Technology, Friend or Foe
Technology, friend or foe?
As a millennial I have grown up with technology and have observed its development and integration into our everyday life, most remarkable is the impact it has had within the recruitment sector. Since embarking on a career in recruitment with Class People I have experienced and been part of four changes in our CRM systems and operational processes, moreover in the last year taking lead on Class People?s latest transition to a Cloud based CRM system. A long and testing process for all parties both as consultants but also for our clients and candidates as such an implementation comes with risks and likely pitfalls which leads many to ask why? Why pursue a course of action that could be a threat to business performance? Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I still believe that with continuing pressures and cut back, economically it is the only way to remain competitive.
The rational was simple; automate/ remove laborious administrative tasks from the billers within the business to enable greater productivity that drives the business forward. This is not to suggest however utilising technology to replace consultants but moreover enable the teams to have more time to build relationships as well as to go those things that we here at Class People call ?going the extra mile.?
Recently I attended a talk by Greg Savage entitled ?The Savage Truth? where he clearly explained that Artificial Intelligence would be essential to recruitment of the future, but would not make recruiters redundant. On the contrary, every recruitment company has access to databases, search and match facilities and access to the same candidate pools; therefore a company?s USP was now their people. Therefore to stay ahead of competitors there is a need to capitalise on this resource to ensure that time spent by individuals is that which drives brand awareness, business relations which in turn would impact on top line growth.
At Class People we are proud to have been recognised as best Temporary Recruitment Company at the Recruiter Awards 2018 where a special mention was made to how we went the extra mile for schools and teachers within the education sector. Regularly consultants step out from behind the computers and step into schools to assist with the day to day running of school life. Weather it be gardening, face-painting, fundraising or attending education campaign events that focused on driving STEM education within primary education; even as far as supporting new NQT with CV writing and careers advice prior to achieving qualified teacher status; Class People strive to add value far beyond simply recruiting. See what we have been doing here
As Operations Manager for Class People I am always observing the day to day activities of consultants and then assessing the market for technologies that may assist the teams. Though; as I have come to learn the hard way for every pro there is a con to any system, but a measure of need and time is a more effective methodology to quantify the benefit to the business in a monetary value.
The technologies introduced into Class People have optimised the consultants productivity meaning the return per head has already increased from 3 ? 5 times the average salary across the business, and consultants who are by trait social, driven individuals can capitalise on their time without creating undue levels of stress and excessive workload. By delegating tasks to IT has created a much more dynamic and engaging workforce where individuals are enjoying the benefits of increased performance. I can?t help but question is there not some opportunity to implement similar technologies relative to teaching. Maybe planning and marking that would alleviate the workload and stress of teachers that is synonymous of the educational profession?