To speed up hiring, many companies turn to offshore sourcing solutions that promise a flood of resumes overnight. But in reality, this “more is better” approach often sacrifices quality for volume, leaving you buried under irrelevant candidates who just don’t fit. 

Fortunately, there’s a better way – Leoforce Source. By leveraging AI to focus on precision and fit, Leoforce ensures you get the right candidates who align with your company’s needs — not just a stack of resumes. Let’s dive into how Leoforce Source redefines sourcing to deliver results that truly matter. But first, let’s take a closer look at the challenges in offshored sourcing.  

The Common Pitfalls of Offshored Sourcing Models 

Offshored sourcing can be tempting — after all, who wouldn’t want a flood of candidates delivered quickly? But this speed comes at a cost, often creating more headaches than solutions. 

1. Volume Over Fit: Offshored sourcing often operates on a “bulk delivery” model, prioritizing speed over accuracy. The result? Recruiters are left sifting through mountains of resumes that miss the mark on both skills and culture fit. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack — time-consuming and frustrating. Nearly 75% of HR professionalsi say that offshored talent pools lack alignment with specific role requirements, increasing the likelihood of mismatched hires. 

1. High Turnover and Reduced Retention: Constant turnover doesn’t just drain your budget; it drains your team’s morale. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 78% of HR professionalsii say that high turnover negatively impacts team morale, while 70% report productivity drops as a result. Poor retention rates mean you’re constantly starting from scratch, trying to fill the same positions over and over. 

1. Lack of Personalized Sourcing: Many offshore sourcing solutions utilize a one-size-fits-all approach. This lack of personalization means critical nuances, such as cultural fit or specific skills, are often overlooked. That can result in not only bad hires, but it can also cause you to miss out on great candidates who may be a perfect fit but don’t precisely align with the one-size-fits-all search criteria.   

How Leoforce Source Prioritizes Precision in Sourcing 

So, how does Leoforce Source cut through the noise to deliver candidates who truly fit? It’s all about precision, not just volume. Here’s how Leoforce sets itself apart: 

• AI-Driven Candidate Matching: Instead of casting a wide net, Leoforce Source uses AI to zero in on candidates who match on every level — skills, experience, and culture fit. By evaluating candidates holistically, Leoforce delivers a shortlist of high-potential hires who are primed to succeed. 

• Data-Backed Insights: Leveraging vast market data, Leoforce Source delivers data-enriched candidate profiles that go beyond basic qualifications. This approach allows recruiters to make informed decisions quickly, reducing time spent on filtering irrelevant profiles. 

• Focus on Quality Over Quantity: Leoforce’s AI prioritizes quality-fit candidates, which leads to better hiring outcomes. One study found that companies using AI for sourcing report a 30% reductioniii in time-to-fill and a marked improvement in candidate quality. 

Benefits of Choosing Leoforce Source Over Offshored Sourcing 

The benefits of Leoforce Source go far beyond just filling positions faster. Here’s why it’s a game-changer: 

• Improved Candidate Retention: Offshored sourcing might seem like a bargain, but the hidden costs — from turnover to retraining — can quickly add up. By focusing on quality from the start, you can avoid costly mistakes, making it a smarter investment in the long run. 

• Reduced Time-to-Fill and Increased Productivity: When roles are filled faster with the right candidates, downtime is reduced, and productivity soars.  

• Cost-Efficiency in the Long Term: While offshored sourcing might seem cost-effective at first, the hidden costs of turnover, rehiring, and training add up. Investing in a solution like Leoforce Source ultimately saves money by ensuring you hire right the first time. 

Real-World Applications: Leoforce Source’s Impact in Tech, Healthcare, and Finance 

Whether you’re hiring in tech, healthcare, or finance, the right hire makes all the difference. Here’s how Leoforce Source excels in these high-stakes industries: 

• Technology: The tech industry demands niche skills that are hard to source. Leoforce Source combines advanced AI algorithms with a team of expert sourcing agents to scan vast talent pools, pinpointing candidates with the right skills, cultural and technical fit. 

• Healthcare: Precision is crucial in healthcare, where the wrong hire can have serious consequences. Leoforce’s predictive analytics help identify candidates who are not only qualified but also aligned with the demands of healthcare roles, improving retention and patient outcomes. 

• Finance: In the high-stakes finance sector, Leoforce Source’s data-driven approach finds candidates with the necessary skills and integrity ensuring better compliance, reduced risk, and improved retention for critical positions. 

Success Stories  

Take a rapidly growing staffing agency, struggling to scale nationwide while expanding into specialized fields like tech, healthcare IT, and finance. They turned to Leoforce Source to streamline recruiting — and the results speak for themselves: 

• 15% increase in their internal talent pool 

• 26% boost in weekly submittals per recruiter.  

• 53% decrease in time-to-submit  

The efficiency gains were significant and enabled them to deliver high-quality candidates faster and stay ahead of their competitors. This boost in productivity was especially critical for serving high-profile clients, including a Fortune 100 company where speed and accuracy are essential. 

Do More with Less 

In today’s hiring landscape, quality shouldn’t have to take a backseat to speed. With Leoforce Source, you can have both. It’s time to rethink your sourcing strategy — book a meeting today to see how Leoforce can transform your hiring process. 

Ready to transform your sourcing strategy? Learn more about Leoforce Source’s capabilities by booking a meeting today! 

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The Shift from Cutting Costs to Gaining Strategic Advantage 

Let’s face it—offshoring was a quick fix for companies looking to trim expenses. Sure, it saved money in the short term, but at what cost? Language barriers, cultural disconnects, and inconsistent quality often outweighed the benefits. Businesses soon found themselves grappling with miscommunication, disengaged hires, and a lack of alignment with their core values. 

Now, there’s a better way. Intelligent recruiting is the smart, future-forward approach that companies need to embrace if they’re serious about finding, hiring, and retaining top-tier talent. It’s not about spending less—it’s about recruiting better. According to a LinkedIn study, 35% of talent professionals see AI and intelligent automation as game-changers, transforming not just how they hire, but who they hire. 

Why Offshoring Is Running Out of Steam 

Offshoring may have offered a quick path to cutting expenses, but it came with hidden costs. Companies that leaned heavily on this strategy found themselves facing challenges they hadn’t anticipated—like communication breakdowns and a lack of cultural alignment. What started as a cost-saving measure often led to inefficiencies, higher turnover, and disengaged hires. It’s becoming increasingly clear that focusing solely on cost reduction is a shortsighted approach that can undermine long-term growth and success. 

Consider this: 90% of hiring managers say they struggle to find qualified candidates, even with the cost savings offshoring brings. If your recruitment strategy is based on saving pennies while losing great people, you’re playing a losing game. 

Intelligent Recruiting: The New Gold Standard 

So, what exactly is intelligent recruiting? It’s about blending technology with strategy to supercharge your hiring process. Imagine this: AI-powered systems that sift through thousands of resumes in minutes, predictive analytics that tell you which candidates are more likely to stick around, and automation tools that free up your recruiters to do what they do best—connect with people. 

Unilever did just that. By using AI to overhaul their recruitment process, they slashed hiring time from four months to four weeks, saving over 50,000 hours of labor annually. That’s not just efficient—that’s revolutionary. 

Leveraging Technology for a Recruitment Revolution 

We’re not just talking about fancy gadgets here. We’re talking about tech that transforms the very DNA of your hiring process. Think AI-powered ATS systems that don’t just scan resumes but actually predict cultural fit, or machine learning algorithms that analyze interview performance to predict on-the-job success. 

The numbers don’t lie: 78.9% of companies are ramping up their investments in AI for recruitment, and for good reason. The future belongs to those who can leverage data to make faster, smarter hiring decisions. 

Data-Driven Decision Making: The Ultimate Game-Changer 

If your hiring process still relies on gut instincts, you’re missing out on a crucial edge. Tracking metrics like time-to-fill, quality-of-hire, and cost-per-hire aren’t just a numbers game – their real insights you can leverage to refine your recruitment strategy. Companies who are capitalizing on analytics are turning hiring into a strategic advantage, allowing them to quickly adjust to market demands and secure top talent. According to Korn Ferry, companies that integrate AI into their hiring processes see a 30% reduction in time-to-fill positions. That’s the kind of efficiency that turns recruiting from a cost center into a value driver. 

Real-World Wins with Intelligent Recruiting 

Let’s talk success stories. Hilton used AI to cut their hiring process down by a whopping 90%, turning what used to take weeks into a matter of days. And they didn’t just stop there—candidate satisfaction soared, proving that faster doesn’t mean sloppier.  

These aren’t just anecdotes; they’re proof that intelligent recruiting isn’t a buzzword—it’s a blueprint for the future. Companies that invest in this strategy are winning the war for talent, and those that don’t? Well, they’re getting left behind. 

It’s Time to Recruit Smarter, Not Cheaper 

The bottom line is clear: cost savings alone won’t drive the talent you need to win in today’s competitive market. It’s time to stop cutting corners and start investing in strategies that actually make a difference. Intelligent recruiting isn’t just a trend—it’s the future. 

The question is, are you ready to leave outdated practices behind and embrace a smarter way to recruit? Because those who do will find themselves ahead of the pack, while the rest are left scrambling to catch up. 

