After over 18 years working in our business, we’ve seen a lot of changes in the ever-shifting recruitment landscape. The days of looking through piles of printed resumes and physical portfolios are gone – we’ve entered the era of automation and digital magic!
In this article, we’ll take a look at cutting-edge tools and platforms that are reshaping creative talent recruitment. So, whether you’re a business leader searching for your next creative star or just someone curious about the future of creativity, read on to learn how technology makes it easier to discover, evaluate, and hire top creatives.
Artificial Intelligence: The Talk of the Town
Artificial intelligence has become a hot topic across all industries for some time now, and the recruitment world isn’t exempt. You might have encountered chatbots, smart talent platforms, or AI-driven interview scheduling tools being used in the hiring process. The promise is that you’ll post a job, and – voila! –within minutes receive a curated list of candidates who meet the required qualifications.
Yes and no. Using artificial intelligence in recruiting might save you time and effort. But it’s also important to consider how well-qualified the candidates are, how engaged they are (or aren’t) with the job and your company, how these tools can impact diversity (positively or negatively), and more. As we move into 2024, Gartner predicts that:
- The hype surrounding generative AI will significantly shape the future of AI utilization in the recruitment field.
- Increased regulations will prompt organizations to exercise greater vigilance over how AI is used in their recruiting process.
- Longer decision-making periods when buying talent acquisition technology means it’s more important for HR teams to be careful when choosing vendors.¹
9 Creative Talent Recruitment Tools in 2024
Looking to streamline your hiring process? Here are nine technology-driven trends to watch out for:
1. Virtual Reality (VR) Assessments
AR/VR/MR is already cruising at a $30.7 billion market value, and the global AR/VR/MR market is set to skyrocket to $300 billion by 2024.² As tech continues its wild evolutionary ride, you can bet more companies will don VR headsets in their recruiting processes.
This is especially relevant in today’s shift towards remote and hybrid work environments. VR lets candidates experience an organization’s employer brand from afar and get a hands-on feel for what it’s like to do the job they’re applying for.
Companies can conduct virtual interviews and provide candidates with experience of the organization’s employer brand without them needing to travel. And the use of cutting-edge technology is often a magnet for attracting Gen Z and millennial candidates.
2. Gamified Recruitment Platforms
Gamification is another trend that’s gaining momentum in creative recruitment. For example, the US Airforce is using a gamified recruitment platform to turn the hiring process into an engaging and interactive game.³
A potential recruit can jump onto this platform and be met with challenges and tasks that feel like real-world experiences. It’s as if they’re on a mission, but this mission is to showcase their skills. And that’s where the magic happens for recruiters – they get to see candidates in action, solving problems, and being creative in this playful, gamified environment.
Instead of being limited to traditional interviews and assessments, recruiters can now see candidates truly shine as they tackle these challenges. It’s a win-win! Candidates have fun with the interactive process. And employers get a more accurate assessment of what their potential hire can do.
3. Video Interview and Assessment Tools
Video interviews have been around for a while, but in 2024, we can expect to see significant improvements in video assessment tools. Expect to see continued use of video platforms for interviews – it’s convenient for both sides and speeds up the hiring process. Video interviews allow both parties to read and react to facial expressions and body language, leading to a more natural and interactive conversation. While some companies might fly a top candidate to their headquarters for an in-person interview, many companies are using video interviewing from start to finish.
We’re also seeing a lot of innovation in video assessment tools. These use AI to analyze candidates’ facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language to provide deeper insights into their suitability for a role. The upside is that these tools can give an employer a peek into the candidate’s ability to express ideas, show enthusiasm, and adapt to different communication styles. But TBH, we have some reservations about these tools and feel that they need continued development to ensure they’re inclusive to all candidates.
Related Reading: Find Your Unicorn: How to Identify and Attract the Perfect Creative Candidate
4. Blockchain-Based Resume Verification
Blockchain-based resume verification could be a game-changer. Back in 2017, Forbes projected that blockchain-based “credential wallets” could change employment forever, with candidates and employers using blockchain to verify career history and reduce resume fraud risk.⁴
Looking ahead to 2024, we’ll likely see more companies jumping on the blockchain resume verification bandwagon. For instance, Rezi now boasts a blockchain-verified resume feature, ensuring your work and education history stay tamper-proof, making screening and onboarding easy for potential employers.
