​​Blog written by Lever – Lever, an Employ Inc. brand, is a leading Talent Acquisition Suite that makes it easy for talent teams to reach their hiring goals and to connect companies with top talent.

Less paperwork, stress, and headaches, plus more free time to spend on tasks that really matter: that’s the high-level benefit of leveraging human resources (HR) automation.

Zoom in a bit further, though, and you’ll see that HR automation software not only leads to fewer manual HR processes (including those owned by the talent acquisition arm of your HR function) but also an opportunity to address and optimize other key workforce tasks.

The Burden of Manual Processes

Human resources management encompasses a number of important initiatives: from executing the entire employee onboarding process, to aiding people managers with employee training, to helping the C-suite enhance the employee experience.

On the recruiting and hiring side of the HR department, HR automation tools play a pivotal role in talent acquisition success. Notably, these solutions eliminate time-consuming, manual labor—like scheduling interviews with candidates—to help teams save major time and money.

Consider the non-automated process of connecting with both job seekers and hiring team members who will take part on a given interview panel and speak with a prospect:

• The talent specialist who is running the recruitment process must work their you-know-what off just to identify and engage candidates of interest. A not-so-small task—and one that, as you well know, takes a lot of time and effort.
• After finally identifying a small group of top-tier talent who seem like optimal fits for an available position and screening them, it’s time to advance them to the interview process. And that means coordinating a lot of schedules.
• Once interviewers are selected (ideally, by using software that helps you load-balance interview panel participation), you need access to find available slots on all panelists’ calendars and send out the official invite to the candidate

This may not seem like an arduous task on its face.

However, if anyone knows how frustrating it can often be to find that magical 30- or 60-minute time slot during which everyone on your interview panel is free (and the pain of having an unorganized interview scheduling process, in general), it’s recruiters.

That’s where HR automation can help (and alleviate stress for talent teams).

Does interview scheduling automation make sense for my team?

ROI is key. This is not a time to invest in software that won’t bring you immediate value. So let’s eliminate the guesswork with our free ROI calculator.

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The Outsized Impact of HR Automation

Leveraging an HR process automation solution that has built-in interview-scheduling functionality to help facilitate the planning of all interviews in a given recruitment cycle means:

• Members on the recruiting side of your HR staff don’t have to poke and prod interviewers every time they need access to their schedules to set up calls with candidates
• You can realize quicker recruiting cycles by arranging chats with your active opportunities and, after interviewing each, advance the right candidate to the offer stage
• More satisfied hiring managers, given you’re able to drive down time-to-hire/fill for their roles
• The ability to shift gears and focus on other equally essential recruiting-related duties

“The more day-to-day responsibilities talent leaders and specialists automate, the more time they can allocate to other daily activities and long-term objectives,” Lever Sr. Product Marketing Manager Roy Reif shared in their guide on the power of recruitment automation for candidate engagement.

See how the TA team at HelloFresh used the time they saved with HR automation to up-level their candidate experience:

Specific Use Cases for HR Automation in Hiring

Interview scheduling is a highly specific example of HR automation in action.

While it’s important for every talent acquisition specialist on your HR team to utilize automation in the interview process, there are benefits to utilizing recruiting automation technology for other hiring-centric activities.

Archiving and Advancing Job Applicants

Talent teams with LeverTRM, Lever’s native ATS + CRM solution, utilize the platform’s many distinct recruiting automation capabilities to tackle several different tasks—and lessen the need to conduct those tasks manually.

One such task? Automatically “archiving” (i.e., tagging poor-fit prospects with specific designations and marking them as cold opportunities) and advancing applicants, based on defined knockout questions and related criteria (e.g., must have X years of experience and Y certification).

Personalizing Messaging to Job Prospects

Recruiting organizations with LeverTRM can deliver bespoke nurture emails to passive candidates in their pipeline and feature beautifully branded interview scheduling links created via GoodTime within those emails to boost their lead-to-screen conversion rates.

As Lever’s eBook on the (many) pros of talent nurturing explains, “You need a carefully constructed, workflow-based, automated email-nurturing strategy … to stay top of mind with individuals of interest in your talent pool and, ultimately, convert high-quality candidates.”

Setting Up Custom Recruitment Workflows

Custom-tailored interview workflows (e.g., auto-assign panelists in your bullpen of interviewers to calls with candidates) are highly beneficial for your hiring team. But, HR automation workflows can also help with the later stages of a given interview process.