If you’re ready to start recruiting smarter, it’s time to explore the future of candidate sourcing with Leoforce Source. An AI-amplified sourcing service that combines industry-leading recruiting technology with a dedicated team of recruiting agents, Leoforce Source helps you find top talent across your sourcing channels in a fraction of the time.  

Book a free consultation to learn how we can reduce time-to-submit by 2 weeks and unlock your hidden talent pool. 

The post Beyond Cost Savings: The Future of Recruiting Lies in Intelligence Not Offshoring appeared first on Leoforce.

But here’s the good news: by understanding how to calculate your Cost Per Hire accurately, you can take control of your recruiting budget, optimize your hiring process, and make smarter financial decisions. This guide will explore everything you need to know to get started. But first, let’s break down what cost per hire means, and why it’s critical.  

What is Cost Per Hire? 

In simple terms, Cost Per Hire measures the total expense of bringing a new employee onboard. It’s like getting a receipt for every dollar spent during the hiring process—from job ads to recruiter fees, interview costs, and beyond. When calculated correctly, it can reveal where your recruiting dollars are going and, more importantly, where you can save. 

Why Cost Per Hire Matters 

If you’re not tracking your Cost Per Hire, you’re essentially flying blind. By understanding this metric, you gain a clearer view of your recruitment budget, which leads to smarter financial planning and better hiring decisions. 

• Save Money and Optimize Spending: According to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report, organizations that focus on optimizing their recruitment metrics can reduce overall hiring costs by up to 18%. Knowing your CPH helps you identify which hiring channels and strategies are yielding the best ROI so you can allocate your budget more effectively.  

• Boost Efficiency: Streamlining your recruitment process is crucial. Research shows that reducing time-to-fill by even a few days can lower your CPH significantly. Companies that automate parts of their recruitment process, such as resume screening and interview scheduling, can reduce hiring costs by up to 30%. This means faster hires, better talent, and reduced overhead costs. 

• Stay Ahead of the Competition: The market for top talent is competitive. According to Glassdoor, companies with efficient hiring processes are twice as likely to attract top candidates. By optimizing your CPH, you’re not just saving money—you’re also positioning your organization as an attractive place to work. 

How Cost Per Hire Influences Overall Business Performance 

One often overlooked aspect of Cost Per Hire (CPH) is its impact on broader business performance. It’s not just about the money saved in recruitment; optimizing CPH can ripple across your entire organization. 

Improved Financial Health: By reducing your CPH, you can redirect those savings to other critical areas of your business, such as employee development programs or new technology investments. A survey by Deloitte revealed that companies with efficient hiring practices saw a 15% boost in overall productivity within the first year of implementation.  

Enhanced Employer Branding: Organizations that monitor and optimize their CPH often see improvements in their employer brand. Most job seekers consider a company’s reputation before applying. If your recruitment processes are efficient, it signals that you are serious about investing in people. 

Increased Retention Rates: An optimized CPH isn’t just about cost efficiency—it’s also about hiring the right talent. Companies that prioritize cost-effective, quality hires tend to have higher retention rates and are 22% less likely to experience high turnover in the first year. 

The Hidden Costs of Recruitment 

Cost Per Hire is more than just the obvious expenses like job postings or recruiter salaries. Often, it’s the hidden costs that drive up your hiring budget without you even realizing it. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly overlooked expenses: 

Lost Productivity: Every day a position remains unfilled is a day where productivity is impacted. If a key role is vacant for too long, it can lead to burnout for existing employees who must take on additional tasks. Research from the Corporate Executive Board shows that the cost of lost productivity due to unfilled roles can be as high as 2% of a company’s annual revenue​. 

Onboarding and Training Costs: Even after you’ve filled a position, the costs don’t stop there. Onboarding new hires can take weeks, and the time spent training them needs to be factored into your overall CPH. According to the Aberdeen Group, effective onboarding can reduce turnover rates by 50%, highlighting the value of investing in a robust onboarding process. 

Technology Investments: Many companies overlook the cost of the software tools used during the hiring process. Subscription fees for applicant tracking systems (ATS), background check platforms, and other recruitment technologies can quickly add up. Ensuring you’re using these tools efficiently can help reduce unnecessary spending. 

Leveraging Technology and Best Practices to Optimize Cost Per Hire  

To reduce CPH without compromising on quality, leverage technology and proven strategies: 

• Automate Recruitment with AI: AI-powered tools can streamline candidate sourcing, resume screening, and interview scheduling, reducing hiring time by up to 30%​. Automating these repetitive tasks allows your HR team to focus on strategic activities. 

• Use Data Analytics for Smarter Decisions: Data analytics can identify the most cost-effective hiring channels and improve job ad targeting. According to McKinsey, companies using data-driven recruitment see a 25% boost in efficiency​. Use analytics to refine sourcing strategies and cut unnecessary expenses. 

• Centralize Hiring with an ATS: An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) can automate candidate tracking, reduce manual errors, and streamline communications. This reduces time-to-fill and ensures a more efficient hiring process. 

• Build a Talent Pipeline: A robust talent pipeline allows you to fill roles quickly, reducing costs associated with vacancies. Companies with strong pipelines can reduce time-to-hire by 40%​. 

• Optimize Referral Programs: Employee referrals are one of the fastest and most cost-effective hiring sources. Referred candidates are 55% quicker to hire and tend to stay longer​. Implement a referral program with clear incentives to boost engagement. 

By combining the latest technology with strategic best practices, companies can achieve a significant reduction in Cost Per Hire without sacrificing quality. The key is to continually analyze your processes, leverage data, and invest in tools that enhance efficiency. With these strategies, you’ll not only lower costs but also improve the quality of your hires, ultimately driving better business outcomes. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Calculate Cost Per Hire  

Step 1: Gather Your Data 

To calculate your Cost Per Hire, you need accurate and comprehensive data. Here’s a checklist to ensure you’re covering all bases: 

• Internal Costs: Include salaries of your HR staff, time spent by hiring managers in interviews, and any recruitment software subscriptions. 

• External Costs: Don’t forget expenses like job board fees, background checks, agency fees, and any travel costs for candidates. 

• Hidden Costs: Capture expenses related to onboarding, training, and lost productivity during vacancies. 

Pro Tip: Use a centralized dashboard to track all these expenses in real-time. This will not only make your calculations more accurate but also streamline your reporting process. 

Step 2: Calculate Total Costs 

Break down your expenses into internal and external costs. Here’s an example breakdown: 

Once you have a complete picture of your costs, you can move on to calculating your CPH.  

Step 3: Determine the Number of Hires 

Make sure you’re accurately counting the number of hires within the specific period you’re analyzing. For seasonal hiring, consider separating permanent hires from temporary or contract workers, as this can significantly affect your CPH. 

Step 4: Plug It into the Formula 

 Let’s say your total recruitment costs are $120,000, and you made 30 hires:: 

CPH = 120,000 

That means each hire costs your company $4,000—an important number to know when budgeting for the future. 

Common Pitfalls to Avoid 

Calculating Cost Per Hire might seem straightforward, but there are common traps that can throw off your results: 

1. Ignoring Hidden Costs: Don’t just track the obvious expenses. Include costs like interview time, software, and training. These can significantly affect your overall CPH. 
2. Inconsistent Data Collection: Be diligent about tracking costs. If different departments are hiring independently, ensure everyone is reporting expenses the same way. 
3. Focusing on Cost Without Considering Quality: A low CPH is great, but not if it results in low-quality hires who leave within six months. It’s about balancing cost with the quality of talent. 

Real-World Case Study: Cutting Cost Per Hire 

Case Study: Retail Chain’s Hiring Efficiency Boost 

A major retail chain that hires thousands of seasonal employees annually faced skyrocketing recruitment costs. By implementing an automated hiring platform and negotiating better deals with job boards, they cut their Cost Per Hire from $6,000 to $3,200 in just six months​. This shift not only saved them millions but also reduced time-to-hire by 40%. 

Why Cost Per Hire Matters 

If you’re serious about optimizing your recruiting process, understanding your Cost Per Hire is non-negotiable. It’s the difference between flying blind and having a clear roadmap for hiring efficiently and effectively. By knowing your CPH, you can make smarter budget decisions, optimize your talent acquisition strategy, and, ultimately, build a stronger team that drives your business forward. 

Call to Action: Take Charge of Your Hiring Costs Today 

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, understanding your Cost Per Hire is no longer optional—it’s a must. By calculating and optimizing this metric, you can streamline your recruitment process, save significant costs, and build a more resilient workforce. 

However, remember that a low CPH should not come at the expense of candidate quality. The goal is to find a balance that ensures cost-efficiency while still attracting top talent who will thrive in your organization. By investing in data-driven recruitment strategies, leveraging technology, and continually analyzing your hiring metrics, you can maintain a competitive edge in the talent market. 

Ready to take control of your Cost Per Hire without sacrificing quality? Applicants On Demand is a true pay-for-performance service that eliminates the guesswork regarding costs and applicant quality by delivering AI-qualified applicants directly to your ATS with zero upfront costs and pre-defined, pay-per-applicant pricing. Book a meeting today to learn more.  

FAQs 

How Can I Benchmark My Company’s Cost Per Hire? 

Benchmarking your CPH involves comparing your data with industry standards using tools like SHRM’s benchmarking reports. Consider factors like your company’s size, industry, and location to get a realistic comparison. 

