How the Latest Advances in Technology Have Impacted the Recruitment and Selection Process - Literature review Example

Manage People Review how the latest advances in technology (e.g. social networking, web 2.0, e-methods) have impacted on the recruitment and selection process. Explore the benefits and challenges that using new technology presents for organisations. Introduction The significant influence of external factors in an organization’s performance could never be discounted. From among the macro-environmental factors that impinge on an organization’s functions, particularly in terms of human resources management (HRM), technological breakthroughs and advancement has made unprecedented impact in the last few decades. Of the five functions of HRM: job organization and information, acquisition, maintenance, development, and research (Martires, 2004), the area of recruitment and screening under acquisition has been dramatically transformed adjusting and adapting to technological factors. In this regard, the aim of the current discourse is to review how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the recruitment and selection process. Likewise, the benefits and challenges of using new technological applications would be presented and expounded based on contemporary organizational experiences. Impact of Technological Advancement on Recruitment and Selection Process In a study conducted by Piotrowski and Armstrong (2006), the authors revealed that current recruitment and selection practices, based on the national survey of 1000 firms included in Fortune’s top organizations in the United States, included “personality testing on the Internet and the use of online testing for selection purposes” (Piotrowski and Armstrong, 2006, pp. 489-490). Organizations were thereby cautioned on their effective applicability due to lack of regulations imposed on online selection firms. Likewise, the authors cited the works of Barbian (2001) and Bates (2002) whose studies contend that “most person job-fit tests have not been standardized, lack norms, and developers have not presented predictive validity data on their selection measures” (cited in Piotrowski and Armstrong, 2006, p. 490). Parry (2010) has cited that “70% of the organizations surveyed used the Internet or Intranet to deliver HR services to employees with most respondents planning to enhance substantially their e-HR capabilities over the two years” (p. 522). On the other hand, Capelli’s (2001) research indicated that a staggering 90% of U.S. organizations have already shifted to online recruiting due to the benefits in costs and efficiency accorded by this technological advancement (p. 140). There are options open to contemporary organizations regarding the use of technological applications to service HR functions. As Cappelli (2001) averred, organizations could use HR software programs that “automate the entire hiring process: they collect applications in a standardized format, screen them, determine where they came from (such as through job boards or classifiedads), monitor the progress of applications, and calculate how long it takes to fill various jobs or to get a new employee working productively” (p. 143). Concurrently, other organizations opt to outsource the hiring function through the use of external vendors, which would be discussed under challenges that these new technology presents. The website of Global Recruiting Roundtable (2011) indicated that “80.2% of companies are using Social Media to recruit and another 8.7% of companies are planning to begin this year (results of Jobvite survey, July 2011)” (Valkenburg 2011, par. 1). The percentage was a dramatic 18% increase from the 68% of the companies that used social media in 2009 to the 80.2% in 2011. The survey results from Jobvite revealed remarkable statistics that validate the effectiveness of using social networking sites such as Linkedln, Facebook and Twitter; where Linkedln topped the survey at 95% of the respondents indicating that they have successfully hired through this social networking site (Jobvite, 2011, p. 8). Benefits of Using Technonological Advancement Parry (2010) has identified benefits of using technology in HRM in general. Accordingly, contemporary generations have utilized some form of a software applications system, like the HR information system (HRIS) that enables them to perform functions with benefits ranging from leading to “faster, more accurate and more efficient processes, and reduced HR costs. Technology can also be used to provide HR information and to enable managers and employees to perform simple HR tasks themselves. On another level, the use of HRIS to reduce the administrative and transactional burden on the HR function can lead to a change in the structure of HR and allow the function to play a more strategic role in the organization” (Parry, 2010, p. 522). The cost advantages of using the internet for recruiting purposes, for example, was noted by Cappelli (2001) as substantially cheaper than traditional sources of information, to wit: “estimates suggest that it costs only about one-twentieth as much to hire someone on-line as to hire that same person through want ads and other traditional means”(p. 140). The efficiency in cost is highlighted by the number of days allotted by organizations in recruiting in selection that were significantly reduced using online sources. Cappelli acknowledged “a study by Recruitsoft/iLogos Research of 50 Fortune 500 companies (which) revealed that the average company cut about six days off its hiring cycle of 43 days by posting jobs on-line instead of in newspapers, another four days by taking on-line applications instead of paper ones, and more than a week by screening and processing applications electronically” (2001, p. 140). Aside from the cost savings generated by organizations that use online recruiting and selection tools, Kotlyar and Ades (2002) took the point of view of applicants and found that applicants prefer this type of recruitment tool for the reason that “applicants perceive (online) screening tests to be fairer than other types of pre-employment tests” (p. 3). It also allows applicants the ease and convenient of applying online and receiving correspondences through the same medium, prior to actual going to the organization for screening purposes. These tools are deemd cost effective for the organizations and the applicants, as well. Challenges of Using Technological Advancement One of the challenges posed by increased reliance and use of technology in the recruitment and selection process is the possible violation of anti-discrimination laws depending on the “hiring criteria that weed out disproportionate percentages of women, disabled people, workers over 40, or members of minority groups” (Cappelli, 2001, p. 142). This finding was corroborated by Searle (2006) in her study that revealed “the potential for misuse of data through these systems and the possibility of the perpetuation of discrimination for traditional marginalised groups” (p. 336). In addition, the challenge of selecting the appropriate vendors to assist in the use of technological applications regarding recruiting and selection could make or break the organization’s success in hiring. As highlighted by Cappelli (2001), there are a number of different vendors that could be more proficient in using technological applications for recruitment and