AI in Hiring: Is there a Positive ROI?

Today’s recruitment landscape is marked by high-speed technology advancements and an ever-growing set of candidate expectations. As such, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) emerges as a beacon of innovation to drive efficiency and to give companies a strategic advantage. We all know that Artificial Intelligence is driving greater efficiency and productivity improvements in white-collar jobs like HR and recruiting. This is all good, but is there really a tangible Return on Investment (ROI) that we can estimate for AI technology within ATS platforms? In short, the answer is yes, and it is a compelling ROI that HR teams should not overlook. What follows is a look at the ROI impact of these new systems like Scout Talent’s own AI Studio. The transition to AI-enhanced recruitment tools is not merely a trend but a response to the increasing complexities of talent acquisition. A recent SHRM report from January 2024 highlighted a nuanced scenario: 53% of recruiters reported heightened job stress in 2023. Yet in comparison to 2022’s levels of 65%, this was an improvement. The decrease is attributed to the changing dynamics in candidate availability due to mass layoffs in the high-tech sector in 2023. This shift meant the situation in early 2023 of not being able to find enough qualified candidates took a 180-degree turn. The second half of 2023 experienced a surge in applications for every open position. It presented both opportunities and challenges to manage the influx of candidates. AI technology in ATS systems addresses these challenges head-on. It streamlines the candidate sorting process, elevates job advertisement engagement, can generate insightful and personalised interview questions, and significantly reduces the time spent on screening. The question, however, extends beyond the utility of AI in recruitment to its economic viability: Does the investment in AI technology yield a positive ROI? And if so, which company sizes stand to benefit the most? Our analysis, drawn from observing the performance of companies using AI technologies like Scout Talent’s AI Studio reveals compelling evidence of the financial benefits of these AI enhancements. For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with 50-200 employees, our ROI calculator showed a range from 2.5x to 6.6x. This means that for every dollar spent on AI technology, you can expect a return of $2.52 to $6.62. The benefits scale with company size. As a result, it’s no surprise that recent research by Workable showed 77.9% of the 950 HR professionals in their research claimed the integration of AI in their hiring process led to moderate or significant cost savings for their company. Organisations with 201-1000 employees can expect to experience an ROI ranging from 8.5x to 19.6x. Still, larger companies with 1001-5000 employees experience cost savings that far outweigh the initial investment. In other words, the system entirely pays for itself purely based on the savings appreciated from using the technology to alleviate the workload on the recruitment and HR staff. All told, these returns make the case for AI adoption undeniable. All these estimates are taken from a highly conservative set of estimates used to calculate the ROI scores. The ROI calculations are predicated on the reduction in Time-to-Fill (TTF), a critical metric in recruitment efficiency. With the average TTF in the Canadian market standing at 44 days (according to Human Resources Director Australia), a conservative estimate of a 4-day reduction, facilitated by AI-driven screening and sorting, equates to an 8.4% improvement. This enhancement not only accelerates the hiring process but also contributes to increased revenue potential. Faster hiring of new candidates means each new hire should effectively generate 1.5 to 3.0 times their salary in incremental revenue. This generalisation extends beyond just the sales team (which should be even higher). Furthermore, the cost savings derived from AI’s automation capabilities—in crafting job descriptions, advertisements, social media posts, and candidate landing pages—are significant. Beyond the quantitative ROI, there are also qualitative benefits brought by an AI-enhanced ATS. These too, must not be overlooked. The ability to identify and prioritise top-quality candidates from a very large pool of applications is ideally suited to a machine. It does not tire and applies its sorting criteria consistently. Not only is this an efficient use of the technology, but it makes your recruitment and HR staff more effective at hiring. They can spend more time focused on the candidates that best match the needs of the role, rather than interviewing the masses. Such precision in candidate selection, alone, potentially improves the quality of candidates that will ultimately be interviewed and selected for the roles. To answer the title question, the ROI of AI technology in Applicant Tracking Systems is clearly present and positive. For any company with fifty or more employees, it completely makes sense to buy a system like AI Studio. Not only is there a significant positive ROI, offering tangible financial benefits, but there are also sound strategic and qualitative reasons for bringing this new AI technology into your organisation. Investing in AI-enhanced recruitment tools is not just financially sound but also a forward-looking approach to navigating the complexities of the modern talent landscape. As companies strive to remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent, the integration of AI into recruitment is quickly emerging as an essential investment in your future success. Still uncertain about the potential positive ROI that AI could bring to your organisation? Fill out the form below, and we’ll provide you with a complimentary ROI calculator tailored to your specific needs. This powerful tool will assist you in gauging whether integrating AI into your operations is indeed the right path forward.