What Strategies Can I Use to Reduce My Cost Per Hire Without Sacrificing Quality? 

Focus on optimizing your recruitment funnel. Using AI-powered tools for candidate screening can significantly reduce costs by automating repetitive tasks. Additionally, streamlining your interview process can save time and money while maintaining quality. 

How Does Cost Per Hire Correlate with Time to Fill? 

Generally, a shorter time to fill reduces your CPH because vacancies are filled quicker, minimizing productivity losses. However, rushing to fill a position can lead to poor-quality hires, which can increase turnover costs. 

Can High Cost Per Hire Ever Be a Good Thing? 

Yes, in some cases. For specialized or high-level positions, a higher CPH can indicate that you’re investing in sourcing top-tier talent, which can ultimately lead to better long-term performance and lower turnover rates. 

How Does Employer Branding Affect Cost Per Hire?

A strong employer brand can significantly reduce your CPH. Candidates are more likely to accept offers from companies with a positive reputation, which means less spending on job ads and recruitment agencies. Glassdoor reports that companies with strong employer brands see a 50% reduction in hiring costs. 

How Can Tracking Cost Per Hire Help with Forecasting Future Hiring Needs?

Tracking your Cost Per Hire (CPH) over time not only helps you optimize current expenses but also provides a historical benchmark for future hiring projections. By analyzing trends in your CPH, you can anticipate changes in recruitment costs as your business scales or enters new markets. For instance, if your data shows that hiring for technical roles typically incurs a higher CPH, you can allocate a larger budget when planning to expand those teams. This forward-looking approach helps align your recruitment strategy with long-term business goals. 

The post How to Calculate Cost Per Hire: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Leoforce.

Fortunately, a pay-for-performance solution like Applicants on DemandAoD streamlines the entire process by delivering AI-qualified applicants directly to your applicant tracking system (ATS). With zero upfront costs and predefined, pay-per-applicant pricing, this is the solution retailers have been waiting for. Let’s break it down. But first, a closer look at the challenges retailers face during peak seasons. 

The Seasonal Staffing Crunch in Retail: Why Retailers Need a Specialized Solution 

When retailers gear up for major sales events, their immediate priority is to staff up to handle increased foot traffic and sales volume. According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. retailers hired over 500,000 seasonal workers in 2023i to prepare for the holiday rush. However, despite the urgent need, filling these positions quickly and cost-effectively remains a persistent challenge. 

Key Pain Points in Temporary Retail Staffing 

Maintaining service quality and capitalizing on increased consumer spending during peak seasons is the name of the game in retail. However, rapidly scaling your workforce to meet the demand presents several obstacles: 

1. High Turnover: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that turnover in retail reached 60.5% in 2023ii​. Temporary retail positions often experience even higher turnover, leading to increased recruitment and training costs. 

1. The Need for Speed: The need to fill positions rapidly can be a double-edged sword for retailers. Delays in hiring can lead to understaffed stores, longer wait times for customers, and missed revenue opportunities. Yet, hasty hiring decisions can also compromise candidate quality.  

1. Budget Constraints: Traditional recruitment methods can be costly, with expenses related to advertising, agency fees, and overtime for existing staff. 

Leoforce Applicants on Demand: A Tailored Solution 

The fluctuating demands of the retail sector require a hiring approach that’s both agile and scalable. Applicants on Demand addresses these challenges by leveraging advanced AI to automate high-volume sourcing and engagement. It also eliminates the guesswork regarding costs and applicant quality. 

Key Features and Benefits: 

• AI-Enhanced Speed and Precision: Utilizing advanced AI-assisted search and match, Leoforce sources, qualifies, engages, and nurtures candidates through application completion, saving your team an average of 25 to 30 hours monthly.  

• Cost-Effective, Predictable Pricing: With fixed, pay-per-applicant pricing, Leoforce helps maintain total control over your budget, potentially saving up to 30% per completed applicant in external sourcing costs.  

• Scalability During Peak Seasons: Leoforce enables you to scale recruiting efforts during peak seasons or pause sourcing when hiring slows down, with no added costs or the need for additional resources.  

• Improved Applicant Quality: By delivering an AI-qualified list of applicants who have already expressed interest in joining your organization, Leoforce reduces the time spent sifting through unqualified applications, allowing more time to interview and hire the best talent. 

Why Leoforce Applicants on Demand is a Game-Changer Compared to Traditional Temp Agencies 

Traditional temp staffing agencies often rely on manual, time-consuming processes. This can mean slower hiring, unpredictable costs, and inconsistent candidate quality – exactly the kind of headaches retailers don’t need during busy seasons.  

Applicants on Demand takes a different approach by leveraging AI to find applicants who are a better fit from the start. This not only speeds up the hiring process but also helps ensure those hires stick around longer. Instead of scrambling to replace staff halfway through the season, retailers get reliable team members who can hit the ground running. 

By delivering high-quality, well-matched candidates faster, Applicants on Demand also makes onboarding smoother and keeps turnover low, helping retailers stay fully staffed when it matters most.  

The ROI of Using Applicants on Demand in Retail Staffing 

Elevated Customer Experience: Staffing challenges aren’t just an operational headache; they directly affect customer satisfaction and sales. A fully staffed store can offer better service, shorter wait times, and an overall enhanced shopping experience. Research shows that having the right staffing levels can increase sales by up to 20%iii during peak seasons​.  

Streamlining Costs and Time-to-Hire: AoD streamlines the entire hiring journey, from sourcing and screening, to qualifying and nurturing, helping retailers achieve their staffing goals affordably and efficiently. This reduces time-to-hire, decreases the need for ongoing recruitment, and translates into significant savings in costs and time spent sourcing.  

An Effortless, Flexible Seasonal Hiring Solution 

AoD is the ultimate flexible hiring solution for retailers looking to fill roles quickly. Because it works as a stand-alone service or can be seamlessly integrated into your ATS/CRM, you can capitalize on the benefits of Applicants on Demand whether it’s the beginning, middle or end of peak hiring season. And with flexible contract options tailored to fit both short-term and long-term needs, retailers can start hiring quickly and hit the ground running when they decide the time is right.  

The Smarter Way to Staff Up for Seasonal Success 

As retail continues to evolve, the ability to quickly and efficiently hire temporary staff is becoming more important than ever. Applicants on Demand provides retailers with the tools they need to ensure their teams are fully staffed with the right talent at the right time. By leveraging advanced AI to enhance speed, precision, and scalability, Applicants on Demand helps retailers optimize their hiring process, ultimately leading to happy, satisfied customers and increased revenue.  

To learn more about how Leoforce’s Applicants on Demand service can transform your seasonal hiring, book a free consultation today and discover the benefits for yourself!  

The post Why Leoforce Applicants on Demand is Ideal for Temporary Retail Staffing appeared first on Leoforce.

By focusing on building the right roadmap to diversity now, organizations can build stronger teams who not only meet today’s challenges – but also fuel future growth. From where you’re sourcing to how you’re interviewing, each aspect of your hiring strategy plays a crucial role in building a successful team. 

Understanding the Employer’s Market 

A Market of Opportunity, Not Complacency:  

In an employer’s market, it’s tempting to let resumes roll in, but this can mean missing out on candidates who could redefine your future. Use this time to be selective, focusing not just on qualifications but on diverse perspectives and experiences.  

Turning Challenges into Catalysts for Change:  

In an employer’s market, processing the sheer volume of applicants can be overwhelming. It’s easy for unconscious biases to creep in, especially when you’re under pressure to get every hire right. But these challenges don’t have to be roadblocks—they can be catalysts for change. Studies show that inclusive companies are 1.7 timesiii more likely to be innovative. By refining your hiring strategies now, you can build a more resilient, innovative team that’s equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape. 

Strategies for Sourcing Diverse Candidates 

Harnessing Technology for Unbiased Sourcing:  

AI powered candidate sourcing tools are revolutionizing talent screening and sourcing in a myriad of ways. For example, Leoforce’s AI recruiting assistant automates candidate searches, scores and ranks diverse talent based on hundreds of attributes and seven multidimensional data points, enabling you to find and engage the most compatible, diverse talent faster. 

Crafting Job Descriptions That Speak to All:  

The language you use in job descriptions can close as many doors as it opens. Even the most well-intentioned phrases can unintentionally exclude certain groups. Revisit your job postings with a critical eye, ensuring they’re free of jargon and inclusive in tone.  Recruiting and sourcing technology that incorporate generative AI such as ChatGPT can help you analyze and optimize your language to appeal to a wider, more diverse audience, making sure you’re not just filling positions but finding the right people to fill them. 

Expanding Beyond the Familiar:  

If you’re fishing in the same pond, you’re going to catch the same fish. To truly diversify your talent pool, you need to cast a wider net. Partner with organizations that focus on underrepresented groups, such as the National Society of Black Engineersiv (NSBE) or Latinas in Techv and explore job boards and networks that cater specifically to these communities.  

This is also another area where implementing the right candidate sourcing technology can be a game changer. For example, the Leoforce platform enables you to meet diversity hiring goals while you build an expansive talent pool of diverse talent, as well as diversity hiring filters and bias reduction tools like name and location masking. 

Building an Inclusive Recruitment Process 

Inclusivity isn’t a one-time deal — it must be present and promoted at every step of your hiring process. 

