As technology has permeated the recruitment cycle, automation has been one of the major technologies to make a difference for staffing businesses. Frequently confused or conflated with AI (and frequently working alongside AI) what sets automation apart is that the technology follows predefined rules in order to produce expected outcomes. Think of it as a logic process – if one thing happens then another follows.

Dries De Coster, CEO and Founder of digital worker bot business meet DWIGHT, observes that automation will work in situations where decisions are ‘black and white’ – the gray areas, where analysis and decision making is more complex may not be suitable, or could be fertile ground for AI.

“Digital Worker Bots, like DWIGHT, are very well suited to – complex – enterprise level processes which have to be done right 100% of the time,” he says.

“We typically see that middle and back office functions are underrepresented in the AI and automation technology market, with most tech focused on top of funnel activities.”

However, De Coster believes it is the middle and back office where automation can deliver real, tangible savings for companies which directly impact their bottom line – areas such as onboarding, compliance, credentialing, reading timesheets, generating invoices and extracting payroll information.

“These are often tasks which, frankly, people don’t enjoy doing, but do take up a considerable amount of time and resource,” he says. “The beauty is in the ability to combine both AI with the automation elements, such that our AI capabilities can make or suggest actions intelligently, but then the automation picks up the relevant process flow and executes that, with 24/7 capability.”

De Coster’s firm specialize in automating specific processes for staffing companies. His company create tailored, dedicated bots designed and implemented to complete the ‘grunt work’ for staffing businesses.

Once in place they’ll work in the background, continually doing the process required and freeing up recruitment professionals to do more value adding work, or the tasks which actually need human intervention. Over time the bots can be updated and reconfigured to reflect process changes and company requirements.

De Coster notes this kind of automation doesn’t just make companies more efficient but can build capacity for growth without having to invest in more people.

“DWIGHT can do the work of up to 12 people, but at a fraction of the full-time equivalent cost,” he says, adding that the approach is now competing well with off-shoring options.

“With margin pressures being what they are in this market, being able to ‘grow without growing’ – taking on more volume but not having to hire more staff – can be a key differentiator to surviving and even thriving.”

A tool for the market

“Recruiters are increasingly embracing automation,” agrees Khyati Sundaram, CEO of Applied, “and it’s not hard to see why. Many are facing oversubscribed job vacancies whilst operating with scaled back teams. Automation can help streamline time-intensive admin by scheduling interviews and providing feedback faster, for example.”

Raymond Pennie, CEO of Kyloe Partners says automation has already irrevocably changed the staffing landscape. “Automation isn’t here to steal recruiter jobs,” he says, “it’s here to give people time back. We think of it as less admin, more action. Automation helps recruiters ditch the repetitive stuff – like chasing timesheets, formatting resumes, or sending the same follow-up email 50 times – and focus on the work that actually makes a difference – talking to customers and candidates, building relationships and making placements.”

Pennie’s examples of the impact of automation are impressive. He cites one company able to cut resume formatting time from 15 minutes to just 2 using their document automation solution. Another saw candidate engagement significantly boosted by automating workflows to reconnect the business with candidates who’d gone quiet. “This kind of tech doesn’t just speed things up, it boosts productivity and increases accuracy,” he asserts. “Maybe most importantly of all, it means agencies can offer a better, more consistent customer and candidate experience which leads to repeat business, better placements and fewer dropouts.”

Speed and accuracy

For some, automation is essential in the staffing industry where speed, accuracy and candidate experience are critical. Tools can instantly match candidates to job opportunities and initiate communication through automated emails or texts, significantly reducing time spent on manual screening.

And alongside the management of active candidates, automation can also ensure recruiters stay connected with all potential candidates. Workflows can be designed to monitor inactivity and re-engage passive candidates with timely messages or by enrolling them into drip campaigns. Automation can be used to stay up to date with a candidate’s status, issuing interview reminders, and follow-ups whether they are ultimately successful or unsuccessful.

Automation can also improve internal processes, ensuring data is handled correctly and appropriately. With the use of the right technology even the most complex business processes can be automated, giving the business consistency, compliance and speed at every step of the recruitment journey.

Critically these automations have to reflect the business priorities and intentions of the staffing company. There are certain types of candidates and vacancies where workflows and automation is acceptable and appreciated by everyone – candidates feel they are engaged and positively progressing through the system. At other times, and for other types of candidates, however, a more human touch may be required – getting the technology right is therefore a question of understanding the process and the appropriateness of the technology for each person at each stage of the process.