Start Building Your Talent Pipeline: A Strategy for Long-Term Success

In this article, we’ll cover 4 reasons why you should start building your talent pipeline today. 1. Reduced Time-to-Hire One of the primary benefits of talent pipelining is the significant reduction in time-to-hire. By maintaining a pool of pre-screened, qualified candidates, you can fill vacancies much faster than starting from scratch every time. This quick response to vacancies is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment, where delays in hiring can lead to lost productivity and opportunities. A well-maintained talent pipeline ensures that you have immediate access to suitable candidates, enabling quicker decision-making and onboarding. This efficiency not only saves time but also allows your company to adapt fast to changing business needs. 2. Better Quality of Hires Talent pipelining allows for a more thorough and deliberate evaluation of candidates over time, leading to higher quality hires. In a pipeline, candidates are continuously assessed, engaged with, and nurtured, giving recruiters a deeper understanding of their skills, potential, and cultural fit. This ongoing interaction and evaluation means that when a position opens, you have a pool of candidates who are not just qualified, but are also aligned with your company’s values and long-term objectives. This strategic fit significantly enhances employee performance and satisfaction, which are critical components of organisational success. 3. Cost-Effectiveness Building a talent pipeline is a cost-effective recruitment strategy. It reduces costs associated with ad-hoc hiring, such as advertising and premium job board postings. By having a prepared pool of candidates, you can also decrease the likelihood of making a rushed, potentially costly hiring decision. Moreover, a well-managed talent pipeline reduces the resources required to find and attract talent, as much of the groundwork in identifying and engaging with potential candidates has already been done. This proactive approach leads to a more efficient allocation of recruitment budgets and resources. 4. Enhanced Employer Branding A robust talent pipeline contributes significantly to enhancing your employer brand. By engaging with candidates over time, you demonstrate your commitment to not just hiring but investing in talent. This ongoing engagement helps in building a positive perception of your company as a desirable place to work. Additionally, a well-structured talent pipeline strategy often includes keeping candidates informed and engaged, even if they weren’t selected for a particular role. This positive candidate experience is likely to be shared within their networks, further strengthening your employer brand and making it easier to attract top talent in the future. By starting to build your talent pipeline today, you’re not just preparing for 2024 but for the years to come. Having a good Applicant Tracking System like :Essentials under your belt will make the process a lot easier. Don’t forget that if you start a Recruitment Campaign with Scout Talent before 22 December, we’ll include a 12 month subscription to :Essentials at no extra cost, so that you can start building your talent pipeline today, and set yourself up for success in 2024. If you’ve already got an ATS, you might like to consider our :Engage module; a recruitment marketing and talent pipelining engine that allows you to build and nurture talent pools.
Start Building Your Talent Pipeline: A Strategy for Long-Term Success in 2024

As the holiday season approaches and the year comes to an end, organizations debate whether they should keep hiring or hit the pause button during the festivities. Contrary to common belief, December is not a time to ease up on recruitment planning; in fact, it can be a strategic goldmine for businesses looking for a
Budget-Friendly Recruitment Software For Your Small Business

Recruitment software tailor-made for small businesses. Regardless of whether you’re a small business or a global organisation, finding ways to save time should be one of your key business drivers. Prioritising efficiency and time-saving processes enables you to grow your business and focus on what’s really important. When it comes to effective recruitment solutions, the
End-To-End Recruitment or RPO: How to Choose the Best Hiring Option for Your Organisation

Hiring can be a time-consuming and complex process, requiring expertise, resources, and a deep understanding of the talent market. According to a Monster global report, 9 out of 10 employers are struggling to fill jobs, with 29% of employers agreeing that the skills gap has increased year on year. Getting external help can save you time and help achieve your recruitment goals faster. There are many choices out there, but when it comes to deciding whether to get an end-to-end recruitment solution or engage in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), it really depends on your specific needs, resources, and objectives. Whether you’re seeking specialized skill, scalability, cost control, or customization, we’ll shed light on a few key factors to consider and hopefully make the decision-making process that much easier for you. Let’s explore both recruitment solutions and discover the best path forward for your hiring success. Why Choose an End-to-End