Screening Without Bias: A Commitment to Fairness:  

Even with good intentions, bias can slip into recruitment. Combat this by anonymizing resumes to focus solely on qualifications. AI tools like Leoforce can help by masking candidate data, ensuring a fairer, unbiased process.  

Standardizing Interviews: Consistency is Key  

Interviews are often where biases are most likely to surface, but they don’t have to be. By standardizing your interview process — asking each candidate the same set of questions and scoring their responses objectively — you can ensure that everyone is evaluated on an equal footing. Providing training for hiring managers on unconscious bias and inclusive interviewing techniques further reinforces this fairness, helping create a fair and effective recruitment process. 

Retaining Diverse Talent 

Onboarding as a Gateway to Inclusion:  

Even with good intentions, bias can slip into recruitment. Combat this by anonymizing resumes to focus solely on qualifications. AI tools like Leoforce can help by masking candidate data, ensuring a fairer process. 

Mentorship and Growth: Investing in the Future:  

Mentorship programs are a powerful tool for retaining diverse talent. By pairing new hires with experienced mentors who can guide their career development, you create a support system that not only helps them succeed but also fosters a sense of belonging. Offering professional development opportunities that are accessible to all employees ensures that everyone has the chance to grow, no matter where they start. 

Embedding Inclusion into Your Company Culture:  

Creating an inclusive culture isn’t just about policies — it’s about people. Regular training and awareness programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion can help build a workplace where everyone feels respected and valued. Employee resource groups (ERGs) and diversity councils are also essential, providing spaces where underrepresented employees can connect, share experiences, and influence the broader company culture. 

Measuring and Improving Diversity Efforts 

Setting Goals That Matter:  

To make meaningful progress, you need to know where you’re starting from and where you want to go. Setting clear, measurable diversity goals is the first step. Track metrics like: 

• The diversity of your candidate pipeline 

• Percentage of diverse hires 

• Retention rates among underrepresented groups  

It’s critical to regularly review these metrics to stay on track and adjust as needed to keep moving forward. 

Continuous Improvement: A Commitment to Growth  

Diversity isn’t a one-time initiative — it’s a commitment to a higher purpose. Collect feedback from employees and candidates to understand what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. Use this data to refine your strategies, whether it’s by expanding your sourcing methods or enhancing your onboarding process. By committing to continuous improvement, you can be sure your diversity efforts are always evolving and moving in the right direction. 

In today’s market, the real advantage lies not in the number of candidates but in their diversity. By embracing these strategies, you can build a team that not only reflects the world around us but also drives your organization forward in ways you never imagined. The path to diversity is a path to innovation, resilience, and lasting success. 

And why wait for change when you can create it? Start by broadening your recruitment strategies, investing in inclusive practices, and setting the stage for a more diverse, more dynamic future. Even in an employer’s market, proactively taking the lead to a more diverse workforce can give your organization the edge that sets you apart in crowded, competitive marketplace.  

To learn more about how Leoforce can support diverse hiring initiatives in your organization, contact our team today.

The post How to Find Diverse Candidates in an Employer’s Market  appeared first on Leoforce.

The holiday shopping season officially kicks off each year with Black Friday. Expect the day to be busier than ever in 2024. One survey found that 53% of shoppers plan to shop at least one day over Thanksgiving weekend, and 32% plan to shop on Black Friday specifically. That’s a 6% increase over last year in both categories.  

The surge in holiday shoppers in November and December puts pressure on store managers, HR professionals, and recruiters to hire seasonal staff by mid-November. With so many companies hiring for similar roles at the same time, it’s crucial that you’re prepared to avoid being short staffed during the holidays. 

Forecast Your Seasonal Retail Hiring Needs

Every company’s seasonal hiring needs are different. For example, J.C. Penney plans to hire 10,000 seasonal workers across its stores this year, while Target plans to hire 100,000 workers. Whatever your needs, create a plan that fits your company. Here are some holiday staffing strategies that can help: 

• Review past data: Look back to your past sales numbers to see how your business changes during the holiday season. If there’s typically an increase in sales, you’ll likely need to hire more staff.  
• Consider the current workforce: How’s your workforce currently operating? Do your staff have free time or want more hours than you’ve been able to give them? If so, you may not need to hire as many seasonal employees to help out. If, on the other hand, your current staff are already at full capacity, you may need to expand your team. 
• Use artificial intelligence (AI): AI-powered solutions, like Leoforce, can help automate your job forecasting job demand forecasting and determine your recruitment needs, saving you from crunching having to crunch the numbers yourself. 

Build a Flexible Hiring Strategy

Having a hiring plan can help make sure you’re prepared for seasonal changes, but you can’t predict exactly what business will look like during the holidays. To ensure you can meet fluctuating demand, build a flexible workforce with these seasonal hiring best practices:

• Hire seasonal workers: Having temporary employees allows you to staff up during the busiest part of the year without being overstaffed once the season slows down in January or February. 
• Hire a mix of positions: Plan for a mix of full-time, part-time, and temporary staff to create flexibility for scheduling. 
• Cross train employees: Cross-training team members sets them up to step into different roles or departments as needed. 
• Begin early: Seasonal hiring can be challenging because many retailers are hiring for similar jobs all at once. This creates competition for the best candidates. Don’t wait until the last minute to start hiring. 

Source Seasonal Talent Efficiently

While starting your hiring early will make it easier to hire the best candidates before another company does, you still need to source your candidates. Consider these tips for finding them: 

• Reach passive candidates: With the high demand for seasonal workers, you may need to expand your search to include passive candidates — people who are not actively looking for a new job but who are open to the right opportunity. Start with an engaging and detailed job description that will turn passive candidates into applicants by catching their attention. Highlight any interesting job features, unique benefits, and growth opportunities for growth, and make sure your company’s culture shines through. 
• Leverage social media: Many job seekers turn to social media to find jobs and evaluate potential employers. Take advantage by: 
  • Including posts on your company’s social media pages that showcase the employee experience, like testimonials from happy employees 
  • Creating paid ads to target job seekers in your area or industry
  • Find Facebook groups for job seekers in your area and post job openings to them
• Use AI to source candidates: AI-driven sourcing and screening can streamline the process of sourcing candidates. Tools like Leoforce automate candidate sourcing, removing much of the burden for teams who are strapped for time and budget. 

Streamline the Interview and Hiring Process

Retail recruitment trends show that the average time-to-hire — or the time between opening a position and extending an offer to fill it — in the industry is around 20 days. If you have many open positions or are fast approaching the holiday shopping season, you may need to fill positions in less time than that. Use these strategies to reduce your time-to-hire without sacrificing the quality of your candidates: 

• Automate candidate screening: AI-powered software can reduce the amount of time needed to screen resumes by automating the process. Solutions like Leoforce can even predict score and rank the likelihood of candidate success, helping you prioritize who to interview during the high-volume retail hiring season. 
• Streamline interviews: Interviewing candidates can take up a lot of time, but you can make interviews more efficient by:
  • Reviewing the candidate’s resume beforehand to avoid asking questions you already have the answer to (e.g. how many years of retail experience do you have?)
  • Compiling a list of questions that gauge candidates’ skills and save you from having to think of questions on the spot
  • Creating a scorecard to evaluate each candidate consistently
• Monitor recruitment metrics: Keep track of recruitment metrics so you can review your performance and apply what you have learned, so you can review your performance and apply learnings to make future seasonal hiring more efficient. For example, is there a step in the hiring process that takes longer than necessary? Or, is there a role that takes longer to hire for than others?

Onboard and Train for Maximum Productivity

With the busy holiday season fast approaching, you want to get new hires onboarded and trained as quickly as possible without compromising their understanding of the job or your team’s culture. Here are some tips for making sure your onboarding is successful: 

• Fast-track onboarding: Since they have less time to get up-to-speed on their roles, seasonal hires will benefit from training programs and managers that
  • Set clear goals, so they know what’s expected of them from day one
  • Answer their questions promptly to lead to quicker understanding
  • Check-in regularly to see how they’re doing and share feedback
• Enhance training with technology: Training software, like Zoho, or apps, like Mango, can make training more efficient and engaging. Virtual reality technology can even allow employees to practice tasks before stepping foot on the sales floor. 
• Foster company culture: Establish and practice a set of core values that will guide your company’s operations. Share these values right away with new hires, so they understand how they’re expected to act and how they’ll be treated. 

Retain Employees During and After the Season

The increased consumer demand can make the holidays a stressful time for retail workers, and retention is one of the biggest retail hiring challenges that managers face during this time of the year. Consider these strategies for retaining employees during and after the holiday season:

• Motivate employees: Offer recognition programs to make employees feel appreciated Make employees feel appreciated with recognition programs, and ensure they feel heard by offering a safe space to share feedback. Giving the team a free lunch to celebrate a goal they’ve met is just one simple retention strategy that will motivate your employees. 
• Offering incentives to stay on post-season: Seasonal hiring is a great way to see how a candidate performs on the job. If you still have work once the holiday season ends, provide an incentive, such as a raise or additional benefits, to successful employees who are willing to stay on after their temporary position ends. 
• Build a talent pipeline for future hires: Keep a list of your seasonal staff, complete with their contact information and notes about their performance. When seasonal retail hiring kicks off next year, top performers from this list should be the first people you reach out to with job offers. Also, set up a referral program to motivate your employees to source quality candidates for you.

