Five Reasons AI Sourcing Will Replace Boolean Sourcing

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Finding the right talent is harder than ever before. Statistics from the Society for Human Resource Management tell us that 75% of recruiters believe there is a skills shortage among their applicants.

The war for talent means that recruiters must leverage cutting-edge tools and techniques to source the best candidates.

With time these tools and techniques evolve. For a significant period, Boolean search operators were a critical tool that gave recruiters the ability to surface relevant candidates.

Now, AI-driven sourcing is taking the lead.

In this post, we’ll explore those two concepts in more detail. We’ll then offer up five reasons why AI sourcing is superior to Boolean sourcing.

What Is Boolean Sourcing?

Boolean search allows recruiters to combine keywords alongside a series of operators to find the most relevant results. Those operators include AND, NOT and OR.

Recruiters can use those operators alongside brackets and quotation marks to tweak their search results to surface more suitable candidates. Specific search engines and applicant tracking systems also offer a range of additional tricks and tools to help recruiters refine their search even further.

When using Google, for instance, recruiters can start their search with “site:” to perform an x-ray search and surface results from a specific domain. Here’s an example of a typical Boolean search using Google:

As you can see, the Boolean search returns relevant results based on the keywords and operators that were used.

What Is AI Sourcing?

AI sourcing is much more powerful. Recruiters can use AI-powered platforms to search through vast databases in a matter of seconds intelligently. The AI algorithms can weigh and balance several factors to present recruiters with the most appropriate and suitable candidates.

This power is the driving force behind Gartner’s estimation that the business value of AI will reach a staggering $3.9 trillion by 2022

Let’s dig deeper into the key differences between Boolean and AI sourcing.

Five Reasons AI Sourcing Is Better Than Boolean Sourcing

AI-driven sourcing will replace Boolean sourcing in the not too distant future. Here are the five factors driving the explosive growth of AI sourcing.

1. Easier to use

Mastering the art of Boolean sourcing is no easy task. Recruiters will often spend hours upon hours learning the intricacies of Boolean search – and there’s no guarantee that they’re going to get the best results.

AI-driven platforms, on the other hand, are very elegant and simple to use. Recruiters can quickly set up their searches with just a few clicks and rest assured that they’re going to see every viable candidate for their position.

This ease of use means that recruiters can say goodbye to the hours spent learning Boolean search and invest in other areas of growth.

2. See More Sophisticated Results

Boolean searches are powerful, but recruiters have no guarantee that those searches deliver comprehensive results.

This is because Boolean logic only offers up yes or no results – there’s no space for “maybe”. This means that recruiters might find themselves missing out on that perfect candidate due to the inflexibility of Boolean search.

AI-driven logic is much more powerful. Those searches can embrace and understand ambiguity to give recruiters the full spectrum of potential candidates. The most sophisticated AI-driven searches will use natural language processing, for instance, to identify synonyms and the relationships between words.

3. More Free Time for Recruiters

Boolean searches are not only challenging to master, but they can also take a long time to execute. Even the most skilled Boolean expert will have to type out their search and proofread it carefully manually – a single misplaced piece of punctuation can undo a Boolean search, after all.

AI sourcing is much faster. Recruiters can configure their searches in a matter of seconds and leave the heavy lifting to sophisticated algorithms. In the blink of an eye, those recruiters will have comprehensive and high-quality results before them.

This speed means that recruiters can work as efficiently as possible. Recruiters who use the Elevate AI Platform enjoy a 90% reduction in search time. This empowers recruiters to invest their time in what they do best – connecting with candidates.

Technology is making recruitment more human. Looking to learn more? Read our piece on how AI enhances the human element of recruitment.

4. Eliminate Unconscious Bias

Diverse workplaces are more innovative, creative and productive. Those companies also benefit from a stronger employer brand and an enhanced level of employee engagement.

Unconscious bias can become a serious barrier to achieving a truly diverse workplace. The Guardian recently published an insightful piece on unconscious bias in Britain. The article makes it clear that unconscious bias is still an issue within recruitment.

AI-driven sourcing surfaces the most appropriate candidates and presents them to recruiters. While those algorithms can be configured to pay attention to factors like race and gender, they can help recruiters to break free from their unconscious bias.

5. Surface More Suitable Candidates

Boolean searches return a list of results with no further insight. Your dream candidate might be at the top of the list – or they might be buried under several unsuitable candidates.

This means that recruiters spend countless hours tediously sorting through potential candidates. While they might have a pool of potential candidates before them, they’ve still got to find the diamond in the rough.

AI-driven searches can weigh several factors to deliver the most suitable candidates in a logical order. This expedites the search process and means that recruiters are presented with the most suitable candidates.

Recruiters who use the Elevate AI Platform enjoy a 20% increase in suitable candidates, for instance.

Unlock the Power of AI Sourcing with Elevate

Are you ready to say goodbye to Boolean and hello to AI-powered sourcing? Step into the future of recruitment with Elevate’s leading Talent Intelligence platform today.