For instance, LeverTRM users set up custom approval chains that automatically alert relevant hiring stakeholders that an action is needed on their part to either approve a new requisition, job posting, or prospective offer to a lead.

Similarly, interview panelists can automatically get “nudged” with notifications and reminders within LeverTRM and/or connected communications tools like Slack to provide timely candidate feedback and scores. (And prevent prospects from exiting the recruiting cycle because it was taking too long).

Delivering Candidate Experience Surveys

The interview process has ended. You’ve either hired or rejected candidates you’ve spoken with during that time. Now, you need to send surveys to each prospect you engaged for an open role to get their thoughts on the recruitment process and meet with your interview panel.

Using LeverTRM, you could auto-deliver CX surveys to all candidates in the days following the end of the recruiting cycle to have them rate your interviewing efforts and offer general feedback in an open-text field — info and insights that can help you improve your candidate experience efforts.

Evaluating the HR Automation Tech Landscape

The sheer number of activities your average recruiter conducts daily is substantial.

That’s why it’s so important for talent specialists to use technologies to streamline much of their day-to-day work, reduce the occurrence of human error, and make speedy but smart hires.

Human resources practitioners at your org who are more focused on your existing workforce and not prospective employees leverage automation for various HR management use cases (e.g., auto-sending exit interview questionnaires to employees during the offboarding process).

Your talent team would be wise to do the same. Use filters, rules, and triggers in your automation tech of choice to streamline daily tasks, make work much simpler (and more enjoyable), and provide an increasingly better candidate experience.

Watch the on-demand webinar featuring experts from Lever and GoodTime to learn how today’s talent acquisition teams improve their quality of hire with leading recruitment tech.

Thinking about replacing your recruitment technology? While a new tool might seem enticing during a sales call, you shouldn’t rush into any decisions. Before moving forward, consider this crucial element: the cost of switching.

We don’t just mean financial costs—we mean all of the switching costs. To help you make an informed decision and avoid potential setbacks, let’s delve into the various factors that contribute to the total cost of changing your recruitment technology. 

(Spoiler alert: You might end up spending much, much more than you bargained for.)

But First: A Note on the Capabilities of Your Tech Stack

Before we explore the cost of switching recruitment technology, we must emphasize how vital it is to evaluate technology with a focus on capabilities and efficiency. 

Some talent leaders seek to spend more on a new tool with additional features that would increase their team’s productivity. On the flip side, other leaders seek to lower expenses through cheaper technology alternatives.

Unfortunately, the latter often results in leaders evaluating a tool that’s lower priced yet comes with fewer features and efficiency improvements. (The rumors are true: you get what you pay for.)

Buying a lower-priced solution with fewer functionalities puts you in a lose-lose situation. When you account for all of the additional switching costs, you’re still spending a significant amount—yet now your technology has fewer capabilities than before. 

What’s more, by having your already stretched-thin team implement new software that is ultimately less efficient, you impede their efforts to hit their goals and risk employee burnout.

In short: don’t fall for the trap of lower upfront software fees. Reflect on the features, impact on efficiency, and hidden costs of switching to ensure you make a smart business decision.

Now, about those switching costs. What are they?

What Are Switching Costs?

The cost of switching refers to all the expenses and efforts involved in transitioning from one product or service to another. Switching costs are divided into two main types: hard costs and soft costs. 

Hard costs encompass the direct financial expenses incurred during the switch, such as licensing fees, onboarding and implementation costs, and training expenses. 

Soft costs include intangible investments such as time, effort, and the short and long-term impacts on productivity. You won’t find soft costs on a software invoice; they’re expenses that people typically don’t consider, yet they seriously add up. 

8 Factors That Impact the Cost of Switching

1. Pricing

Pricing is the most apparent cost when switching recruiting tools. It involves the cost of procuring the new technology, which typically includes an annual or periodic fee. 

Keep in mind that pricing can be deceiving. Initial discounts on new technology are often short-lived before the price is ramped back up. If the software you switched to has fewer capabilities, then you’re locked into a contract with a higher price tag for an inferior tool.

Beyond the cost of your potential new software, evaluate if it would deliver additional business value and revenue through improved capabilities and features. Would any cost savings be eroded by decreases in efficiency due to the loss of critical features?

Before making any decisions, it’s crucial to examine if the switch would yield a significant return on investment (ROI) and provide long-term benefits.

2. Efficiency Gains and Losses

One of the most significant costs of switching HR tech solutions is the loss of key features that your current technology provides. For instance, your existing tool may offer a user-friendly interface, automation, customization options, analytics, and other crucial recruiting features.