Blockchain-based Aversafe assesses and verifies coding skills, serving up tailored assessments to spot the coding champs in your candidate pool. Other companies are working on “credential wallets” that would include background checks or other credentials, so candidates only have to go through that process once instead with each job they apply for.
Companies can use this technology to streamline their hiring processes, saving time and money while ensuring credential accuracy. And who knows? As the tech keeps evolving, we might even get features to verify soft skills and other intangible qualifications.
5. Diversity Recruiting Platforms
It’s pretty clear that diversity and inclusion are becoming top priorities for many organizations in today’s business world. Consider leveraging specialized recruitment platforms that focus on specialized skills or candidate groups, often driven by cutting-edge AI technology. These platforms can broaden your candidate reach, with each one tailored to a specific audience.
These platforms are all about inclusivity, specificity, and precision. This can help you reach more underrepresented groups, and work towards making the hiring process as bias-free as possible.
6. Mobile-First Application Processes
In today’s world of smartphones, having a job application process that works seamlessly on mobile devices is an absolute must.
Why is this so important? With remote work and flexible schedules becoming the norm, many candidates are not working on a desktop or may prefer the ease of applying on their smartphones. Having a mobile-first approach makes it easier for your next superstar to find your opening and submit their information.
7. Data-Driven Candidate Sourcing
For creative roles, which often require specific skill sets and experiences, data-driven candidate sourcing can help you find the right talent quickly.
Many of these tools go beyond job boards, searching across different databases to track down potential candidates. These data-driven sourcing platforms dig into places like social media, professional networks, and online portfolios to pinpoint folks who are actively seeking new opportunities or might be open to job offers.
Related Reading: Beyond Vanity Metrics: Why You Need to Prioritize Data-Drive Recruitment
8. Online Talent Communities
Online talent communities play an essential role in recruitment by helping companies attract and retain top talent, enhance their employer brand, and streamline the hiring process.
- They can help ensure that, when a candidate is ready to make a job change, they think of your company first.
- They help build a pipeline of interested candidates, allowing recruiters to find people who are genuinely interested in working for their company rather than blindly applying to the position.
- Even if there are no current job openings, recruiters can use talent communities to proactively connect with people for positions that will need to be filled in the near future.
Whether they get an offer or not, every candidate will expect a top-notch recruiting experience. And building a talent community remains a key strategy for finding and hiring the best talent. However, it’s important to combine talent communities with excellent employer branding and engaging content to be effective.
9. Freelancer Integration Platforms
The gig economy is booming, and many creative pros are all about that freelance life. There are several online platforms where you can connect with independent talent and tap into their creative skills for all kinds of projects, whether it’s a short-term gig or a long-term partnership.
Having this network of skilled freelancers at your fingertips can seem easy, although it does put the burden on you to find the right candidate from their large database. It can be cost-effective, especially for small projects that don’t require a long-term or full-time commitment.
WHY WORRY ABOUT HIRING AT ALL WHEN EXPERTS CAN DO IT ON YOUR BEHALF?
It’s no news that employees are the lifeblood of any business operation. And we’ve given lots of ways you might leverage technology to find the next great candidate for your team. Know another way you can find your next creative superstar? Contact Portfolio Creative! We spend all day every day working with talented creatives looking for their next opportunity.
Whether you need someone for a short-term project, a long-term contract, or a full-time position, we’ve got you covered. And the best part? We do all the hard work so you can focus on selecting the ideal candidate for your role. Contact us today to start a conversation. Your next creative superstar could be just a click away!
References
1. “Gartner Identifies Three Macro Trends to Impact Technology Recruiting that HR Leaders Need to Address in 2024.” Gartner, 11 Sept. 2023, www.gartner.com/gartner-identifies-three-macro-trends-to-impact-technology-recruiting-that-hr-leaders-need-to-address-in-2024.
2. “Extended Reality (XR) Market Size Worldwide from 2021 to 2026.” Statista, 26 Sep. 2023, to www.statista.comglobal-augmented-virtual-reality-market-size
3. “Airman Challenge.” Airforce, https://www.airforce.com/airmanchallenge 25 Oct. 2023.
4. Marr, Bernard. “Blockchain-Based CVs Could Change Employment Forever.” Forbes, 8 Nov. 2017, www.forbes.com/blockchain-based-cvs-could-change-employment-forever.