Use Technology to Make Retail Hiring Easier

Hiring is a lot of work, and the holiday shopping season adds even more pressure to the process. Luckily, technology can make high-volume retail hiring easier. Here are some tools to check out: 

• ChatGPT: With the right prompts, you can use ChatGPT to improve job descriptions, generate interview questions, and more. 
• Chatbots: Chatbots lessen recruiters’ workloads and enhance candidates’ hiring experience by allowing them the workload for recruiters. They also enhance the hiring experience for candidates, who are able to get answers to their application questions 24/7. 
• Leoforce: Leoforce’s AI-powered solutions can automate and consolidate multi-channel sourcing, screen application, and analyze candidates for success, increasing candidate quality by up to 70%. 

Prepare for Success Beyond the Season

Preparation is the key to making sure your retail workforce management runs smoothly throughout the holidays. Make a seasonal retail hiring plan, begin hiring well in advance, and leverage technology to increase your efficiency and stay ahead of the competition. 

Book a meeting with Leoforce to learn how to use AI in retail recruitment and learn how our hiring solutions, like Applicants on Demand, can help you get ahead this holiday season and beyond.

The post How to Prepare For Seasonal Retail Hiring appeared first on Leoforce.

Fortunately, by preparing in advance and optimizing your recruiting process during the offseason, you can make the busy season a breeze and ensure you deliver for your clients, while saving your business time and money. With 81% of candidates reportedly starting a job search in September, the sooner you start, the better. 

Understanding Seasonal Hiring Challenges:

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in seasonal hiring is time. You need to hire a high volume of seasonal workers within a short period, which leads to a rushed hiring process and can increase the risk of making mistakes. The high-turnover rate and temporary nature of seasonal jobs also makes it challenging to engage and retain seasonal workers. On top of this, the high demand for seasonal workers means you’re likely to face a lot of competition from other businesses looking to recruit from the same talent pool and it can be a struggle to find qualified candidates to fill seasonal roles. 

Advance preparation is key to overcoming these challenges. By implementing some strategies to streamline your hiring process, you can ensure your business is well-prepared for peak hiring seasons.

Optimizing Your Seasonal Hiring Process

Follow these tips to optimize your seasonal recruiting and ensure a smooth and efficient hiring process: 

Early planning and strategic preparation

While you may not be able to actively recruit candidates until hiring season, you can adopt a proactive approach so that things run smoothly during peak hiring times. Begin by identifying your seasonal staffing needs in advance and create a hiring plan that includes the number of positions you need to fill, required experience, skills, and any other criteria for a suitable candidate. 

Use market intelligence, such as labor market insights, historical business data, and industry trends, will enable you to create a more detailed and accurate hiring plan. With a rapidly changing and increasingly unpredictable landscape, including real-time market data in your plan helps to ensure you won’t be caught off guard in busy season.

Building and maintaining a talent pipeline:

Building a year-round talent pipeline is crucial for a successful hiring season. Even if you’re not hiring seasonal staff year-round, you can still engage passive candidates so that when the hiring season begins, you have a pool of interested and engaged candidates that will be ready to hear from you. 

Consider building a mailing list or creating a social media group to keep potential candidates informed about future job openings. This approach also allows you to stay in touch with seasonal employees after their contracts end.

Leveraging technology:

Technology is a valuable asset you can use to help streamline your recruitment process, especially during peak demand. AI-enhanced sourcing solutions, such as Leoforce Boost, are particularly useful. They can help to automate tasks like sourcing, screening, and matching candidates to roles. 

By automating some of the more rote and tedious aspects of recruiting, AI tools can free up your time to focus on more strategic tasks. This will not only help you deliver higher-quality candidates and save money, but it can also reduce time-to-hire.

Enhancing candidate experience:

A positive candidate experience is crucial for attracting and retaining top seasonal talent. Streamlining your application process will not only ease your workload during hiring season, but it can also make the experience smoother and more efficient for candidates. 

The hiring process can also be tough for candidates and offering an enhanced experience can help you to increase candidate engagement throughout the entire process and make them more likely to work with you again in the future.

Consider the following tips to improve the candidate experience:

Develop Clear Job Descriptions

Develop clear job descriptions that outline the responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications for each seasonal position. Clearly specify the length of employment and working hours to attract candidates who are genuinely interested in seasonal roles. Highlight competitive compensation and any employment benefits to make these positions more appealing.

Use Various Recruitment Channels

Utilize a variety of recruitment channels, including traditional job boards and social media platforms. Consider partnering with local educational institutions or community centers to expand your search. By leveraging different recruitment methods, you can reach a broader range of candidates and ensure a talent pool that meets your specific staffing needs.

Enhance the Application Process

Encourage qualified candidates to apply by introducing a user-friendly online application system. A lengthy application process can cause candidates to drop out or avoid applying altogether. For seasonal hiring, it’s important to keep applications as quick and painless as possible. Sourcing tools like Leoforce can identify pre-vetted applicants most likely to succeed in a role, streamlining the hiring process.

Implement Effective Interviewing Techniques 

Make interviews more effective by conducting structured interviews that evaluate candidates’ skills and suitability for seasonal work. During the interview, take detailed notes or involve department managers to ensure candidates are a strong fit for the team.

Ensure a Positive Onboarding Experience

Providing a comprehensive onboarding process to welcome new staff and familiarize them with the company’s culture and procedures helps to ensure a more positive onboarding experience. A well-structured training program is essential for equipping seasonal employees with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their duties effectively and contribute to informed hiring decisions.

Optimize Your Seasonal Hiring With AI

If you’re looking to streamline your seasonal hiring process and implement a more efficient and effective strategy, you may want to consider leveraging the power of AI. 

AI-powered technologies can be an invaluable resource for recruiters looking to optimize their seasonal hiring. These tools can offer much-needed support, particularly during high-volume hiring periods, by enabling you to scale to meet demand, even when resources are limited. This allows you to produce better results for your clients while also reducing the burden on your team.

AI tools that offer market intelligence can also help you accurately predict future hiring needs. These systems analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, accounting for variables like fluctuations in demand, market insights, and trends, to give you a clear picture of your future requirements so you can better prepare for peak hiring periods. AI-driven market intelligence also empowers you to make more informed hiring decisions by providing invaluable insights into the labor market, so you’re less likely to make hiring mistakes.

A huge advantage of integrating AI into your hiring process is that it enables you to automate sourcing, screening, and matching candidates to roles, allowing you to quickly identify promising candidates and reduce overall time-to-hire. Automating some of the more tedious manual processes not only saves you a significant amount of time and money, but it also allows you to focus on the more strategic aspects of the hiring process. This means you can produce better results for your clients while also reducing the burden on your team.

For more on the benefits of integrating AI into your recruiting process, read our Guide to Building a Talent Pipeline: Sourcing vs. Recruiting.

The post Streamlining Your Seasonal Hiring Process: Tips for Contingency Staffing Companies appeared first on Leoforce.

Understand the Demand 

Security hiring needs can be temporary or permanent. Permanent needs often include government buildings, office spaces, and critical infrastructure, while temporary needs can span a variety of different use cases. While some temporary needs are cyclical, like retail stores requiring additional staff for shopping seasons like back-to-school or the holidays, others may be a little more unpredictable.  

Large sporting events, conventions like ComiCon, or even a trendy new restaurant that’s making a splash on TikTok may require additional hands for a short period of time. Understanding the demands of your clients, as well as their requirements for certifications or preferences for experience, can help you plan accordingly for the next surge. 

Get Ahead of the Challenges 

There are a few enduring challenges that face security recruiters like you: 

• Long time-to-hire (averaging over 30 days) 

• High turnover rates (over 200% in some cases) 

• High number of applicants (over 850 million security guard openings nationwide) 

• Complicated and expensive background processes 

Getting ahead of the challenges starts with understanding how they impact your organization. If time-to-hire is a problem, break it down into pieces: sourcing, outreach, engagement, and interviewing. If background checks and training are getting too expensive, look at how many applicants are converting to hires. You may be spending unnecessary budget on under-qualified or low-quality applicants. 

Develop your Offseason Strategy 

When it comes to seasonal hiring, especially for security roles, you don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute. A solid strategy can make all the difference, so let’s dive into how to build one that works. 

Forecasting Needs 

Think about what your busy seasons look like — whether it’s the holiday shopping rush, summer events, or something else. Use data and market intelligence to predict when and where you’ll need extra hands, and pay attention to industry trends and past hiring patterns. Align your staffing levels with your anticipated security needs, and make sure you’re not over or under-hiring. 

Building a Talent Pipeline 

Building a talent pipeline means keeping in touch with solid workers, even when you don’t have immediate openings. In fact, a recent survey by CareerBuilder revealed that 82% of employers believe developing a talent pipeline is critical for long-term success. Previous seasonal employees are a great resource — people who already know the job and are likely to return if they had a good experience. Referrals can also be gold here. Encourage your current staff to recommend reliable candidates, and you’ll save yourself a lot of recruiting time down the line. 

Partnerships and Outsourcing 

Sometimes, handling this in-house can be overwhelming, or you might simply not have the budget. That’s where staffing agencies or outsourcing services come in. Partnering with an agency that specializes in security staffing can give you access to pre-screened candidates who are ready to hit the ground running. If you need to move fast, services like Applicants on Demand can help you quickly fill roles without the hassle of endless screening processes.  

Source Smarter with Optimized Recruiting 

If you’re going to attract quality seasonal talent, you need to stand out from the crowd. Let’s look at some practical tactics for grabbing the attention of top security candidates. 

Crafting Compelling Job Descriptions 

You’d be surprised how much a well-written job description can do for your recruiting efforts. When crafting one, highlight the perks of the role — think flexible hours, opportunities to build experience, or even potential long-term employment if they perform well. Be clear about role expectations and the qualifications needed. Whether you’re looking for someone with prior experience or just a reliable attitude, transparency helps you attract the right candidates and cut down on mismatches. 

Targeted Outreach and Advertising 

Job boards and social media are go-to options, but don’t overlook local communities or groups that cater specifically to security personnel. For faster, more efficient hiring, AI tools like Leoforce Boost can really help. Leoforce uses advanced algorithms to source, screen, and rank candidates based on your specific needs, saving time while boosting quality. By automating the screening process, you can identify top talent quicker, helping you stay ahead of the seasonal hiring curve. 

Leverage the Latest Technology 

Nearly every recruiter these days relies on some form of tech to manage their recruiting processes: three in four use an ATS to track applications, in addition to other tools like job boards and sourcing solutions. Many are adding AI into their tech stack to drastically improve efficiency and output while keeping costs low, improving their recruiting efficiency by up to 30%. But when you’re on a tight deadline, you don’t always have time to implement, train, and ramp a new solution. That’s why services like Applicants on Demand can help you get the most out of AI without the fuss of IT.  

Applicants on Demand is an AI-enhanced sourcing service that gives you a list of qualified, vetted, and high-quality applicants within hours of opening a job in your ATS. Best of all, AoD works on a pay-for-performance model, so you only pay for completed applications you receive. Because AoD relies on the power of Leoforce’s innovative AI technology, you’ll receive candidates who are thoroughly vetted for skills, certifications, and compliance. For security hiring, AoD can be the game changer you need to conquer seasonal hiring. To learn more about our solution,

The post How to Conquer Security’s Hiring Seasons appeared first on Leoforce.

What is AI in Recruiting? 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruiting refers to the use of advanced algorithms and machine learning technologies to streamline and enhance various aspects of the hiring process. AI in recruiting is like having a super-powered sidekick that handles the grunt work so you can focus on what truly matters: building relationships and finding the right person for a role. Here are some key components: 

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics forecast which candidates are most likely to succeed in a role based on past experiences and skills, helping recruiters identify top talent more quickly and efficiently.  

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

NLP is the brains behind AI’s ability to communicate and comprehend the nuances of human language. When used in recruiting, it works by analyzing and interpreting human language in resumes, cover letters, and job descriptions to identify key qualifications and match candidates with the most relevant job opportunities.    

Automation

Automation eliminates mundane tasks like scheduling interviews and sending out offer letters. AI handles these with precision and speed, freeing up your time to focus on building relationships. 

Generative AI

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content, such as text, images, music, or even code, by learning patterns and structures from existing data. It essentially acts as a creative wordsmith on your team, generating fresh, engaging content for job descriptions, candidate emails, or social media posts. 

Applications of AI in Recruiting 

AI is revolutionizing every step of the recruiting process, making it more dynamic and effective, including: 

Sourcing

AI tools quickly scour extensive databases and online platforms to uncover best fits, hidden gems, and candidates who might not even be actively looking for a job. 

Scoring and Ranking

Advanced algorithms meticulously evaluate resumes by going beyond keyword matching to rank candidates based on their qualifications and how well they align with the role’s requirements. This can include transferable and learnable skills, and even the culture of previous work experience. 

Engagement and Outreach

Forget generic outreach and phone tag. AI elevates candidate interactions by delivering timely, resonant, and personalized messages, and automating replies and follow-ups.  

As the landscape of recruiting evolves, AI is not just an enhancement but a game-changer, poised to revolutionize how companies attract and secure top talent. In the next section, we’ll explore eight powerful ways AI can transform your recruiting strategy, helping you stay ahead in the competitive race for the best candidates. 

How AI Can Transform Your Recruiting Strategy 

Enhanced Candidate Sourcing

Finding the right candidates in the tech world can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. AI simplifies and enhances this process by consolidating sourcing channels, automating searches, and enabling continuous sourcing from all channels simultaneously.  

Passive Candidate Discovery

A study by LinkedIn found that 70%ⁱⁱ of the global workforce consists of passive talent. AI helps recruiters discover passive candidates who could be a perfect fit and might just be waiting for the right opportunity to come along.  

Automated Screening and Shortlisting

Manually sifting through resumes is time-consuming and prone to human error. AI-powered screening tools can filter out unqualified applicants and match those who meet your specific criteria. Automation not only speeds up the process but ensures no potential candidate is overlooked. 

AI-Powered Candidate Engagement

Recent data shows that candidate ghosting is a significant issue in recruiting, with 84% of job seekers admitting to ghosting potential employers. This trend highlights the growing challenge recruiters face in keeping candidates engaged throughout the hiring journey, AI candidate engagement tools can streamline and personalize communication, and chatbots can handle initial interactions, provide updates, and answer common questions, making sure candidates feel valued and informed.  

Leveraging Market Intelligence

AI can analyze market trends, salary benchmarks, and competitor hiring practices, and provide valuable and relevant insights for every role. With this intelligence, recruiters can identify competitive salaries and benefits to attract top talent. Gartner has found that organizations using AI for market intelligence see up to 30%ⁱⁱⁱ better hiring outcomes. 

Data-driven Decision Making

AI provides data-driven insights into every aspect of the hiring process. By analyzing successful patterns that lead to positive outcomes from past hires, AI can identify which search criteria yield the best results, and predict which candidates are likely to succeed in specific roles. This predictive capability helps recruiters make more informed decisions, reducing the risk of costly hiring mistakes.  

Bias Reduction in Recruitment

Bias can sneak into hiring decisions, often without us even realizing it. AI effectively reduces bias by focusing purely on a candidate’s qualifications and fit for the role. The result is a more diverse and inclusive workforce and a significant boost in productivity and innovation. In fact, companies with diverse executive teams are 36%^iv more likely to outperform their peers in profitability​. 

Scalability and Efficiency

For tech companies experiencing rapid growth, scaling recruitment efforts can be challenging. AI tools can manage high volumes of applications and streamline processes, allowing you to scale your recruitment efforts accordingly without compromising quality. 

The Impact of AI on Tech Recruiting 

The tech industry faces unprecedented pressure and fierce competition to hire top talent. Particularly in high-demand fields like data science and engineering. AI in recruiting is the game-changing powerhouse that can transform these hiring challenges into hiring successes. Recognizing its transformative potential, tech giants^v like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are already investing heavily in AI for recruiting.  

Looking ahead, the potential of AI in tech recruiting is staggering. We can expect to see even more sophisticated AI tools capable of predicting candidate success with greater accuracy, automating more complex tasks, and accelerating the hiring process – a key advantage in a fast-paced industry where time-to-fill is paramount.  

From sourcing and screening to interviewing and onboarding, it’s clear that AI is streamlining every stage of the recruitment process. Companies who embrace the power of AI will not only enhance their hiring efficiency but also gain a significant edge in attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry. 

Building Your AI Recruiting Strategy with Leoforce 

Embracing AI in your recruitment process is just the beginning. To win the war for top tech talent, it’s crucial to select the tools and technology that align with your organization’s unique hiring needs. Leoforce empowers tech recruiters to find and engage the best candidates faster by consolidating sourcing channels, automating searches, and delivering a deduplicated, scored and ranked list of high-quality candidates in minutes. Not just any candidates, but the candidates with the highest predicted likelihood of success based on hundreds of attributes and 7 multidimensional data points.  

Ready to cut shortlisting time and sourcing costs in half and still find the best tech talent on the market? Book a demo of Leoforce today. 

The post Eight Ways AI Can Transform Your Recruiting appeared first on Leoforce.

As we explore the impact of these innovative tools, it’s essential to compare their capabilities and outcomes against traditional platforms like LinkedIn, which has been a cornerstone for professional networking and recruitment across the globe.

LinkedIn, with its vast global network of members has undeniably played a crucial role in connecting recruiters with potential candidates. However, the spotlight now increasingly falls on AI sourcing tools, which are leading the charge in the recruitment revolution by automating and enhancing the talent search process.

This shift prompts a closer examination of how businesses and individuals adapt to and benefit from the unique strengths of these cutting-edge technologies and how they compare to a platform such as LinkedIn.

Why AI Sourcing Tools are the Top Choice of Industry Leaders

AI-powered sourcing platforms harness the power of artificial intelligence to automate candidate sourcing and screening processes, saving recruiters tremendous amounts of time and effort. But it’s not just about efficiency; AI sourcing tools offer deeper insights into candidates’ backgrounds and suitability for roles by analyzing vast amounts of data from multiple sources.

Automated Candidate Matching: AI sourcing tools use sophisticated algorithms to match candidates to job requirements with unparalleled accuracy. No more manual searches or guesswork—just precise matches in seconds.

Comprehensive Candidate Insights: By aggregating data from various channels, including resumes, social media, and professional networks, AI sourcing tools provide recruiters with a 360-degree view of candidates, from their skills and experiences to their cultural fit.