Recruitment Solution An end-to-end recruitment solution offers a comprehensive and streamlined approach to the entire recruitment process, from attracting candidates to interviewing and screening. Investing in such a solution can bring several benefits for organizations, making the recruitment process more efficient and effective. From posting job vacancies, screening, and interviewing to hiring the right candidates, end-to-end recruiters take everything off your plate. This process normally entails bringing two different teams together – Talent Acquisition/Recruitment Marketing and Talent Engagement. Talent Acquisition specialists are responsible for creating job postings and advertising them, while Talent Engagement experts come in later in the process to screen, shortlist and interview the top candidates. End-to-end recruitment also involves utilizing great tools such as recruitment technology, ATS, and streamlined processes to efficiently handle every stage of recruitment. An end-to-end recruitment process typically includes the following: An end-to-end recruitment solution aims to streamline and automate these steps, making the process more efficient, and cost-effective, and ensuring a higher likelihood of finding the right candidate for the job. As mentioned above, it often involves the use of data analytics, and applicant tracking systems to manage the recruitment process more effectively. Additionally, some solutions may include AI-powered tools to assist with resume screening, candidate matching, and interview scheduling. Benefits of Having an End-to-End Recruitment Solution Time and Cost Efficiency: An end-to-end recruitment solution automates various aspects of the recruitment process, such as candidate sourcing, resume screening, interview scheduling, and onboarding. This automation can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on manual tasks, leading to cost savings in the long run. Improved Candidate Experience: A seamless and user-friendly recruitment process can enhance the overall candidate experience. An end-to-end solution can provide quick responses to applicants, personalized communications, and an easy-to-navigate application process, leading to higher candidate satisfaction and a positive employer brand image. Better Candidate Matching: These solutions can come with sophisticated applicant tracking systems (ATS) and candidate screening tools that can help identify the most suitable candidates based on predefined criteria and qualifications. This improves the chances of finding the right candidate for the job. Enhanced Collaboration: End-to-end recruitment solutions often come with features that enable better collaboration among hiring teams and departments. This promotes better communication, feedback sharing, and evaluation of candidates, ensuring that the hiring process is more inclusive and data-driven. Data-Driven Insights: By integrating various aspects of the recruitment process into one platform, an end-to-end solution can generate valuable data and analytics. Internal HR teams can use this data to gain insights into the efficiency of the recruitment process, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their hiring strategies. Compliance and Security: A robust end-to-end recruitment solution can help organizations maintain compliance with hiring regulations and ensure data security throughout the recruitment process. This is particularly important in handling sensitive candidate information. Scalability: As your organization grows, the volume of hiring and recruitment tasks may increase significantly. An end-to-end solution can scale to accommodate your needs, ensuring that you can handle high volumes of candidates without sacrificing quality and efficiency. Integration with HR Systems: Many end-to-end recruitment solutions can seamlessly integrate with other HR systems, such as payroll, employee management, and performance tracking tools. This integration simplifies data management and creates a unified HR ecosystem. Continuous Improvement: With the help of data and analytics provided by the solution, you can continuously improve your recruitment process, identifying areas for enhancement and making data-backed decisions to optimize your hiring strategy. In summary, an end-to-end recruitment solution can save time, reduce costs, improve candidate experience, and provide valuable data-driven insights for better decision-making. However, it’s essential to carefully evaluate different hiring solutions to ensure they align with your organization’s specific needs and objectives before making a decision. Now, let’s dive into the world of RPO and find out why you should consider engaging with them to streamline your recruitment process. Shall we? Why choose Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) RPO stands for Recruitment Process Outsourcing, and it is a business model where an organization partners with an external service provider to manage some or all aspects of its recruitment process. RPO providers act as an extension of the organization’s HR or talent acquisition department and handle various recruitment activities, including sourcing candidates, screening resumes, conducting interviews, and managing the hiring process. Consider the information below in order to understand more about RPO. Scalability: RPO is ideal