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It used to be physical job boards, then it was calling around on the phone, now it’s networking online and via social media. Recruiting and finding a job has changed over time, but how will it continue to evolve in the future? That’s the question our community tackled this week with a variety of perspectives from managers and employees.

The community agreed that the basic process of recruiting will stay the same—finding candidates and communicating with them, representing the company, interviewing, and then on-boarding. What will be different is the overall mindset and the technology that is used. Business Manager Jonny Boström, who led the discussion, suggested that AI would play a large role in the entire process. AI could be used to find ideal candidates based on their online presence by combing social media, LinkedIn, and professional sites for keywords of individuals who are qualified for certain positions. Jonny suggested that interested candidates submit a video with responses to a set of questions that an AI algorithm can use to see if the candidate would be a good fit for the company. Founder of FutureCasting Karena de Souza mentioned that the current method of manually going through CVs and resumes is ineffective because it often misses qualified candidates. A potential AI algorithm to weed though resumes could help find the right mix of skills and experiences that an organization is looking for. AI could also help find the skills of the future that will be required for job success by predicting what will be relevant in a few years.

Much of the discussion centered around an organization’s mindset towards recruiting. The approach to recruiting has to become part of the company’s culture. After all, successful companies are the ones that get the best applicants because everyone wants to work there. As Senior Advisor, Jesper Rønnow Simonsen said, recruiting in the future should be much more network-based instead of being solely an HR function. Everyone in the company should be involved in recruiting so that current employees are the first ones to help fill open positions by using their own personal and professional networks. Recruiting doesn’t just happen when there is a role to fill—it is a constant act of reaching out to people and showcasing the organization. HR Leader Leanne Smith Lansdell agreed, saying that leaders should have solid networks that can withstand the rapid pace of change in so many industries so that they can establish real connections with people.

Multiple community members expressed hearing stories of recent graduates or young employees trying to get started in a new industry who reached out to companies for information and were given stiff replies to look at their website or that there weren’t any open positions at the time. Those companies potentially missed out on great candidates because they think of recruiting only when they need to fill a position. If employees were engaged in the recruitment process, they could answer questions for interested people, regardless of if the company was currently hiring or not.

Location also matters. The community also addressed the cultural side of recruiting and how things are different depending on where you are in the world. As Vice President Deidre Meacham pointed out, global companies might need to change their techniques depending on the location where they are recruiting. What works in one country might not be as effective in another part of the world—this is especially important as more companies start to work in multiple countries.

People will always need jobs, so recruiting will always be part of organizations. As our community agreed, the key is to involve everyone and be continuously open to finding the right employees. It’s a mental change that can lead to an organization full of strong employees.

My new book, The Employee Experience Advantage (Wiley) analyzes over 250 global organizations to understand how to create a place where people genuinely want to show up to work. Get my free training series to create powerful Employee Experiences, or become a member of the new Facebook Community The Future If… and join the discussion.

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