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Revolutionising Recruitment: The Impact of AI

21 July 2023

In an era defined by technological advancements, it comes as no surprise that artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in transforming various industries. One such sector that has witnessed the impact of AI is recruitment, and the public sector is no exception.

As a public sector recruitment agency, we have closely observed the integration of AI into our processes, prompting us to delve into the realm of possibilities and contemplate its potential benefits and drawbacks. In this blog, we explore how AI could replace certain systems and discuss the pros and cons of employing this cutting-edge technology.

Replacing Traditional Systems with AI

  • Candidate Sourcing and Screening
    Traditionally, sourcing and screening candidates has been a time-consuming process that involves sifting through countless CVs and applications. With AI, however, automated systems can swiftly analyse CVs, extracting relevant information such as qualifications and experience. By leveraging AI, recruitment agencies can significantly reduce the time and effort required for candidate selection, thus improving overall efficiency.
  • Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
    Applicant Tracking Systems have long been an integral part of the recruitment process, helping manage CVs, track candidate progress, and streamline communication. AI-powered ATS platforms can take this a step further by using natural language processing algorithms to identify keywords, match candidates to job descriptions, and even predict the suitability of an applicant for a particular role. Such advancements eliminate human biases and ensure fair and accurate evaluations.
  • Interviewing and Assessment
    Conducting interviews and assessments is a crucial aspect of the recruitment process. AI has paved the way for video interviewing tools that employ facial and speech recognition algorithms to assess candidates. These systems can analyse facial expressions, tone of voice, and language patterns to gauge a candidate's suitability for a role. AI-powered assessment tools can also evaluate skills through gamified simulations or coding challenges, providing an objective and standardised evaluation.

Pros and Cons of AI in Recruitment

Pros

  • Enhanced Efficiency: AI streamlines and automates various aspects of recruitment, saving time and resources. This allows public sector recruitment companies to focus on more strategic and value-added tasks.
  • Improved Accuracy: AI eliminates human biases, ensuring fair evaluations based on merit and qualifications. This promotes diversity and inclusivity in the recruitment process.
  • Enhanced Candidate Experience: AI-driven systems can provide candidates with real-time updates, personalised recommendations, and valuable feedback, fostering a positive experience throughout the hiring journey.

Cons

  • Ethical Concerns: The use of AI in recruitment raises ethical considerations such as privacy, data security, and algorithmic biases. Recruitment agencies must navigate these challenges responsibly and ensure transparency in their processes.
  • Lack of Human Touch: While AI brings efficiency, it may lack the human touch and intuition that can be valuable in assessing certain soft skills or cultural fit. Maintaining a balance between AI and human involvement is crucial to provide a comprehensive evaluation.
  • Initial Investment and Training: Adopting AI technologies requires financial investment and staff training. Recruitment agencies need to carefully consider the cost-benefit ratio and allocate resources accordingly.
  • Potential Bias Reinforcement: While AI has the potential to eliminate human biases, it can also perpetuate bias in the recruitment process. AI algorithms are only as unbiased as the data used to train them, and any dataset may contain implicit or explicit biases. If the historical data used to train the AI systems reflects biases present in society, such as gender or racial biases, the algorithms may inadvertently reinforce those biases.

The Future of AI in Recruitment

Looking ahead, AI has the potential to revolutionise the recruitment landscape even further. Here are a few areas where future AI advancements could bring significant changes:

  • Predictive Analytics
    AI-powered algorithms can analyse vast amounts of data to predict future workforce needs, identify skill gaps, and make proactive hiring decisions. This can assist recruitment agencies in better workforce planning and talent management.
     
  • Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
    AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants can streamline the initial stages of candidate engagement, providing instant responses to frequently asked questions, scheduling interviews, and even conducting preliminary assessments. This can enhance the candidate experience and free up human resources for more complex tasks.
     
  • Skill Development and Training
    AI-powered platforms can identify skill deficiencies among existing employees and recommend personalised training programs. This proactive approach can help public sector organisations nurture talent from within and bridge skill gaps effectively.

AI has undoubtedly revolutionised the recruitment landscape, offering public sector recruitment companies a range of benefits. By automating processes, streamlining candidate selection, and improving accuracy, AI systems can significantly enhance efficiency and fairness in the recruitment process. However, it is essential to approach AI implementation with caution, addressing ethical concerns and striking a balance between technology and human involvement.

