Recruitment Blog

What is talent acquisition technology and how is it evolving?

Sarah Linney
Content Marketing Manager at JobAdder
Talent acquisition technology

Talent acquisition technology is software or modules that automates and streamlines recruitment processes for a company’s HR team. 

This recruitment technology or HR technology is becoming increasingly popular as HR teams seek to better facilitate the process of attracting, finding and tracking the best talent.

Talent acquisition technology can come in a few different forms, such as an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or Recruitment CRM (Candidate Relationship Management).

Many talent acquisition technology providers offer a Recruitment CRM with an ATS layer or workflow integrated with the CRM. 

While this might all sound super confusing, don’t worry, below we’ve broken down what each term means and how they relate to talent acquisition.

FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD: The ultimate guide to switching your ATS provider

Talent acquisition technology: What exactly is it?

To get into a deeper explantation of what talent acquisition technology is, they’re recruiting tools that are used to automate, expedite and enhance a myriad of talent acquisition processes, including candidate sourcing, screening, engagement, recruiting, application processes, final hiring decisions and even onboarding.

Talent acquisition technology utilises automation and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the sourcing and processing of candidates for talent acquisition teams. It can offer intuitive metrics to empower HR teams to make more informed and predictive decisions.

What are the different types of talent acquisition technology?

There are a range of tech recruiting tools out there. When looking at talent acquisition technology, there are two main types to explore, an ATS or a Recruitment CRM (or a combo of both).

What is an ATS?

An ATS, or Applicant Tracking System, is software that manages candidate applicant information and the application process. 

An ATS organises applicant data to streamline the application and interview workflow, simplifying steps for HR teams and ensuring they can stay on top of all tasks, information and communication in one place. 

What is a CRM?

A Recruitment CRM (Candidate Relationship Management) or talent management system, manages your talent pool, including job seekers and potential candidates for future positions in your company.

It acts as a centralised hub where hiring managers can easily source, store and track candidates. It’s a talent pool that HR teams can pull from when they aren’t getting a lot of applicants through job ads (or simply want to be proactive in their candidate sourcing). 

Apart from Recruitment CRMs matching candidates to jobs, additional functionalities include sending automated email campaigns and SMS messages to your talent pool.

What’s the difference between an ATS or CRM?

You can use both an ATS and a Recruitment CRM at different stages of your recruitment process. A Recruitment CRM implements an automated system before the candidate applies, and an ATS performs after. The CRM is a recruitment tool for marketing purposes, a way for companies to engage and nurture future applicants. An ATS organises information and matches candidates after they hit “Apply.”

JobAdder offers a full stack talent acquisition software solution, incorporating both a Recruitment CRM and an ATS, so it’s a seamless journey from talent pool to the application process. 

The CRM component allows you to automate the busy work of sourcing candidates and building talent pools in the background, while the ATS handles the admin involved with searching and placing candidates. So when you combine the two, you get extra time in your day to focus on connecting the right candidates with the right opportunities.

Some Recruitment CRM providers don’t integrate with an ATS or they use a clunky middle man in between. To ensure you’re using the best talent acquisition technology possible, explore how your potential provider’s ATS and CRM work together.  

Tech trends: Where is talent acquisition technology evolving?

Traditional talent acquisition technology is evolving to include more intuitive analytics, streamlined automation and a heavier focus on marketing.

For related content, find out how using talent acquisition technology can boost diversity.

Data-driven recruitment

Data-driven metrics provide feedback on where the hiring process is efficient and where it needs a little TLC. This improved data helps recruiters and talent acquisition teams find the best talent sources and better understand the candidate’s hiring cycle. 

Evolving talent acquisition technology provides information on the typical length of your hiring process and employee retention. Perceptive metrics allow you to focus your efforts where needed, creating a more effective hiring process.

The importance of candidate engagement with automation and AI

The goal of recruiting software is candidate engagement. Candidate engagement is critical because it spreads awareness of the organisation’s brand, creating a larger talent pool. 

Automatic candidate engagement software attracts and retains a candidate’s attention by providing one-click job posts through social media, automatically triggering emails and sending out talent pool newsletters. 

Actionable information is helpful because it streamlines time-consuming processes. You don’t have to spend days sorting through unqualified applicants or finding the perfect job match for those who qualify. The emergence of AI in candidate engagement has turned large volumes of data into practical information that’s super easy to digest.

More efficient hiring with automation

More efficient hiring means scoring the best talent before other companies. The best candidates don’t stay on the job market for long, so it’s critical to hire top talent fast. 

Automation helps not only with engagement but also with job postings and candidate screening. 

Automation allows you to hire faster and better by selecting candidates with characteristics and skills linked to success. This automated process also allows for a better candidate experience, as applicants encounter a more streamlined process while getting faster responses. 

Proactive not reactive recruitment with more robust talent pools

Proactive recruitment is engaging with potential future candidates before a job position is open. Reactive recruitment is finding candidates for roles that have opened.

Proactive recruiting is a better long-term strategy because it allows you to identify individuals with the desired skill set. By building relationships with them, it’s easier to fill future vacant roles.

HR executives can create strategic plans by analyzing automated data, with AI and automation providing insights on market trends and future roles. As a result, your ATS and Recruitment CRM lead to more proactive recruiting capabilities.

To make sure you’re investing in the right recruitment tech, check out our related content. 

How leveraging talent acquisition technology improves your hiring processes long-term

There are numerous ways to use automation technology to improve your talent acquisition strategy and the overall hiring process.

Find new talent in fresh talent sources

Sourcing candidates is an essential component of talent acquisition; hiring managers and talent acquisition teams can use technology to find new sources of talent. 

Talent sourcing is researching and networking with potential candidates, eventually converting them to employees. Automation provides an easy way to source talent on social media like Linkedin and other career sites like job boards.

AI and automation have also made it possible for teams to wade through many applicants at once, increasing their chance of finding the right candidate.

Create more time and cost-efficient workflows

Talent acquisition software provides a more straightforward, cost-effective hiring process by streamlining workflows.

An ATS allows you to automatically post on social media and job boards. An ATS will also sift through candidate profiles and resumes to match the best candidates to the job description.

Automated processes save talent acquisition teams time and money while leading to a faster and better hiring process. Sifting through applications and candidate profiles is no longer a manual job. Plus, AI can use many factors to determine if a candidate has the proper skill set.

Improve the candidate experience with a CRM

A Recruitment CRM keeps top talent interested, building and maintaining relationships with potential candidates.

It engages with candidates by utilising automated communications, allowing companies to keep applicants informed of company updates and new roles and reinforcing the strength of their employer brand.  

Build up your employer brand

Employer brand is a term used to describe a company’s reputation from the perspective of employees and candidates. Work culture, communication and benefits are just a few factors that define an employer brand. 

To attract job seekers, you must have a positive employer brand to maintain your overall recruitment strategy.

The best way to build your employer brand is to improve your candidate experience. A candidate should have a great experience from the first interaction through to hiring and onboarding. 

Improve your hiring with JobAdder’s talent acquisition technology

The two main types of talent acquisition technology are a Recruitment CRM and an ATS. With JobAdder, you can use both in tandem to streamline candidate sourcing and the hiring process. 

Our AI and automation make recruiting and hiring the best candidates easy, saving your company crucial time, money and energy. Learn more about the benefits of a Recruitment CRM and ATS by booking your JobAdder demo now.

Not sure what’s involved in switching your ATS? Download our step-by-step guide.

Want to reduce your cost and time to hire? Download our eBook!



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