Candidates can now apply for a job with a click of a button. Any firm that considers itself competitive has a corporate website. Recruiting websites have the potential to post tips for candidates, as well as news and progress updates on application status. Where does the recruiter fit in? Although technology has done a lot to make recruiting more efficient and cost-effective, many believe that technology is depersonalizing what was once a very relationship-driven profession -- and diminishing the value of recruiters in the process.

According to Pat Pettengill, Principal of Argus Search, “recruiting” is not just about boolean searches and job-board postings. Real recruiting occurs when relationships are built. In Pettengill's view, technology has helped recruiters by cutting costs and making it easier to source candidates. However, at the same time, the human element has diminished, a phenomenon that is not only changing the nature of the job, but is eliminating a major value-add recruiters provide.

Perhaps the most dramatic way technology has changed recruiting is by expanding the talent pool. The sheer volume of candidates has changed the way recruiters interact with job candidates. Although technology seems to have sped up the process by helping companies find more candidates, online submissions and ATS's have only cut cycle time. Due to the high number of resume submissions a recruiter receives, identifying top candidates has in fact become more labor intensive.

Inundated with resumes, especially in today's economic slowdown, recruiters no longer have the time to carefully examine candidate credentials. Instead of 15 or 20 job applicants, a recruiter might have 500. To narrow down the list, recruiters invariably use technology to screen potential interviewees. Technology is a time saver in the selection process, but it also has its drawbacks. Without the judgment and experience a professional recruiter brings to the selection process, good applicants can be overlooked.

Technology has also changed the way recruiters interact with job candidates. Job seekers rarely receive a response when they submit a resume and candidates are frequently left uninformed about their application status -- even after a round or two of interviews. Many see such practices as a bi-product of the times -- high demand for jobs has made it a 'buyer's market.' However, it is important to remember that recruiters are company ambassadors. Part of our value-add is building relationships with candidates, whether we need them today or not. The candidates we brush-off today might well be needed tomorrow. Recruiters should do their best to extend common courtesy to all who apply.

The logical, responsible implementation of technology-based recruitment tools can be very effective. However, no technology can replicate the insight or personality of a skilled recruiter. Still, there are next generation solutions that recognize that relationships are at the heart of recruiting. Online, interactive solutions such as TalentEvent allow candidates to chat with recruiters in real-time and apply for positions in a personalized setting. As these and other solutions mainstream, we might well see balance return to recruiting. The future might well hold better opportunities for the human element and the technology element of recruiting to optimally coexist.