As the future unfolds, the integration of AI in recruitment will continue to evolve, shaping the ability to attract the best talent while upholding its core values of transparency and fairness. We are committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements in the recruitment industry. If you're looking for an efficient, inclusive, and forward-thinking recruitment partner, contact us today at info@morganhunt.com

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Key motivators in the workplace

17 May 2022

In light of The Great Resignation, motivated employees are key to retaining talent. In fact, employee experience is everything these days.

Eisenhower knew that finding the right motivators in the workplace was essential to success and improving employee experience. As the former U.S President, once said, “Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it.”

It’s important for companies, line managers and HR teams to recognise employee motivators to get the best work out of them and decrease costly staff turnover. Capitalising on key motivators will enable staff to be motivated, passionate and loyal to the organisation. But where to start?
 

Understanding motivation

When Abraham Maslow created his Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, he argued that people are motivated by five essential needs that enable an individual to be fulfilled. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs these needs are:

  1. Physiological - Food, water, warmth and rest
  2. Safety – including financial security
  3. Belonging - Relationships, community family and friends
  4. Self-esteem - Prestige and a feeling of accomplishment
  5. Self-actualisation - Achieving full potential and extra-curricular activities

Maslow in the workplace

The Hierarchy of needs is often applied to the workplace as a means to determine how to motivate employees and ensure their needs are met. To achieve this, line managers must make time to consider an employee as an individual for their input into the organisation and encourage and support them.

According to Maslow’s theory, an employee begins by focusing on the lower order needs. Those embarking on their career might be more concerned with physiological needs such as income and security. Once these basic needs are met, the employee will focus on social needs. Once the needs are met, an employee may want to meet higher-level needs (growth needs) such as self-esteem.

Although workplace motivation has moved on from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the theory forms the basis of motivation.

Motivational triggers do vary between employees. And the challenge can be for line managers to understand what the motivators are for their team members. However, there are common workplace motivators.
 

Key motivators in the workplace

Communication

Companies with poor employee communications suffer low levels of employee motivation and engagement. Employees who are not informed are difficult to motivate. One of the most important workplace motivators for employees is communication. The more a team interacts with each other, the better their performance will be. Good and regular communication reduces confusion and mistakes as well as improves performance.
 

Meaningful & challenging work

The Harvard Business Review reported that more than nine in ten of employees would be willing to earn less money for the opportunity to do more meaningful work – showing how important a person’s purpose is to them. If you want your employees to be self-motivated, it’s a good idea to offer them more responsibility with meaningful work. 

Challenging and new tasks are important to keep staff engagement, productivity and motivation high. New projects and tasks alleviate the boredom and repetitiveness of job roles, while a challenging task can give the employee a sense of importance and feeling of ownership that will make them feel valued.
 

Company Culture

A healthy company culture fuels motivation and creates a sense of belonging and joint goals. It is fundamental to making employees feel like they are part of a family. It is important to evaluate your company culture to ensure it promotes collaboration, teamwork and transparency. Excessive bureaucracy, micromanaging by managers and withholding of information can be demotivators for staff as well as have a detrimental impact on company culture. A high-performing company culture will have a competitive edge.
 

Teamwork makes the dream work

Teamwork can empower the employees to have confidence in voicing their thoughts and opinions and come up with innovative ideas. Teams that work (and play) well together can also improve employee retention too as they enjoy the sense of belonging to the business they work for.

A well selected team that complements different personalities and skill sets enables workers to work together and become a group with a mission. A 2009 study by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) found that “employees rated opportunities to use their skills and abilities in their work as the fourth most important aspect of their job satisfaction.”

Workplace friendships are created through a shared experience. Maintaining healthy friendships at work can motivate people to remain employed with a company. In 2018, Gallup reported that 63% of women who had a work friend were over twice as likely to be engaged during work.
 

Recognition

Rewards and recognition are vital to every organisation. Similar to self-esteem needs, a company should promote or give recognition to employees based on their performance. Make sure to reward your employees with something that they value. This will motivate the employee to progress or work towards a promotion. Reward and recognition is important for candidate attraction not only staff retention.
 

Appreciation & praise

Often forgotten when deadlines are looming and the pressure is on, appreciation is fundamental to keeping employees motivated. A BCG survey asked employees from around the world their top ten factors for on-the-job happiness. Results show that people place appreciation for their work as the most important factor for on-the-job happiness.

