Companies are connecting with job seekers in ways once never imaginable. Talent acquisition leaders need to get acclimated with a number of new and unique HR technologies to compete in today's talent high tech market. 

Back in 2015, fifty three percent of organizations reported they had planned to increase the spend on HR tech within a year according to this Sierra-Cedar’s HR Systems Survey. Flash forward to today and the reliance on HR tech within the recruiting industry has multiplied exponentially. The fact is 75% of hiring and talent managers use either applicant tracking or recruiting software to improve their hiring process. 

Talent acquisition leaders are pushing the envelope when it comes to exploring alternative, more effective options for finding and connecting with candidates. The main goal being, it encourages candidates to interact with the company; such as video interviews, virtual office tours and programs that nurture candidates throughout the hiring process.

Top Trends in HR Technology 

To help you cut through the noise, here are the top trends in HR technology that pack the most staying power. 

Mobile is a Necessity

If your career site isn’t mobile, it’s time to make some changes. Today’s job seekers are searching for jobs when they wake up, while they eat, while walking their dog, and even while they’re at work. Being able to search and apply for jobs while on the go is so important that nearly 38 percent of job seekers surveyed by Glassdoor are deterred from applying for a job if the company's career website or job listings are not mobile-optimized.

So, what does this mean for recruiters? Don’t make it so that applicants have to pinch to zoom in on the screen to learn about and apply to open positions. Size windows and content appropriately and ensure that navigation is optimized for mobile.

Increase Reliance on People Analytics 

Number three on SHRM's top HR trends list, the rise of people analytics is a big contributor to the disruption of the talent acquisition community. It's no longer cost- or time-effective to build custom solutions as more platforms are highly equipped and user friendly when it comes to capturing and reporting HR data; such as employee retention predictors and a number of predictive analytics. 

While social networks are one of the most popular ways for recruiters to find quality candidates, employee referrals are not far behind. Referrals can relieve some of the pressure that HR managers have to find high-ranking talent.  

Video Interviews 

Video interviews have become increasingly popular. as it provides candidates with the chance to connect with employers quickly and cost-effectively. 

Additionally, virtual office tours can give candidates an inside look into a company environment and work culture. It helps to answer several questions candidates have like, "What does the office space look like?" "What does the environment say about the company culture?"

Placing recruitment ads on TV and social media sites have been attracting job seekers of all kinds. Third Shift Beer, for instance, offered a compelling TV ad that linked fun work with producing a great product. The ad included the lines, “They say when you love your job, you never work a day in your life -- you never work a night, either."

Knowing that some companies are already using video recruiting practices, gain the competitive advantage by incorporating video into your organization's talent search by adopting one or more of these strategies.  

Programmatic advertising

With programmatic advertising, companies can stop wasting a portion of their budget on irrelevant job posting placement. Programmatic ad-buying is when software and data make decisions about where ads should be placed. Recruiters might not believe that advertising is a large part of their job, however, programmatic ad-buying strategies and technologies are starting to surface in recruitment advertising.

Why does this matter?

Before, when someone wished to place a job ad on the Web, they would need to research the best site to reach candidates, inquire about pricing and availability, place the order, and manually upload the job ad. Programmatic advertising means recruiters have more control over the ad and no longer have to cross their fingers and hope that qualified candidates see it. Relevant job seekers are targeted across a range of sites that correspond to the job.

Programmatic recruitment advertising platforms generally follow a simple flow:

• Load a job.
• Set a price you are willing to pay per applicant.
• Determine the number of applicants you want for a particular job.
• Set a target audience for the job advertisement.
• Send the job out.

What do all of these trends have in common? From connecting with candidates via video to optimizing your application process for mobile, these trends are making a long-distance connection with candidates possible.

Today’s recruiting professionals are looking for quality candidates who don’t always reside in the same state as the company. With more options available for finding talent and building relationships, companies can reach the candidates they’re seeking in real-time -- without needing to meet in person. With these emerging tools and rising trends, the future's looking bright for recruiters.

About the Author: Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video interview solution used by more than 2,000 companies across the globe. Connect with Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.