HCM Talent Technology Roundup – April 10, 2020

Talent Technology Roundup – April 10, 2020

More Providers Dive into Virtual Career Fairs

Since California issued its shelter-in-place order on March 19, recruiting technology providers have been quick to offer free services and new digital options to employers. Often, without worrying whether users were customers or not.

Not only has the use of video recruiting tools skyrocketed over the last three weeks, but a steady stream of vendors have begun adding virtual career fairs to their suites as well.

This week, social media platform Jobcase unveiled a virtual event capability that allows employers and candidates to communicate directly. The company said the tool provides employers with a “scalable and repeatable” way to continue hiring, even when employers can’t hold in-person events. The platform also offers tools to manage event promotion, online registration, video and webinar-style presentations, and chat tools.

Jobcase’s announcement came just a week after Paradox and Eightfold.ai launched similar products, within hours of each other. Paradox’s Virtual Hiring Events uses the company’s AI-based assistant to help employers create online career fairs and connect with candidates via a chat-style interface. Eightfold.ai’s Virtual Event Recruiting offers similar features, though the firm highlights its ability to scale.

Travel restrictions and social distancing measures took hold. Paradox saw an opportunity to “reimagine” the virtual event experience, according to Chief Product Officer Adam Godson. While many companies have frozen hiring, others continue to seek new workers. Plus, those who’ve suspended hiring want to keep candidates engaged, he said.

These products are sure to find a ready market. They’re rolling out at the same time of year that businesses embark on recruiting excursions to college campuses around the world. Forbes reports that college recruiters without a virtual event solution are using Skype or Zoom to meet with candidates, and spreadsheets or email to keep records.

Dynamic 2020 for Healthcare Jobs

The competition for healthcare talent was fierce enough in 2019. COVID-19 will make it more ferocious during 2020, a report by Recruitics said. Indeed, industry employers will continue to feel pressure in hiring even as the immediate crisis fades.

Many trends in healthcare’s labor market were already in place before the coronavirus appeared. They have gained intensity as hospitals, researchers, and others in the space put all hands on deck to treat patients and search for a vaccine.

In the coming months, Recruitics expects to see:

•  A growing talent gap, especially for nurses. Even before the virus hit, “registered nurse” was the most frequently searched job title on Indeed. Six of the top 10 were healthcare-related.
• Increased focus on employer brand as healthcare organizations compete for scarce talent.
• More use of virtual recruiting and onboarding tools: Besides keeping people safe, Recruitics noted, these products offer the added value of speeding up the hiring process.
• A series of revised laws and regulations meant to streamline the hiring and onboarding of healthcare workers.
• Employers looking for qualified candidates in new communities, including retirees and the military.
• A renewed focus on employee well-being. Driven by the stress healthcare workers experience working on the pandemic’s front lines.
• Improved training and development programs that focus on recognizing the virus and caring for infected patients.

“Healthcare employers will need all the help they can get to attract, support and retain quality talent as we move forward in this ‘new normal,’” Recruitics said.

Doing Business

Dice introduced a private email option to its platform. Allowing both candidates and employers to remain anonymous during the initial steps of their conversation. Going forward, the platform will automatically hide a candidates’ personal email address when they make their profile visible. Candidates themselves will decide when to share their identity.

Dice Private Email also lets users unsubscribe from messages they deem irrelevant. Over time, the system uses this opt-out information to provide candidates with the most pertinent opportunities. It also helps employers measure the effectiveness of their candidate communications.

CareerBuilder introduced a new tagline; We’re Building For You. The company said the motto is a “brand promise” that its solutions are developed with the goals and success of seekers and employers in mind.

Authors

Mark Feffer

Mark Feffer is executive editor of RecruitingDaily and the HCM Technology Report. He’s written for TechTarget, HR Magazine, SHRM, Dice Insights, TLNT.com and TalentCulture, as well as Dow Jones, Bloomberg and Staffing Industry Analysts. He likes schnauzers, sailing and Kentucky-distilled beverages.