selection. These vendors range from management systems vendors, workforce planners, applicant screeners, matchmakers, job boards and even freelance agents and mediators (Cappelli, 2001, p. 142). Rather than relying on the organization’s internal resources to hire and select, by seeking outside vendors to do the task, these vendors specialization could be capitalized as sources of savings and immediate employment. Organizations should first establish confident and trusting business relationships with particular vendors to ensure that the employement needs are appropriately addresssed. The risks of using vendors and of outsourcing the recruitment and selection process increase with the increased reliance on technological advancement. As emphasized by Capelli (2001), “courts have held that employers are liable for violations that result from their vendors techniques. Even if a vendor has validated its tests and criteria with its own data, an employer must still demonstrate that the criteria accurately predict performance in the particular job being filled” (p. 144). In this regard, the challenge that face contemporary organizations in terms of using external vendors or opting for outsourcing come in terms of increased risks for legal sanctions and litigations that could ensue from ineffective standards and hiring criteria that did not match the applicants’ qualification to the requirements of the job. Cappelli (2001) also revealed that another setback of using technology, particularly the internet in recruiting is spending “too much time finding potential candidates and not enough time developing relationships with candidates and persuading them to take jobs. The result is that too many good applicants slip away” (p. 143). This means that by relying too much on advances in technology, organizations could have tendencies to neglect establishing interpersonal relationships that are most effective in gauging other skills that could not be revealed through online sources. There might be the need to integrate traditional recruitment and selection approaches with online tools to come up with the most effective way to hire the best employees among the host of enumerable possibilities. In addition, since employment information is readily available through online sources, keeping employees become a problem. When employees are given access to compare pay and benefit structures online, the comparative information offered by organizations who advertise and publicly announce online, make retention an eminent human resource dilemma. Recommendation and Conclusion With the benefits that far outweigh challenges posed by technological advancements in the field of recruitment and selection of human resources, organizations must design strategies that would ensure that highly competent and qualified people that were hired should be retained, maintained and developed to avoid the pitfalls of high turnover and decreased company loyalty. If organizations implement motivational packages and incentive scheme that make their employees realize that working with them is most advantageous for their personal and professional growth, then, the problems associated with the ease within which technology is used to immediately transfer from one company to other would be addressed. The future of hiring and selection using technological advancement processes and procedures see the standardization of “describing applicant characteristics and job requirements (that) will help companies get better at matching applicants to jobs” (Cappelli, 2001, p. 146). Further, as initially noted, more regulatory laws should be instituted by government agencies to protect labor parties (both employer and employees) that use latest advances in technology as recruitment and selection tools. The current research has hereby successfully achieved its objective of proffering a review of how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the recruitment and selection process. The expounding on the benefits and challenges of using new technological applications, contemporary organizations recognize the need to design strategies that would ensure that they get to keep the best employees and maximize their potentials by maintaining, developing and motivating them to achieve personal and organizational goals. Noted Feedback from Previous Course Assignments From Assignment One There were feedback comments that noted the need to avoid using the third person point of view in formal essays by avoiding pronouns such as I, we, us, to name a few. Proper referencing and citations need to be improved; as well as expounding on providing further analysis on specific subjects that were defined, enumerated and presented. As stipulated, the areas to be developed were: (1) checking the referencing list lay that should conform to the Harvard system; (2) ensuring sources of company examples were properly cited; (3) using up to date facts and figures; (4) providing further analysis of principles, concepts and arguments. There were strengths in definition of terms; enumeration of pros and cons; and evidence of effective good group work. From Marketing Audit Assignment The feedback focused on observing grammatical rules such as proofreading, ensuring correct spelling of words, and more effective use of communication patterns that should avoid repetition. The need for appropriate citations and referencing were also noted; as well as the need to expand on providing further analysis and explanations on concepts that were presented. Improvements Made for Current Assignment Upon reviewing the comments noted, the current assignment addressed the weaknesses in the areas of referencing and citations, selecting scholarly and varied sources of information, as well as using more up to date references. By doing so, the validity and credibility of information is increased. Likewise, grammatical rules are observed. Proper proofreading is enforced through running the program’s spelling and grammar check; as well as doing a manual review more than twice for double checking of any grammatical errors. Reference List Barbian, J. 2001. "Getting to know you." Training, pp. 60-63. Bates, S. 2002. "Personality counts." HR Magazine, pp. 28-34. Cappelli, P. 2001. "On-Line Recruiting." Harvard Business Review, pp. 139-146. Jobvite. 2011. Social Recruiting Survey Results, [Online]. Available at: [http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/glennmanko/2011-social-recruiting-survey-from-jobvite/2 (accessed December 17, 2011). Kotlyar, I, and K. Ades. 2002. "Dont overlook recruiting tools." HR Magazine, Vol. 27, No. 5, 1 - 3. Martires, C.R. 2004. Human Resources Management: Principles and Practices. Quezon City: National Bookstore. Parry, E. 2010. "The Benefits of Using Technology in Human Resource Management." IGI Global. Piotrowski, C, and T Armstrong. 2006. "Current Recruitment and Selection Practices: A National Survey of Fortune 1000 Firms." North American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 8, No. 3,489-496. Searle, R. 2006. "New technology: the potential impact of surveillance techniques in recruitment practices." Personnel Review, Vol. 35, No. 3, 336 - 351. Valkenburg, J. 2011. 80% of all companies use Social Media to recruit, [Online]. Available at: http://www.globalrecruitingroundtable.com/2011/09/12/80-of-all-companies-use-social-media-to-recruit/#.TuxvQ1aXWnA (accessed December 17, 2011). Read More