Technology often lags behind the needs of the users, as software vendors design first to meet mega needs and then eventually refine tools to be more responsive to consumer requirements. Recruiting software is finally responding to some crucial areas of recruiting.

Focusing on key words searches worked back when jobs and qualified applicants were plenty. At a time when putting a round peg in a round hole was more important than getting the highest quality candidate matched with the right job, it was possible to overlook the best candidate but still meet business requirements. But in today’s market, the stakes are higher and the challenges greater for recruiters.

Recruiting software was originally designed to eliminate candidates as opposed to help you find the best and brightest. By centering attention on key words, technology presumed resume writers had the requisite skills to pass the ‘word test’ established by the recruiting company. Unfortunately, a lot of skilled candidates aren’t skilled at resume writing. Potentially, this can lead to better candidates passed over for those who picked the right words when compiling their skills and abilities onto paper. But technology has evolved at just the right time.

In today’s world, companies are learning to do more with less. This translates into greater pressure on the recruiting function. With aging boomers leaving the job market, the sources for highly qualified candidates is dwindling. Recruiters are competing for the right candidate, who meets the obligatory skills and abilities and fits into the business culture. We need the perfect hire, demonstrating the work and personal ethic to fit in with the company and hit the ground running. Companies need to have the right set of skills and abilities in each and every employee if they hope to compete and grow in the current economy. Word search is no longer the solution.

Enter the next generation of technology. With the invention of Artificial Intelligence (AI), software companies have utilized AI technology to make extraordinary strides in intelligent search. And just in time. With so much government regulation related to recruiting processes and hiring decisions, technology is the best insurance for keeping your business honest and free from compliance errors. When used rigorously by the staffing function, technology levels the playing field and helps indemnify recruiting practices. Reviewing resumes as a composite rather than by piecemeal, today’s software better evaluates the candidate, reducing the chances that you’ll ‘throw out the baby with the bath water’.

Now more than ever, it’s vital to be ahead of the pack when it comes to recruiting tools and techniques. The technology isn’t perfect, yet. But, by combining advanced search technology with skilled recruiters, companies improve their potential for discovering and engaging the next generation of human capital.