Predictive Analytics: Some AI sourcing tools go a step further by offering predictive analytics and talent intelligence capabilities, empowering recruiters to anticipate candidate availability, market trends, hiring success rates and much more.

Scalability and Efficiency: With AI sourcing tools, recruiters can scale their efforts effortlessly, reaching a broader talent pool without sacrificing quality or speed. It’s recruitment on autopilot—only smarter and more effective.

LinkedIn in Recruitment

Although LinkedIn has long been associated with recruitment and job searches, when it comes to arguably, the most important aspect of talent acquisition and recruitment – candidate sourcing, it’s important to look a little deeper into the capabilities, as well as the limitations of LinkedIn in terms of effective talent sourcing.

Registered Users vs Active Users: Even though the platform boasts a vast number of users worldwide, that number includes more than just active and passive candidate profiles. It also encompasses duplicate and inactive profiles. According to a Statista market research report, The number of daily active LinkedIn users is approximately 141 million and active monthly users hovers around 310 million.

If you’re asking yourself why the number of active members is relevant to recruitment, consider one of the biggest challenges recruiters face when it comes to sourcing top talent – a shortage of qualified candidates and fierce competition for the ones that are out there.

Logically, the more expansive your talent pool, the better your chances are of finding the unicorn candidates who meet the criteria you’re looking for.

Single Source of Talent: Unlike some advanced AI sourcing tools, who aggregate multichannel sources into a single interface, LinkedIn’s talent solutions only offer access to the talent within their own database.

Inaccurate Candidate Data: An even bigger issue is ensuring candidate profiles are up to date. Because LinkedIn relies on the individual user to update their own profile, there’s no guarantee the candidate you’re trying to engage with is accurately represented or that their data is correct.

Limited Access to User Base: LinkedIn’s user base is massive, but its talent solutions do not automatically grant recruitment professionals access to their entire user base. Your access is dependent on the product tier you purchase.

For example, the lowest tier only allows you to post jobs, while the middle tier includes only job posting + access to the 1st, 2nd or 3rd degree candidates in your network, and the top tier (and most costly) – jobs + recruiter offers unlimited access to all LinkedIn members.

But access to more than a database of millions of inactive users is the equivalent of having access to millions of Myspace profiles. The number of users doesn’t matter if the majority aren’t actually using the platform. There are also manual sourcing processes to consider.

Manual, Unreliable Search and Match: Scouring through countless profiles manually can be a time-consuming and tedious task. This might be the primary driver behind the demand and influx of AI sourcing and recruiting tools. The sheer effort required to effectively identify and engage the right candidates for the right jobs – faster than your rivals.

With LinkedIn, recruiters using the middle and top tier of their talent solutions can use search filters to narrow in on qualified candidates. However, for the middle tier, there are only 20+ filters available and 40+ for the top tier. It bears mentioning that only users who have purchased the top tier are able to access candidates who have toggled the “Open to Work” indicator.

It’s likely to take much more leg work and research to uncover the candidates most likely to succeed in the role using LinkedIn because the burden falls to the recruiter to read between the lines of a candidate profile to determine the right fit. Plus, relying solely on LinkedIn profiles may not always provide a holistic view of candidates’ skills and experiences. Not to mention, the cost of accessing premium features can add up.

On the other hand, with an AI sourcing tool, the matching part of the process is literally done for you. Here’s where AI sourcing tools are superior to LinkedIn in terms of accelerating the process and increasing applicant quality. That doesn’t mean LinkedIn isn’t a powerful tool for organizations to leverage in other areas of their business.

Leveraging LinkedIn

There’s no denying the power of LinkedIn when it comes to professional networking, marketing, and brand promotion. Especially when you factor in not just its global member base, but also the 67 million companies registered on LinkedIn. The platform is quite literally its own ecosystem. Companies and individuals can harness the power of LinkedIn in different ways to achieve their business and career goals.

Networking and Relationship Building: For individuals, LinkedIn isn’t just a platform for job hunting. It’s a place where professionals come together, share ideas, support each other on their journey to success, and often spark conversations that lead to new opportunities.

Individual users can leverage LinkedIn’s recommendations and endorsements feature to showcase their skills and expertise while also endorsing the abilities of their connections. These endorsements and recommendations are valuable social proof of skills and help build credibility within a given industry.

For businesses, LinkedIn serves as a strategic tool for expanding professional networks and cultivating relationships with potential clients, partners, and industry influencers. By actively engaging with relevant LinkedIn groups, participating in industry events, and connecting with key stakeholders, companies leverage LinkedIn to build rapport and establish trust in their respective fields.

Marketing and Brand Promotion: Considering the vast reach of LinkedIn, it’s easy to understand the allure of the platform as a marketing and brand building tool. LinkedIn’s advertising solutions enable businesses to target specific audiences based on criteria such as job title, industry, and professional interests.

Sponsored content, InMail, and display ads help companies increase brand visibility, drive website traffic, and generate leads directly within the LinkedIn ecosystem. One survey of B2B marketers found that 40% of respondents point to LinkedIn as the most effective channel for driving high-quality B2B leads.

While LinkedIn is great for networking and building a brand, AI tools are built to directly address the challenges of modern recruiting. They’re efficient, reduce the workload, and help recruiters connect with candidates in a data-driven way. Among the pioneers in AI sourcing and talent engagement is Leoforce by Leoforce, a platform that is changing the game for recruiters and talent acquisition leaders.

Introducing Leoforce: Redefining Recruitment

Leveraging advanced AI with 10+ years of learning and refinement, Leoforce streamlines the entire recruitment process, from candidate sourcing, and engagement, to database refresh services and delivering interview-ready, qualified applicants via Applicants On Demand.

By leveraging Leoforce’s powerful capabilities, recruiters can access top talent faster, make data-driven hiring decisions, and stay ahead of the competition. Here’s why industry leading companies choose Leoforce for their talent sourcing and engagement needs:

Recruiters Save up to 12 Hours per Job in Sourcing Time: Leoforce’s advanced auto search, match, and talent insights enable recruiters to source, score, and rank candidates in less than 5 minutes, empowering them to spend less time searching and more time building candidate relationships.

Decrease Recruiting Costs by up to 50%: Leoforce consolidates all your sourcing channels and combines them with the largest proprietary candidate database in the industry sourced from 80+ channels across 150+ industries into a single interface. No more paying per user or per channel.

Improve Candidate Quality by up to 70%: You input the job parameters and Leoforce does the heavy lifting of sourcing the ideal candidates for the role using 7 multidimensional data points and hundreds of attributes to score, rank and predict the likelihood of candidate success in the role. You get a deduplicated list in seconds of ideal candidates.

Boost Recruiter Productivity by up to 80%: Leoforce provides a detailed explanation for every candidate score, enabling recruiters to make data-driven hiring decisions and driving maximum productivity.

Optimize Candidate Engagement and Experience: Reach top talent before your rivals with access to new and updated candidate information daily, a 24/7 AI recruiting assistant, and a centralized multi-channel communication dashboard.

Leoforce vs LinkedIn: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Final Thoughts

As the world of recruiting continues to evolve, we’re seeing the limits of traditional platforms like LinkedIn, especially when it comes to finding quality candidates. That’s where AI-powered tools like Leoforce come into play, making the search for talent faster and smarter.

Unlike LinkedIn, which depends on what users post and manual searching, AI tools automate the matching process, dive into a broader talent pool, and use data from multiple sources to find the right candidates quickly and efficiently.

Let’s face it – a critical component to success in any industry is using the right tool for the job: LinkedIn for networking and brand building, and AI tools like Leoforce for more targeted, efficient candidate sourcing. Combining the strengths of both means recruiters can work smarter, cut costs, and find the perfect candidates to help their businesses thrive.

Ultimately, this blend of LinkedIn’s networking power and AI’s efficiency is what’s shaping the future of recruitment, ensuring companies can keep up with the changing demands of talent acquisition for success.

Take your recruiting strategy into the future and beyond with Leoforce. Book your 1:1 demo today and see Leoforce in action for yourself.

With Leoforce’s assistance, Workable evolves into a more agile and efficient recruitment solution, empowering HR teams to make smarter, data-driven decisions while fostering a seamless candidate experience.

The post AI Powered Talent Sourcing Tools vs LinkedIn appeared first on Leoforce.

Supercharge Your Workflows with ChatGPT for Recruiting

With the ability to generate text, translate languages, and answer questions in an informative way, ChatGPT can streamline and improve the entire recruitment process giving recruiters back valuable time and resources while enabling better hiring decisions.

Automating Repetitive Tasks

Let’s be honest: recruiting involves a lot of repetitive tasks. From writing compelling job descriptions to screening resumes, these activities often consume the majority of a recruiter’s day, leaving less time for the strategic aspects of hiring.

Here’s how ChatGPT for Recruiting can help:

• Write Engaging Job Ads: Struggling to craft job descriptions that grab attention and attract qualified candidates? ChatGPT for Recruiting can help by generating drafts based on the position’s requirements and desired skills. The language can then be refined further to effectively reflect your company culture and employer value proposition (EVP).
• Develop Interview Question Banks: Creating a diverse set of interview questions for different roles can be time-consuming. ChatGPT for Recruiting can simplify interview preparation by generating a bank of relevant questions, categorized by skill and experience level. This not only saves recruiters time, it also ensures you’re thoroughly assessing each candidate’s qualifications.
• Craft Personalized Outreach Messages: Leveraging ChatGPT for Recruiting can help recruiters reach out to potential candidates in a more personalized, engaging way. Customizing outreach based on an individual’s background and interests, ultimately increasing response rates and candidate engagement.