It might seem obvious but praising your staff on their achievements can be one of the best motivators out there. There are many ways organisations can appreciate their employees.
 

Salary & benefits

Many people feel that their salary is a validation of their status and qualifications together with any effort and work they have put into their previous roles. Personal motivations form a part of it too –it is human nature to want to be able to not only pay bills but afford luxuries in life. Glassdoor research shows that 79% of employees would prefer  additional benefits as opposed to a pay increase.
 

Modern challenges

With hybrid and remote work now the norm due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some employees can feel isolated with reduced levels of motivation. Nowadays, there is an additional consideration for organisations: How to keep employees who are working away from the office motivated.
 

In Summary

Motivation is a powerful energy that drives how employees work and the vigour with which they approach their roles. Motivation is, in short, the incentive we all need to wake up in the morning, get dressed and ready for work. Revisiting Maslow’s theory of motivation is important, as we continue to adapt and adjust workplaces in a post-pandemic world.

It’s normal for employees to face dips in motivation, but it becomes a problem when employees are consistently disengaged. Therefore, HR and SMTs need to take time to review areas such as:

  • Communication methods and frequency
  • company culture
  • reward and recognition schemes
  • salary and benefits

While line managers need to get to understand their employees as individuals and consider how each staff member may have different ways to be motivated. People managers also need to:

  • ensure that employees have meaningful and challenging work
  • look at team dynamics and how the team is working together
  • consider how they show their appreciation and give praise
  • ensure they communicate opening and regularly
     

We’re here to help

At Morgan Hunt our team are here to help. If you’re looking to recruit and need guidance or advice on areas such as salary, benefits, reward and recognition just get in touch

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A virtual interview guide for hiring managers

26 August 2020

Over the coming days and weeks, many of us will be adapting to working remotely from home. This change will also affect how job interviews take place, so as a prospective employer it is important to be able to hold efficient and productive virtual interviews. Here are some preparation tips to assist you to find the right individual for your role.

Use the most appropriate platform for all 

Use a platform which allows a video interview will assist both you and the interviewee to interact as naturally as possible. This will give you an opportunity to assess soft skills plus allow the prospective candidate to gain an understanding of the culture of your organisation. There are obviously a host of platforms which we are all using currently – make sure you use one that allows for conference video and that your interviewee can access easily. 

Have a plan b

Despite the best preparations there may be technology issues, have the phone number of the interviewee or the recruiter to hand just in case the video connection is lost, or it does not start on time. It is inevitable amid the ongoing challenges that video interviews will become more common practice, so everyone will become more comfortable using the various technology platforms. 

Preparation

Check the lighting in the room, try to avoid direct light sources or bright objects behind you as this will create a shadowy silhouette. If you can elevate your laptop to avoid staring down into the camera and position yourself at a table, against a plain, neutral background. Turn off all other apps on your laptop during the interview so the individual has all your attention and you are not distracted during the interview. Make sure to have your standard interview questions to hand as well as a copy of the individuals CV.

Remember to convey your organisation culture

It's difficult in a home setting but you need to convey a strong sense of your organisation culture via video, so be prepared to discuss in detail your  values and the day to day office culture or invite relevant colleagues to the interview to assist with this. Just ensure that you have agreed format/ roles in advance so that everyone on the interview panel is clear of the questions they are to ask or the aspects of the organisation they are to describe.   

Opportunity for questions

Important to encourage as much back and forth interaction as possible so make sure to give the candidate an opportunity to ask questions. Ensure that you take notes throughout about their answers, body language and how they communicate throughout the interview.

Reflect on the interview

Once concluded take time immediately after the interview to write down your thoughts and impressions. Also make note of any further queries you may have following the interview. Call the recruiter with feedback as soon as the interview concludes so that they either answer these questions or follow up on your behalf.

What next?

It is likely that video interviewing will continue to grow in usage over the coming months, so it is useful to get as much experience as possible which will help you establish your own style over this format. 

If you would like to speak to an expert about how to conduct virtual interviews at their very best, sell your organisation to potential candidates and attract the best talent, contact us today. 

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How to build a high performing team for the new world of work (Webinar)

08 July 2020

76% of organisations are expecting to increase their use of team coaching (6th Ridler Report) in the near future. In our webinar on high peforming teams our guest speakers Paul Barbour and Lucy Widdowson explained how the fastest growing area of coaching is helping to grow and transform organisations.

