How technology makes your recruitment process smarter

The labor market forces us to work differently

“Recruitment has changed rapidly in recent years,” Sepp said during the webinar. “The labor market is under pressure, candidates are scarce, and expectations keep rising – both from employers and applicants.”

Yet he sees that many HR and recruitment professionals still work as they always have. “Manually searching, sharing job openings only through your own website or LinkedIn, and meanwhile keeping track of everything in Excel. That used to be efficient, but let's be honest: it’s no longer sustainable.”

According to Sepp, that’s not necessary either. “Technology is ready to make your job not only easier but especially more effective. From smart automation to AI-driven matching and sourcing tools: it all exists. And the best part? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just need to know what’s possible.”

That’s often the crux, he explains. “As a recruiter or HR professional, you won’t survive with just your experience and network. You need to recruit more consciously. Make smarter use of your time, understand your target audience better, and use technology that enhances your work.” The tools are there. But, as Sepp emphasized: “You need to use them correctly.”

Define your goal, then your tool

The market is bursting with recruitment tools. Sourcing, matching, referrals, job marketing, employer branding, ATS, onboarding… There’s a tool for every step. But which truly fits your organization and way of working?

According to Sepp, it’s important not to think directly in tools, but first take a step back. “What is your process? Who is your target audience? Where is the bottleneck? Only when you have that clear, can you select specifically. Otherwise, you keep tying tools together without real results.”

For example, use an Empathy Map to understand what your candidates see, hear, feel, and expect. Then, work out your candidate journey and discover where the real pain points are. Is sourcing your biggest bottleneck? Or do you lose too much time on administrative tasks? By mapping out your process smartly, you know where automation or tooling can make a difference.

Example of a candidate journey

Best of Breed: choose the tool that fits

Many organizations are still looking for one big system that can do everything. Sepp: “To be honest: such an all-rounder is rarely really good at anything.” Instead, he advocates for a different approach: choose the tool that excels at each step in your process. From sourcing to onboarding. “That gives you much more flexibility, better performance, and, perhaps most importantly, control over your process,” says Sepp.

According to Sepp, a successful Best of Breed approach revolves around a few things:

• Choose tools that fit your unique process

• Think about integrations, security, and scalability

• Let technology work for you, not the other way around

• Keep the user experience central (for both recruiters and candidates)

Download the toolkit: all tools and steps at a glance

Do you also want to regain control of your tooling? You can read all about it in the Best of Breed toolkit. Sepp shares 5 must-have tools and explains how to get a grip on your tooling in three steps: inventory, selection, and integration. Download the toolkit here.