Tech & Tools: October/November 2020

A look at some AI services with recruiters and employers in mind

AI-powered recruitment

The unique selling point of an artificial intelligence-based, predictive recruitment software is its ability to screen, evaluate and rank candidates against a job specification. Skeeled, from the Luxembourg-based company of the same name, does that and embeds it into an all-in-one solution. It includes an applicant tracking system (ATS) and automates transactional tasks, such as the ability to schedule phone interviews and face-to-face interviews, as well as publish offers.

It also offers recruitment marketing functionality, and candidates can upload their CVs, post short videos, as well as undertake pre-employment tests that assess personality and skills. Skeeled believes that as companies emerge from the pandemic, they will be looking for more streamlined approaches to recruiting. So the company has partnered with recruitment technology provider VONQ to enable its users to set up job advertising campaigns using its network of 2,000 global channels, and has also integrated the aggregator Indeed’s technology into the platform to automate the publication of job offers.
skeeled.com


Pitch perfect?

What could replace the CV? The latest contender: PitchMe, which describes itself as a skills-based talent marketplace that matches candidates’ soft and professional skills with the right jobs and upskilling opportunities. It also claims to improve diversity and inclusion by eliminating bias from the screening process using its Skillsourcing process, based on a methodology designed by leading behavioural scientists. It uses proprietary big data algorithms to extract information on candidates from, it claims, more than 60 online sources. These are then verified for accuracy to create a SmartMe candidate profile which, PitchMe says, allows candidates’ real skills and experience ‘to do the talking’ and which is then shared with employers anonymously. The platform, which is already in use, boasts impressive metrics, claiming it can match candidates with suitable roles 40% more accurately, 50% faster and 50% more cheaply than traditional platforms or recruitment agencies. And it seems there is no lack of belief in the system: in August it closed a $1.2m seed investment funding round led by New York-headquartered Starta Ventures.
pitchme.co


Reality in the new normal?

Virtual reality (VR) is one of those technologies with clear-cut applications for recruitment in areas such as skills and personality assessment, as well as being able to immerse candidates in a potential future working environment. Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, it had already become far more accessible in terms of technology and cost. In the post-pandemic era, when people are still cautious about face-to-face interviews and meetings, its use is likely to accelerate. Bristol-based tech start-up Virti is pioneering the use of immersive, interactive, 360-degree reality platforms for companies looking to recruit top talent from afar. The platform is cloud-based and allows companies to host bespoke, ‘experiential reality’ video content. Users interact with the content using a VR headset or even a smartphone, and their performance  is recorded and assessed via in-built artificial intelligence technology. Virti said typical applications are skills assessment in a remote recruitment process, assessing soft skills and virtual company/office tours.
virti.com


Checking the right to work

Any recruiter worth their salt knows that not checking whether an individual is eligible to work in the UK is potentially a criminal offence, with fines of up to £20k per illegal worker and prison sentences of up to five years. From July to September 2019, however, the Home Office reported that 900 individuals were discovered without the correct permissions to work, leading to employers being fined more than £10m. To reduce the administrative burden of checks, Access Group has developed a Right to Work mobile app, that can also be accessed through the Access Workspace platform. It makes instant checks possible, confirming an applicant’s eligibility to work in the UK and securely storing proof of compliance. It facilitates nationality status checks and validates passports, visas and biometric residency permits and stores a fully auditable case history. It also provides alerts for when documents are due to expire or need to be re-verified. The app has checks relevant for multiple industry sectors.
theaccessgroup.com

Picture Credit | iStock

HMRC employment tool CEST not updated in five years

The underlying decision engine of HM Revenue & Customs’ Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool has not been updated in five years.

26 March 2024

Recruitment platforms urged to join new anti-scam certification scheme

Job boards and recruitment platforms are urged to join a new certification scheme as reports of job-related scams quadruple.

Contracts 26 March 2024

NEW TO THE MARKET: 25-30 MARCH 2024

This week’s new launches include: ID Crypt Global, Indeed, N2S.Global, Quesam, Talmix

New to Market 26 March 2024

CandidatePages to cut social media application process to 60 seconds

AI-powered recruitment platform Socially Recruited has launched CandidatePages to enable candidates to apply instantly for advertised jobs on any social media network.

New to Market 21 March 2024
Top