If the replacement technology lacks these capabilities—as is often the case when jumping to a lower-priced tool—it may decrease efficiencies, increase day-to-day operational costs, and cost you more than any perceived savings upfront.

Ultimately, when you factor in the significant savings gained through increased efficiencies, a tool with higher upfront costs and more features may actually be the most cost-effective option.

Compare the feature set of your existing technology to what the new technology has and doesn’t have. Are you willing to leave behind the capabilities of your current technology? How would this impact your recruitment goals, both long-term and short-term?

3. Time, Cost, and Effort of Implementation

While you might feel tempted to switch to a lower-priced solution, it’s crucial to remember the substantial time, effort, and money involved in the implementation process. 

Making the switch means not only grappling with the challenges of adopting new technology but also bidding farewell to all the hard work and resources invested in implementing your current system.

When implementing new technology, you must undergo data migration, integration setup, and training—not to mention paying for implementation fees. This is time-consuming, sometimes requiring a dedicated team to ensure a smooth transition. 

4. Workflow Disruptions

Switching technology providers can lead to operational hiccups that impact productivity and revenue generation during the transition period. Employees may need to adapt to new workflows and processes, resulting in a temporary decrease in output and quality of work. 

If your talent team is already overburdened, familiarizing themselves with a new tool becomes even more daunting. This is a reality for the majority of teams; according to the 2023 Hiring Insights Report, waves of layoffs impacted 65% of companies last year.

Amid these headcount and resource reductions, grappling with change management—without losing sight of hiring objectives—isn’t easy. This ultimately elevates the likelihood and impact of workflow disruptions. 

5. Learning Curve

Familiarizing yourself with a new interface and product features is a tedious process that impacts efficiency. Learning how to use a new product effectively requires dedicated time for training, which places additional demands on talent professionals.

You’ll need to divide your attention between learning the new technology and fulfilling your regular responsibilities on the hiring team. This can slow down productivity, lengthen time-to-value, and affect your ability to meet deadlines and deliver optimal results. 

Depending on the type of technology you acquire, external teams along with key end users, such as hiring managers, might also have to undergo training to use the tool. This could require you to create and disseminate comprehensive learning and development resources. Assess whether you have the time and capacity for the education that the transition phase requires.

6. Data Migration

Migrating data from your current recruitment technology to a new provider is complex and challenging. In some cases, data migration may not be permitted, or possible, or could be fraught with issues such as data integrity concerns or the loss of valuable historical data. 

Investigate the feasibility and implications of data migration before making the switch. Consider what data you would need to transfer, the level of effort, and the impact on ongoing operations. If you risk losing historical data, what is the value of this data to your team and the wider organization?

7. Loss of Integrations

Many recruitment technologies offer integrations with other tools and platforms, enhancing their functionality and efficiency. When switching providers, you risk losing these integrations, which can disrupt workflows and increase costs through manual, time-consuming activities. 

Examining the availability and compatibility of integrations with the new technology is essential to determine the impact on your recruiting process. Evaluate whether or not a potential new provider supports your essential integrations.

8. Future Proofing

Consider not only your talent team’s immediate needs but also their future requirements in an ever-changing economic landscape. It’s crucial to choose a technology that supports your team’s growth and adaptability in the long run.

The capabilities of your new tech should offer scalability for the future so that you can keep pace with the changing landscape while maintaining an efficient operation. If the replacement technology can’t scale as you grow, you risk incurring additional costs down the road due to efficiency bottlenecks that require more headcount, or other new tools, to overcome. 

Overall, a provider that prioritizes innovation, regular product updates, and feature expansions ensures the most long-term value in a shifting job market. 

Don’t Get Stuck With Buyer’s Remorse

The cost of transitioning to a new recruitment technology extends beyond the initial financial investment. Carefully assess all possible switching costs before making a decision.

And while pricing is important, remember: the capabilities of your tech stack are paramount. Strive for a comprehensive solution that elevates the productivity of your team and the effectiveness of your operations, now and well into the future. 

Speaking of advanced recruiting technology: ever heard of GoodTime Hire?

Our fully automated interview scheduling software helps you coordinate faster, hire twice as quickly, and boost team productivity. No simple scheduling tools here.

Discover how GoodTime Hire can help you revolutionize your interview scheduling.

Does interview scheduling automation make sense for my team?

ROI is key. This is not a time to invest in software that won’t bring you immediate value. So let’s eliminate the guesswork with our free ROI calculator.

Calculate Your ROI