Businesses using data to make recruiting decisions are twice as likely to hire better quality candidates, according to research by Aptitude Research and Oleeo. The study shows that 72 percent of companies are prioritising automated recruiting decisions for the year ahead to meet the needs of the business and the changing expectations of candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers.

The study, conducted in February and March 2020, found 63 percent of businesses feel that identifying and attracting quality hires is the greatest challenge they face. Talent acquisition and HR leaders can no longer afford to rely on reactive or traditional approaches to recruitment.

Whilst the ‘Improving Quality of Hire through Recruiting Enablement’ report highlights the critical role data plays within recruiting decisions, it also reveals that more than two-thirds (67 percent) of talent acquisition and HR professionals are not providing hiring managers with the information they need to make decisions. As a result, only 32 percent of senior leaders are confident in the data that they have available to base their decisions on.

Madeline Laurano, Founder of Aptitude Research, comments: “Companies are facing intense pressure to more accurately identify and measure quality of hire. While quality of hire is certainly not a new concern, the responsibility has shifted from hiring managers to HR and talent acquisition leaders. As a result, talent acquisition leaders are being held accountable for what happens beyond when a candidate accepts an offer. Candidates often make a decision to join an employer solely on their interaction with a recruiting team during the talent acquisition process. If the recruiting process is automated, it gives candidates a more consistent and meaningful experience.”

The research highlights other areas where Recruiting Enablement is making a major difference. According to the statistics, recruiters spend an average of 16 hours a week just on interview scheduling. Recruiting Enablement can help lift this administrative burden by automating the entire process, saving more than 60 hours a week in a team of just four, and allowing them to focus their time on higher value work. Given the uncertainty of the global pandemic, being as efficient as possible is crucial to all businesses. 

Recruiting Enablement helps to de-bias job descriptions to attract more gender-diverse candidates, which is vital given that nearly 90 percent of companies are concerned with reducing bias in their talent acquisition process. It also consistently uses data to root out bias, and to fast-track top candidates. By automating candidate engagement activities, such as sharing the right content with the right candidates at the right time, proactive businesses are able to be more inclusive and search for top talent in a more diverse pool.

Although technology and data are important to hiring top quality talent, half of all large enterprises do not measure the return from their investment in recruitment technology. Furthermore, only 27 percent are planning to automate more than 50 percent of their talent acquisition processes moving forward. This suggests there is still need for further education on the subject.

Charles Hipps, CEO and Founder of Oleeo, concludes: “This research highlights the critical need for Recruiting Enablement to deliver improvements such as overall efficiency, candidate experience, reduced bias, and quality of hires. It takes the guesswork out of talent acquisition and allows companies to use data and insights to drive success. Hiring the very best talent is something that all businesses are striving to do, and by being more accepting of the data, it means recruiters and HR teams will be twice as effective at finding, engaging and keeping the very best talent. It’s a no-brainer.”

For more information about Recruiting Enablement of to learn more about Oleeo, visit oleeo.com.