for companies with significant and ongoing hiring needs. It allows you to outsource some or all of your recruitment functions to a specialized provider, who can handle large-scale recruitment efforts. Efficiency: RPO providers come equipped with dedicated resources and technology to streamline your recruitment process, improving efficiency and reducing time-to-fill. Cost Control: RPO can lead to cost savings by eliminating the need for an in-house recruitment team and leveraging the RPO provider’s expertise and economies of scale. Customization: RPO solutions can be tailored to align with your organization’s specific requirements, ensuring a customized approach to your recruitment needs. Hiring with Recruitment Process Outsourcing RPO services can be customized to fit the specific needs of an organization. In some cases, an RPO provider may
7 Ways to Enhance Workplace Safety and Hire Safety-Conscious Employees

Building a safe workplace is a shared responsibility that demands the commitment of everyone involved. For employers in the construction and manufacturing sectors, fostering a strong safety culture is not only essential for the long-term sustainability of their businesses but also for fulfilling legal obligations, minimizing risks, and reducing accidents. Additionally, emphasizing workplace safety can attract top-notch candidates who value a secure working environment. To ensure the recruitment of safety-conscious employees and create a safe workplace, consider the following seven strategies: Incorporate safety into your employer branding Make safety a fundamental aspect of your employer brand and Employee Value Proposition. By clearly communicating your organization’s commitment to safety, you can attract individuals who share similar values and establish a strong safety culture within your workforce. Regularly reinforce and amplify this message through various channels, such as employee profiles and social media posts. Highlight safety in recruitment advertisements Writing your job ad is one of the first parts of the recruitment process. Ensure your job advertisements have safety-focused messaging, and showcase your dedication to providing a safe workplace. This will help you attract safety-conscious candidates that match your organization’s standards. Include a safety screening question When creating your talent landing page, ensure to incorporate a screening question related to safety in your application process. It will help you to identify candidates who prioritize safety in the workplace, making it easier for the shortlisting process. Incorporate safety-related questions in second-stage interviews Following the first 3 tips should get you some great talents applying for your vacancy. Now, it’s time to interview and narrow down your top candidates. During second-stage interviews, delve deeper into candidates’ experience, values, and priorities regarding safety. Pose questions that help gauge their approach to safety and their ability to promote health and safety practices among coworkers. Here are some examples of what to ask: Example 1: “Safety is of the utmost importance in this role and in our organization. How do you ensure safety in your work?” Example 2: “How do you encourage and maintain health and safety practices among your colleagues?” Provide comprehensive and ongoing training Effective training is crucial to prevent accidents and injuries. While initial onboarding training is essential, it should be supplemented with continuous education to reinforce organizational values and safety protocols. Consider creating ongoing training sessions to address specific roles and ensure that employees understand the direct impact of safety on their well-being. Implement incentives and rewards Motivate employees to prioritize safety by offering incentives and rewards for adhering to safety procedures. Celebrate and share information about reduced injuries and accidents to promote a positive safety culture. However, be cautious to avoid creating an environment where employees are hesitant to report workplace incidents. Provide adequate support and equipment While training is useful and effective, it must be reinforced with proper support and equipment. Complying with mandatory safety regulations is crucial, but go beyond these requirements to provide unique support and high-quality equipment. Regularly discuss topics such as first aid kits, helmets, fire safety, vehicle, and machine-specific protocols, and other relevant safety measures. Demonstrating a steadfast commitment to creating a safe workplace conveys your genuine concern for the health, safety, and well-being of your employees. By integrating safety into your employer brand, screening processes, and training programs, you can foster a strong culture of workplace safety. At Scout Talent, we understand that creating a safe workspace is a top priority in every industry. Our customizable recruitment solutions are designed to help you find the best team members with the right mindsets and attitudes toward safety. Let’s build a workforce that embraces the significance of workplace safety, ensuring a future that is both secure and prosperous. We also offer onboarding and ongoing training services to ensure your workforce complies with all the safety and security to help upskill your team and create a safe workplace.
