I consider myself a recruiting historian of sorts. Not because I’ve done almost 20 years of work in the industry, but because I have dug into the archives of hiring. I found the first job post and researched when interview styles evolved. I study history for fun. As we look at the future and AI-powered recruitment marketing or anything else, I know it’s always worth looking at the roots for a deeper understanding of why and what forced change.
I’m always shocked and a little disappointed to see how much time passes before anything changes in the world of recruiting. I’m even more disappointed to see how rare it is to overhaul anything. Years of “we’ve always done it that way” and inconsistent technology adoption have added up to very few systemic changes in hiring. Look at job posts. The last big change? Moving them online in the 90s. At that point, they didn’t even get better. They just got longer because we stopped paying by the word.
Why we haven’t changed is another question altogether. I think we’d all agree the world has evolved in the last 100 years. Human behavior has changed fundamentally and been influenced by systems no one predicted. Just 30 years ago, no one had a cell phone in their pocket and now everyone does. There are different digital expectations.
A Revolution For Candidate-Attention
I believe our industry and many of those 100+ year old approaches to attracting, screening, and hiring people are rapidly approaching a breaking point. That’s not my bold recruitment marketing prediction, that’s the truth. People have fundamentally and drastically changed their operating methods. The old ways of hiring just won’t do. For so long, companies felt like they were in power. That’s why we have to constantly debate “candidate market” vs “employer market” and talk about who has power.
Now, the power is in the hands of technology.
See, 2010-2020 was an era of hustle. You play the game. You get the job. I was a job seeker during this time. I went into the world of job search believing it was supposed to be hard. Those applications were tests of if I really wanted the job. I worked my butt off and jumped through a million hoops to get hired. I feared asking for too much.
I don’t see that same energy in today’s job search. Not because people don’t want to work. Candidates are informed and skeptical. If you need proof, just scroll your LinkedIn feed. Frustration about broken processes, ghosting, and bad job descriptions has turned into a revolution of sorts. They’re turning the tables by using AI to navigate your process, ghosting employers who don’t get back to them, and not reading 2,000 word job posts. Their lack of attention is a force that’s growing. Something will have to change.
Recruitment Marketing in the Age of AI: Bold Predictions for 2030 and Beyond
AI-powered recruitment marketing is one of the best opportunities we have to create change at scale. Change that actually adapts to the people. Candidates are the reason why recruiters are there after all - to recruit people into our business. But how do we start the uphill battle toward building respect and driving attention in a world dominated by distractions? How can you change your strategy now to plan for the future?
I had this conversation with Joveo’s CEO, Kshitij Jain (transparently, they are the sponsor of this blog post). I wish we started recording from the moment we started talking because Kshitij has some really big ideas about not just what tech can do, but why we need to use it. He has been in this industry even longer than I have and understands the problems that plague teams.
We both agreed:
- With fewer jobs available than ever, you need to be thoughtful about job discoverability. Recruitment marketing teams can’t keep operating in a “pull” model, where they post jobs on job boards and pray for candidates to come. Candidates now expect the right jobs to be “pushed” to them, wherever they live, work, and play on the internet.
- Planning for the future of recruitment marketing isn’t about knowing every step along the way, it’s about creating a vision of what good means and pursuing it. Expect to make mistakes along the way.
- The key skill every recruitment marketing team needs to develop right now? Empathy, curiosity, and one skill that might surprise you. Watch until the end for that one.
- Kshitij Jain is wonderful. His passion is palpable and it left me feeling inspired. He even offered his personal contact info at the end for other people who are passionate about changing the world of recruiting.
What Are Your Predictions For AI-Powered Recruitment Marketing?
For years, vendors have spouted messages of transformation and overhauls. Now is the time where their technology has to accomplish those big promises. I know that with all the heart Kshitij brings to this industry, they’re going to make a huge impact. Hopefully I can invite Kshitij back in a few years to check in on all these predictions
We both would love to hear from you. Comment below and tell us your bold prediction. Until then, check out Joveo. As a sponsor of this blog they have made it possible for me to spend more of my time blabbing about the history (and future) of recruitment marketing. I am eternally grateful - for the partnership and the inspiration that came from this conversation.
Be sure to read the other posts in this series and let me know - how do you believe recruitment marketing will change?
Read The Series:
- Stuck In AI Pilot Mode? Try This
- Where Are You On The AI Maturity Model For Talent Acquisition?
- Fighting Fakes: Combating AI Spam Applications in Hiring
Meet My Series Sponsor
I'm thrilled to announce my partnership with Joveo. Joveo is a global leader in AI-led, high-performance recruitment marketing. The platform uses AI and data to make your recruitment marketing the best it can be. With Joveo, employers, staffing agencies, and RPOs have access to AI-powered (programmatic) job advertising, talent engagement, career sites, conversational recruiting, and unified analytics. As a result, they can reach more candidates globally, engage them effectively, get better hiring outcomes, and maximize efficiency and ROI.
More Posts In This Series:
