up calls, congratulatory messages on placement anniversaries, or check-ins with clients you haven’t spoken to in a while ensure that connection opportunities aren’t lost in an overloaded calendar and demonstrate that you value the relationship.
• Scripts as Conversation Starters, Not End Points
  Having talking points prepared makes your calls more efficient and gives you a more polished impression. By preparing automated calls with your own scripts, you and your team build helpful frameworks that ensure the key points are covered while still allowing for natural conversation and active listening. (In PCR, you can also use custom Profile Forms to guide conversations and store the answers in a convenient and searchable format.)
• Email Campaigns with a Human Voice
  Nurturing passive candidates and keeping clients informed about relevant industry trends doesn’t have to feel like a marketing blast – even when it is! By scheduling a series of automated communications sent over time, branching off to different cadences or content based on their clicks or replies, you can create a more personalized interaction without writing each mail from scratch.

Automating Recruitment with Your Personal Touch

Think about your current recruitment process. Where are the repetitive tasks that could be automated?

Let’s look at an example of how a recruiter might use automation to promote the MPCs (most placeable candidates) in their private database to clients:

1. An automated email is sent which includes the client’s name, company info, and some enticing details about the candidate being marketed.
2. After a two-day delay, the recruiter is reminded to make a follow-up call, send an InMail, or a text message.
3. If no response is logged, another automated email is sent five days later, this time offering a different personal message.
4. A final five-day delay occurs, after which the recruiter is prompted to make one last phone call. They’re shown a call script with relevant information for a consistent and professional approach.

By handling the scheduling, logging, and other details this sort of automation frees up the recruiter to focus on the valuable insights, relevant updates, and resources they have to share. The automation doesn’t replace the recruiter, but guides them through the process while providing the data and tools needed to handle the task quickly.

When you’re setting up your own automations, remember that you’re not trying to fit your workflow into a box. Instead, focus on molding the tools to reflect your unique communication style and the specific needs of your candidates and clients.

Think about your current recruitment process. Where are the repetitive tasks that could be automated? Where do you want to ensure a personal touchpoint is never missed? How can you leverage automation to amplify your natural ability to connect with people?

The Future of Recruiting is Human, Powered by Smart Automation

In 2025 and beyond, the recruiters who thrive will be those who can effectively blend the power of technology with authentic human connection. Recruitment automation tools, like PCR’s Sequencing, can empower solo recruiters and small agencies by automating the busywork, freeing up precious time and mental space to focus on building strong, lasting relationships with the talented individuals you place and the companies you serve.