You can view a recording of the session below.You will learn:

  • How team coaching can benefit your organisation
  • The seven characteristics of top performing teams
  • Practical tools and techniques to use with your own teams in a physical, virtual or hybrid setting

Why is team building so important for the New World of Work?

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many organisations to shift to remote or more flexible working and although we don't yet know what the world of work will look like when the pandemic ends, it is safe to assume that remote and flexible working will become the new norm.

Although remote and flexible working has many benefits, it also puts immense strain on teams, which you and your organisation may have already experienced. Some of the largest challenges teams face in the New World of Work include:

  • Teams that traditionally communicate and collaborate face-to-face must adjust to communicating online
  • Individuals will be expected to be more independent, self-motivated and accountable
  • Onboarding new staff remotely can make it more difficult to develop an effective team

It has never been more important that teams know how to work well together and communicate effectively and team coaching can help you achieve this.

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Covid-19 and mental health: How to stay positive in a crisis

21 April 2020

With both Mental Health Month and Mental Health Week fast approaching and to coincide with World Health Day (7th April), we at Morgan Hunt have been acutely aware of how the current circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus is affecting mental wellbeing.

Mental wellness was already at the forefront of everyone’s mind, but it’s even more apparent that we need to consider what the impact of Covid-19 is going to have on our employees, our candidates and our clients.

An invisible assassin

Not only has the world been introduced to an invisible assassin – which makes it terrifying to even step outside of the confines of our homes – but we now have the anxiety of not knowing what devastation this virus is going to leave in its wake.

We’ve all been told to self-isolate at home – which wasn’t too difficult in theory but is becoming really challenging in practice. Spending your days catching up on all your Netflix boxsets, finishing off all those outstanding DIY tasks you had let slide, and playing endlessly with your children isn’t how it looks in reality.

Now your days just get longer and the typical 9 to 5 is non-existent. Your weekends no longer have to fall on a Saturday and Sunday. Your life is 24/7.

So how do you begin to stay calm, let alone positive, in this strange time? The answer is simple: remember that you’re not alone.

 

Safety in numbers

Everyone knows someone who has it worse. And no one is escaping unaffected from the pandemic. The world is changing. Everyone – and everything – is changing too.

Some people are sadly self-isolating alone. Some are self-isolating with small children that they are also now expected to home school whilst still trying to work. And others are self-isolating but still having to venture out into the world every day to work because their job demands it.

There is a whole world of people going through untold challenges. From people working frontline jobs like nurses and doctors, to unsung heroes like delivery drivers, food factory workers and tradespeople. All of them would probably see self-isolation as a luxury, as they have to face the dangers of coronavirus head on, every day.

It’s healthy to try to have perspective, and to remember the sheer scale of this crisis. Everyone is struggling, and in all likelihood, many people have it worse. We have to try in the most difficult moments to appreciate and value what we do have – the small things. A combination of enjoying those simple moments, and remembering the fact we’re in this together, can only help us to have a more positive outlook.

It’s a global crisis – and there will be a global response

The majority of businesses are going to have to make cuts at this time and that’s a concern for employees across the country. The government are doing their best to reassure people and keep their jobs safe, but in reality, the state of our economy is going to be unrecognisable when we reach the other side.

According to the CiPD more than three quarters of UK workers have a permanent employment contract, be it full time or part time. And according to reports, between 50-75% of UK companies are going to furlough staff.

To put it simply, businesses are struggling – and will struggle after this crisis ends. Unemployment will go up, and financial stability will plummet. There are hard times ahead for everyone. So where do we look for hope?

First and foremost, this will end. It might not seem that way, but it will – whether through a vaccine, improved treatment, isolating it on a global scale or another unforeseen innovation.

And although it’s effects will be felt for some time, we can again take comfort in knowing that this is a global problem that will have a global reaction. We’re in it together.

Government’s will need businesses to get moving, customers to buy products and employees back in work. In our industry, that’s especially meaningful.

Recruitment will flood with opportunities. That’s why it’s so important that our industry remains focused, engaged and prepared – not just to weather this storm, but to be ready for whatever comes next. The UK will need to get back to work – and we’ll need to be there to make it happen.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it yet. This is a hard time – for most of us, the hardest. But imagine how good we’ll feel if we can come out the other side in one piece?

Just remember, whatever you’re going through, you are not alone.

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