Top 4 Ways to Attract and Retain Good Plant Operators

Attracting and retaining good employees has never been more important. In today’s job market, we have what is commonly referred to as a ‘candidate-short market’
3 Burning Questions Keeping HR Professionals And Hiring Managers Awake In 2023

This article originally appeared in Forbes Human Resource Council and can be accessed here. Andrea Davey, CEO of Scout Talent, is a proud Forbes Council member and aims to support the Human Resource Council and it’s members to harness the potential of technology and the passion of people to grow companies, careers, and communities. 3 Burning Questions Keeping HR Professionals And Hiring Managers Awake In 2023 As the world continues to navigate the disruption brought on by a global pandemic, the war for talent is reaching a fever pitch. In fact, according to PwC’s “26th CEO Survey,” 75% of CEOs indicate the biggest challenges facing their business in 2023 are workforce management (72%) and labor/skills shortages (78%). And yet, amid a rising tide of economic downturn, rapidly advancing technological transformation and ongoing supply chain setbacks, the recruitment market is sending out conflicting messages. Some industry sectors are throwing everything they have at attracting skilled employees, while others are reducing their recruitment efforts following a wave of job cuts in a bid to survive. In 2023, employers are facing pressure to evolve their approach to talent acquisition and reassess their recruitment procedures to secure candidates who will excel in their roles and remain committed to the company. Faced with this challenge, we asked more than 1,000 organisations to share what’s keeping them awake at night. There were some common questions playing on their minds. “Our budgets have been cut and our team headcount is low so we’re short on time and resources. How do we balance our recruitment priorities with our other HR responsibilities?” There was a time when HR roles were becoming more and more specialised, and there would be a person or even an entire team dedicated to talent acquisition. As organisations review their business operations, this is now the exception rather than the rule, meaning HR professionals are having to be Swiss Army knives. It helps to prioritise your recruitment efforts. Work with the business to identify the most pressing vacancies and focus on filling those critical roles first. Seek input and support from hiring managers and other stakeholders to prioritise and allocate resources effectively. Then communicate often to keep them informed and manage expectations. This might seem time-consuming, but regular communication will always save you precious time in the long run. Streamlining your recruitment process and eliminating inefficiencies is another strategy to explore. Use your HR technology to automate administrative tasks, reduce the number of interview rounds, or prescreen résumés and filter out unqualified candidates for you. A client of ours reduced their average time to hire from 43 days to just 19 simply by waiving their inefficient paper-based recruitment process in favour of automating processes and adopting our application tracking system. Not only did this free up 24 days for their HR team to focus on other responsibilities, but they also saved more than 14,000 pieces of paper per year! “We’ve been in a candidate-short market for more than two years now—we’re still not receiving the quality or quantity of applications we need. How do we attract more of the right candidates to our vacancies?” Attracting top talent in a competitive job market can be challenging. First, identify what characteristics define your ideal candidate, such as cultural fit or technical expertise. Use this information to craft job ads that are clear and engaging, highlighting your unique employer brand and value proposition. Keep in mind that different candidates may be attracted to different qualities based on their needs and goals. While it’s important to showcase what makes your company stand out, don’t be afraid to share some of the challenges of the role or industry. This can help attract candidates who are motivated to overcome obstacles and make a positive impact. It can also help weed out candidates who are not up to the task, saving time and resources. A client of ours recruits aged care support workers. They found that applicants had different expectations of the role compared to the reality. As much as the client felt they were telling candidates about the physical nature of the role, after commencing work, new hires would express their surprise at how much physical work was involved. So the client completely reworded their job advertisements. They included a testimonial from an existing support worker talking about how personally satisfying the work is despite the physical labor. Don’t forget to leverage your existing employees. Set up a referral program offering bonuses or incentives such as time off to employees who refer qualified candidates. “It’s not just new hires we’re struggling with. Other organisations are attempting to poach our employees by offering high salary packages. How do we protect ourselves against staff turnover?” According to Gallup, highly engaged workers are 18-43% more likely to stay with their employers. Engaging employees leads to stronger retention, but it takes time and effort to drive this engagement. Invest in building a culture that fosters employee engagement. Identify and understand the key drivers of engagement for your business or team and develop your strategies and offerings around them. Consider whether they form part of your employee value proposition (EVP). Don’t assume your people know it all though. Communicate your EVP and your engagement strategies regularly and through multiple channels so they’re always front of mind. In this economic climate, money is certainly a driving force, but it’s not everything. The pandemic turned the nature of work on its head, and people got used to different working conditions. Consider what incentives you can offer, beyond monetary benefits, to create a competitive working environment. Flexibility, training, mentoring, philanthropic opportunities, improved accessibility, inclusion and diversity actions, the list goes on. Get to know what truly matters to your employees, especially your A-players, and create an offering that even an increased salary can’t compete with. There are two constants that are guaranteed for any organisation in today’s environment: the inevitability of change, and the need for the right people to help navigate those changes. The war for talent is only heightened against this backdrop, making recruitment—and the role