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Four Actionable Techniques to Maintain a Healthy Talent Pool

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According to Glassdoor research, the average length of the UK hiring process sits at 27.9 days. This significant amount of time can harm the productivity of your business and hinder its ability to move forward.

There’s an ocean of potential talent out there, but the challenge of recruitment is fishing for the appropriate candidates and keeping tabs on them.

This is why talent pools are an invaluable resource.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what talent pools are and four actionable techniques that you can use to maintain a healthy talent pool.

What Is a Talent Pool?

A talent pool is a database of candidate profiles. This database gives recruiters and hiring managers the ability to keep track of crucial candidates over the long-term and access potential candidates instantly.

The most effective hiring managers and recruiters will diligently maintain those talent pools to add and remove candidates as necessary. They’ll also draw on candidates form their talent pool regularly.

For added convenience, the majority of hiring managers will maintain distinct talent pools which can further segment groups of candidates according to factors like their level of experience and overall suitability.

What Are the Benefits of a Talent Pool?

Here are the key reasons to create and maintain talent pools::

Better candidates

Any recruiter or hiring professional will understand how challenging it can be to find high-quality candidates for their roles. 76% of hiring managers told Glassdoor that attracting quality candidates is their number one challenge.

Talent pools can give you the edge. With a robust talent pool in your hands, you’ll find it easier to sort through pre-qualified candidates and have access to proven talent quicker.

Faster hires

When it comes to hiring candidates, it’s critical that you find the appropriate talent within a reasonable timeframe. Each day that you have a vacant position will result in losses for your business.

Talent pools can expedite the time to hire. You’ll be able to quickly browse through pre-qualified candidates as and when you need to. You might find the perfect candidate in your talent pool.

Reduced hiring costs

Making a new hire in the UK is expensive. On average, businesses can expect to pay around 20-30% of the final salary to recruitment agencies. This can harm the profitability of your business, and those costs can seriously mount up if you make multiple hires.

Equipped with a talent pool that’s overflowing with quality candidates, you’ll be able to make your selection and circumvent many of the traditional costs that come with recruitment.

Four Actionable Tips to Maintain a Healthy Talent Pool

Now that we have a better understanding of why to maintain a talent pool let’s explore five essential tips that you can use to establish and leverage your own.

1. Divide Your Talent Pools Using Candidate Personas

Candidate personas are a handy tool used by recruiters and hiring managers. Those semi-fictional personas make it easier to guide the hiring process and stay focused on finding the right talent.

Those candidate personas can also provide you with a logical and organic way to segment your talent pool. This exercise can make your talent pool even more convenient to navigate, and you’ll have the right talent just a few clicks away.

The details of this tip will vary from one business to the next, according to how you created your talent pool. For a rudimentary solution, you could divide an excel spreadsheet into tabs according to your key profiles.

Here’s a look at how that might appear:

2. Keep Track of Your Alumni

To get the best results from your talent pool, you should be sure to keep track of your alumni. There’s always a chance that your previous employees might be available to rejoin your business.

There are clear benefits to rehiring alumni: they will slot right into your company culture, for instance, and rehiring alumni can have a very positive impact on your employer brand.

To keep track of your alumni, you should be sure to keep their contact details on record and maintain regular contact with them. You might even decide to send a monthly newsletter to those alumni – this could keep them updated and help them to feel like a part of the family.

Interested in what this might look like? Take a look at this Alumni Newsletter example from Deloitte. You can see the type of content and tone that they use to re-engage their corporate alumni.

Ready to take a look at the additional benefits that come with a strong alumni talent pool? Read our piece on the six reasons you should develop an alumni talent pool.

3. Don’t Forget to Track Unsuccessful Candidates

According to numbers from Forbes, the average job will attract a staggering 118 applications. While you might need to hire just a single person for the role, you could have invited some very intriguing candidates.

It’s vital that you keep hold of them and retain their details. We all know that plans change quickly within the world of business and that it’s always useful to have a backup plan.

Re-engaging unsuccessful candidates is also great for your employer brand. Lots of hiring managers tell unsuccessful candidates that their contact information will be retained on record, but they fail to follow up. If you contact an unsuccessful candidate in the future, they’ll be sure to appreciate the gesture.

4. Use Your Talent Pool Regularly

The best way to maintain a healthy talent pool is to use it regularly. Far too often, hiring managers and recruiters neglect their talent pool and fail to exploit its full potential.

A lack of activity could mean that your talent pool becomes rusty and outdated very quickly. The longer you neglect, the greater the temptation will be to ignore it when trying to find a new candidate.

Try to incorporate your talent pool into your recruitment workflow to get the maximum value from it. Make it your first port of call after identifying a new position, and you might find the perfect candidate.

Cultivate Powerful Talent Pools with Elevate

If you are ready to create and maintain AI-driven talent pools, do so with Elevate’s leading Talent Intelligence platform today. Our solution provides you immediate visibility into your private talent pools while granting you access to the exclusive Elevate Directmarket.

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