In an AI Recruiting Solution, such as Leoforce, ChatGPT is built into a comprehensive, centralized communication dashboard allowing recruiters to quickly craft emails without ever leaving the platform.

Boosting Efficiency and Productivity with ChatGPT for Recruiting

In addition to automating time-consuming processes, ChatGPT for Recruiting improves response times, decreases time to submit, and helps recruiters shift their focus to more value-added work such as building meaningful relationships with candidates.

Building a positive candidate experience is crucial for attracting and retaining talent. ChatGPT for recruiting can play a pivotal role in:

• Sending Initial Outreach: Leverage ChatGPT to create customized outreach with the individual’s personal information, experience, and education with ties to the job description and company benefits.
• Crafting Engaging Candidate Communication: Use ChatGPT for Recruiting to draft personalized communication informing candidates about interview scheduling and next steps. This fosters a positive connection and keeps candidates informed throughout the process.
• Creating Enticing Offer Letters: ChatGPT can help enhance your offer letter emails, especially for those candidates who may be considering multiple offers.
• Helping Break Bad News: ChatGPT simplifies the task of composing rejection emails by generating initial drafts for various stages, from resume review rejections to first and final round interview dismissals.
• Developing Onboarding Materials: Streamline the onboarding process by using ChatGPT for Recruiting to generate initial materials like company information, team introductions, and role-specific information. This helps new hires acclimate quickly and feel prepared for their new position.

Here are more ways to effectively use ChatGPT for recruiting along with specific prompts to generate the best results >>

Best Practices When Using ChatGPT for Recruiting

While ChatGPT for Recruiting offers a plethora of benefits, it’s important to use it responsibly and ethically. Here are some key considerations:

• Human Oversight: ChatGPT for Recruiting is a powerful tool, but it shouldn’t replace human judgment. Recruiters should use their expertise to evaluate candidates, make hiring decisions, and build relationships with top talent.
• Transparency with Candidates: Be transparent about how you’re using ChatGPT for Recruiting in the recruitment process. Let candidates know that AI tools may be used to analyze resumes or screen for keywords, but it’s important to reassure them that human interaction remains a crucial part of the hiring process.

Revolutionizing Recruitment with ChatGPT

By integrating ChatGPT for recruiting into your recruitment strategy, you can transform the way you source, screen, and hire talent. From automating tasks to enhancing efficiency and improving the candidate experience, ChatGPT for recruiting offers a powerful set of tools to streamline the recruitment process and attract top performers. However, remember that human oversight is essential for success – the best recruiters will not be replaced by AI, they’ll be empowered by AI.

AI technology will continue to evolve and revolutionize the entire recruitment landscape. By embracing these advancements, recruiters can build a more efficient, effective, and human-centric hiring process.

Learn More about how the combined power of Leoforce and ChatGPT can take your talent acquisition team to the next level, book a demo!

The post Should You Use ChatGPT for Recruiting? appeared first on Leoforce.

While the hot topic of AI and the potential of it replacing human recruiters has sparked concern across the talent acquisition landscape. In reality, it’s the opposite, recruiters leveraging AI can be more efficient and achieve better outcomes than those resistant to the change and evolution of technology.

The New Age of Recruiting

In a competitive talent market, organizations across industries are looking to enhance their recruiting processes to find better talent, faster.

We conducted a survey of nearly 300 talent acquisition and human resource leaders to collect comprehensive insights into the future of AI in recruitment.

The main challenges recruiting teams face revolve around delays in time to submit and time to fill roles due to time-consuming manual processes. When using traditional sourcing methods, the average recruiter spends anywhere from 10 to 12 hours per job.

78% of leaders reported that most of their team’s time is spent sourcing.

In a fluctuating economy, there is no room for time or money wasted. So, when a job stays open for longer than the standard 23 to 26 days, the organization will begin to miss out on the value that role contributes.

Only 4% of the leaders surveyed were able to fill roles in less than 39 days.

For the rest of respondents, the average time to fill roles varied from:

• 40 to 59 days – 25%
• 60 to 79 days – 32%
• 80 to 99 days – 36%
• 99+ days – 3%

The Power of AI Recruiting Transformation

To improve their time to fill, 64% of human resource teams are evaluating AI solutions that will help them operate more efficiently.

AI in Recruiting

In our Annual State of AI Recruiting Transformation Report, those who have invested in AI, shared the top benefit they saw from using AI-driven solutions:

• 38% – Reduced the time spent on manual sourcing tasks through automation.
• 26% – Enhanced data visibility and data-driven insights.
• 19% – Improved recruiting processes and workflows.
• 17% – Strengthened talent acquisition team collaboration.

While these are just a few benefits of AI, there are endless possibilities for the numerous ways AI can improve recruiting workflows.

Ways to Leverage AI in Recruiting

• Expand Your Talent Pool: Advanced technology can consolidate sources and extend your reach to millions of candidates through a single search.
• Automate Screening and Sourcing: AI can scan through hundreds of resumes, identifying qualified candidates based on pre-defined criteria, saving recruiter’s time, and allowing them to shift their focus to building candidate relationships.
• Enhance Scoring and Ranking: AI-powered scoring and ranking can go beyond keyword matching to provide deeper insights than traditional resume screening, leading to better matches and reducing the risk of hiring candidates who aren’t a good fit.
• Streamline Communication: Recruiters can use generative AI to create email templates, accelerate outreach, and automate follow up messages, saving recruiters time while optimizing candidate engagement. AI chatbots can also improve communication by conducting initial outreach, asking pre-determined questions, and gauging a candidate’s fit to save time, allowing recruiters to focus on in-depth interviews with shortlisted candidates.
• Matching & Recommendation: AI algorithms can analyze a candidate’s profile and match them with suitable job openings based on their skills, experience, and preferences. This personalized approach improves candidate experience and increases hiring success.

While the list of benefits for AI goes on and on, there are plenty of recruiting teams that have not implemented innovative technology or are only utilizing solutions for part of their processes.

Barriers to Adoption

While most talent acquisition teams are considering implementing AI solutions, most have not invested in AI yet.

Based on our AI Recruiting Transformation Survey insights, these are the main reasons that HR leaders have not adopted an AI solution:

• They are not sure where to start in the digital transformation journey.
• They are unclear on the uses and benefits of AI to make a business case.
• The solutions they have assessed do not integrate with their current tech stack or have a long integration process.

For those talent acquisition teams that have invested in AI, they are facing another set of challenges. SHRM reported that 82% of HR leaders struggle with adoption challenges during technology transformation, yielding little to no results.

While AI can help make recruiting workflows more efficient, if you do not invest in the right solution or it is not fully embraced, the impact will be insignificant.

If the technology is underutilized or lacks user adoption, it won’t be worth the investment. That makes finding an AI-sourcing solution that is intuitive and user-friendly key to a successful digital transformation.

If you are in the process or starting to look for an AI solution, then you should read the comprehensive buyer’s guide on what to look for when assessing solutions to maximize user adoption and the return on your investment.

Download the Guide Now >>

As you can see there are many opportunities and challenges with AI, but the truth is, AI isn’t here to replace the human touch in recruitment.

The real value lies in the ability of AI to improve recruiter productivity. AI will not replace recruiters; instead, it will enhance their performance.

Here are how the best recruiting teams will work in tandem with AI:

Strategic Guidance: Recruiters can utilize AI-generated insights to make informed decisions about talent acquisition strategies, compensation packages, and have better, data-driven discussions with hiring managers.

Building Relationships: AI can’t replicate the human ability to build rapport and trust with candidates. Recruiters can leverage AI-powered insights to personalize their communication and create a positive candidate experience.

Improving Algorithms: Recruiter feedback is essential for AI to learn and evolve, so as AI gives recruiters recommendations, it is critical that users report back on those suggestions.

The Future of AI in Recruitment: A Collaborative Landscape

So, what does the future hold? Imagine a world where AI handles the heavy lifting, leaving recruiters free to focus on the high-value aspects of their jobs:

• Nurturing Talent Pipelines: Recruiters can use AI to proactively identify and engage potential candidates, building relationships and creating a talent pool for future needs.
• Fill Roles Faster with Better Talent: Leveraging AI can automate sourcing and streamline shortlisting so recruiters can find the best fit candidates and fill roles faster.
• Boost Organization’s Performance and Revenue: Using AI to identify and reach the candidate’s most likely to succeed speeds up time to fill. This not only helps staffing agencies generate revenue, but it also helps organizations close critical jobs that impact their company’s performance to reach their goals.

In this collaborative future, AI is empowering recruiters to reach new heights. Recruiters who embrace AI and develop the necessary skills to partner with it will thrive in this evolving digital landscape.

The Road Ahead: Preparing for the AI-Powered Future

The future of recruitment is not about AI replacing humans, but about humans and AI working together. By embracing this collaborative approach, we can unlock the full potential of AI and build a better, more efficient recruitment process for everyone.

Get the full version of the report for free >>

The post The Revolution of AI in Recruiting: Friend or Foe? appeared first on Leoforce.