The Secret to Identifying the Best Talent in Your Pool
Generate More Applications with Skills-Based Recruitment

The labor market is tight, and there are more jobs available than good candidates. Can your organization afford to try the same recruitment tactics again and again, hoping for a different result? You must think outside the box and try new, proactive hiring tactics if you hope to entice great talent to your teams. One way you can do this is by pivoting to skills-based recruitment and widening the scope of your talent pool. Let’s unpack what you’re currently doing, and how you can make small improvements to attract many, many more candidates to your roles. Why aren’t my current job ads attracting candidates? It depends heavily on your internal recruitment process, and the resources you have available, but there may be a few factors in play: Unicorn candidates: You might be advertising for a unicorn candidate. That’s someone who offers a long list of your “must haves” and an even longer list of “desirable traits”. The unicorn candidate that everyone is looking for. Cookie-cutter candidates: You might be advertising for a very traditional cookie-cutter candidate suited to your role. Your job ad might be going through the motions, telling a story that’s indistinguishable from your competitors, and excluding non-traditional candidates from the get-go. Degree inflation: You might be immediately disqualifying candidates without, for example, a bachelor’s degree, who may otherwise have the required skills for the role. You might even be requiring a bachelor’s degree for a role that does not necessarily require one or didn’t previously. This is called degree inflation. Candidates can acquire skills through work experience, online learning, formal training, mentorship, and more. Similarly, soft skills like critical thinking and effective communication aren’t strictly gained from university degrees. Underselling your openness to diverse candidates from a range of backgrounds and work experiences can seriously harm your recruitment efforts. Your vacancy is likely to stand unfilled for longer, resulting in more and more lost productivity, and more time and money poured into advertising the same old requirements with no real results. What should my candidate requirements be? We won’t claim to know what makes the perfect candidate for your organization (at least not without consultation with our talent acquisition team). But tradition tells us that you’re probably looking for the following, in order of priority: Experience first. This includes how long someone has worked in a similar role, and in a similar industry. It includes whether or not they have worked with specific software or systems, where they were educated, and how long they stayed in their previous role(s). Skills next. This includes the person’s specific abilities and technical skills, outside of their experience level. For example, whether or not someone knows how to program in Javascript, has undergone leadership training, or is really good at building relationships with people. Potential, sometimes. This is the slightly more subjective side of hiring, where a person is evaluated not on who they are now, but on who they can be. Some of this may be based on their data, but hiring managers also look for intangibles like intelligence, likeability, cultural fit, and energy when hiring for potential. Typically, applicants are evaluated in that specific order: experience, then skills, then potential. While all three have a place in the hiring process, it may be time to reconsider your approach: Skills first. Experience optional. Potential, always. How can skills-based recruitment help me hire? The specific role and industry you are recruiting for will affect the effectiveness of this recruitment tactic, but for most organizations, there is no downside to skills-based recruitment. (We are not suggesting that medical doctors should be evaluated on skills first, Doctor of Medicine qualification second. You’d do well to prioritize both in this case). But, many organizations will see an improvement in their recruitment results when adopting a skills-first approach. Here are some of the ways: Focuses on job-relevant skills: A skills-based recruitment process aims to identify the skills needed for a particular role and assess candidates based on their abilities to perform those skills. Credentials do not necessarily impact a candidate’s ability to perform a skill. Widens the talent pool: Only around 23.5% of Americans hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s nearly the workforce being overlooked based on something that might not impact their ability to fulfill your role! Skills-based recruitment widens the talent pool by enabling your team to consider candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Reduces bias: Traditional recruitment methods can be biased towards candidates from certain backgrounds or with certain experiences. For example, candidates with high socioeconomic backgrounds typically gain an educational advantage, and therefore certain learning and working experiences that privilege them for employment, which sets back candidates from low socioeconomic backgrounds who might not have had the same learning opportunities. By focusing on skills, you can reduce the impact of unconscious biases that may influence your hiring decisions. Improves retention rates: Hiring candidates based on their skills ensures that they are a good fit for the role, which can lead to higher retention rates. This is because candidates who possess the necessary skills are more likely to be engaged and successful in their roles. How to write job descriptions for skills-based recruitment Start by reviewing each of your job ads and job descriptions to identify the skills required for each role. Carefully review which roles actually require Bachelor’s degrees, for example, and which can be completed with a combination of hard and soft skills. It also helps to state in your job ad that your organization is willing to consider candidates without formal qualifications or experience in the precise role, as long as the candidate can offer transferable skills, nontraditional learning experiences, or comparable work experiences that demonstrate their ability to fill the role. Creating tailored job ads backed by an all-new approach to recruitment can be quite the undertaking, so be sure to leverage these job ad copywriting tips to get started, and lean on our talent acquisition team for support if you need it.