Navigating recruiting tech: A guide to evaluating, selecting, & implementing the right tools

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The recruiting landscape has rapidly evolved in recent years thanks to the lightning-fast development of new tools and technologies. We now have the ability to automate time-consuming and tedious tasks, glean new insights from our data, and advance what even the leanest recruiting teams are capable of. But it can sometimes feel like keeping up with these advancements is a full-time job itself.

We know that as a recruiter, you want to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in our industry without dedicating hours of your day to researching and demoing new tools. That’s why Greenhouse, Glassdoor, and Entelo teamed up on the latest webinar, “Recruiting Technology Must-Haves in 2019.” In this fireside chat, J.T. O’Donnell, Founder and CEO of Work It Daily asked Kayla Vatalaro, Head of Recruiting at Asana and Erica Waichman, Head of Recruiting at Formation to share their most useful tips and tricks for navigating recruiting technology.

Tune in to the full webinar here, or keep reading for some of the highlights from their conversation.

Which recruiting trends are disrupting hiring and which are fleeting? How do you determine the difference?

Kayla Vatalaro, Head of Recruiting at Asana, kicked off the conversation by sharing her observations about how the field of talent acquisition is changing overall:

Companies are getting smarter in how they find talent, and more strategic in addressing long-term talent needs.

She celebrates tools that are helping companies adopt more inclusive hiring practices such as Textio and Plum.

Our second panelist, Head of Recruiting at Formation Erica Waichman, says she’s excited to see “how AI and automation are creating new ways for companies to interact with candidates.” Erica mentioned that some hot new tech like chatbots can help create a more seamless candidate experience, even when recruiters aren’t available.

When it comes to discerning which trends are here to stay, both Erica and Kayla recommend keeping your team’s long-term goals top of mind.

If you’re considering investing in a new tool, think about whether it will continue to serve your company when you’re twice or three times the size you are now.

If you feel confident the tool will support you through your mid- and long-term goals, that’s a good sign it’s worth investing in.

Which tools are you using that have made the biggest impact on how your company hires?

“We were drowning in administrative tasks when it came to getting candidates in,” explained Erica. She and her team wanted a scheduling tool that would cut down on the back and forth with candidates. The key requirement: it had to integrate with Greenhouse. They found the right integration with GoodTime and since implementing it they’ve managed to shave a few days off their pipeline speed due to more efficient scheduling.

Kayla’s team uses Business Intelligence and data analytics software solutions Looker and Tableau to pull data from Greenhouse and other sources to uncover opportunities and optimize processes. They also rely heavily on their own tool, Asana, to assign tasks, track their work, collaborate, and keep stakeholders in the loop.

How do you get buy-in for purchasing a new tool?

Erica puts it succinctly: “Your company won’t hit revenue goals, product launch deadlines, or customer support needs if you don’t have recruiting. Everything hinges on recruiting’s success.”

Erica is always looking at ways to tie recruiting tools directly to company revenue and other major goals and recommends doing the same when you’re looking to get budget or approval.

At Asana, launching Greenhouse was a big endeavor because it was the company’s first ATS. Beyond simply getting approval for the budget, Kayla wanted to ensure that she had buy-in from company leadership to facilitate a smooth rollout of the software company-wide. Kayla’s approach was to involve cross-functional stakeholders from the early stages, so they helped to vet and evaluate different tools. This meant that once they were ready to roll out Greenhouse, many leaders were already familiar with it and became advocates for adoption, too.

Both Kayla and Erica recognize that it can be overwhelming to keep track of the latest tools and technologies. If you ever find yourself feeling frazzled, they recommend turning to your network or joining online communities of like-minded professionals such as the People Geeks Slack channel or StartupHR. Most talent professionals are excited to share their knowledge and expertise—and maybe one day you’ll be able to return the favor.

Get even more insights from J.T., Kayla, and Erica about their tips, tricks, and hacks for making the most of recruiting tech. Click here to watch the full-length webinar.