Kimani Kinuthia 

Covid-19 has affected businesses across the board, with agile organisations adopting policies that suit this new way of work and life.

The systems that drive many of our organisations are continuous, rather than fixed and those who are swift in adapting will benefit the most.

The HR sector has been highly affected by the pandemic, with HR experts expected to advise leaders on new structures to support work from home, online people management and hiring.

Experts in the HR space can agree that hiring right is paramount and that effective hiring has become an important consideration in the overall performance of a company.

The scope has changed, from just hiring, setting strict guidelines and firing staff, to encompassing a mirrored strategy for the company for enhanced recruitment, crisis management as well as building safe spaces for staff to thrive.

The World Economic Forum report on Future Of Jobs 2020 reported that by 2025, a whopping 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms.

Moreover, the leading positions in growing demand include roles such as Data Analysts and Scientists, AI and Machine Learning Specialists, Software and Application developers as well as Digital Transformation Specialists. The question is, are businesses and job seekers ready for this?

Hiring the right people is foundational in this journey, as well as in effective people management and business growth.

Upskilling is, therefore, a natural requirement for jobseekers with employers continually seeking for the most skilled and qualified to tackle critical aspects of different roles.

Reports also show that employers across Africa identified inadequately skilled workforces as a major constraint to their businesses, including 41 per cent of all firms in Tanzania, 30  per cent in Kenya, 9 per cent in South Africa and 6 per cent in Nigeria. Building a skilled workforce in today’s society is therefore critical and highly dependent on technology. 

Through online tools, businesses can hire highly qualified candidates within a short time while for jobseekers and employees, virtual learning and training are easy and accessible platforms to sharpen their skills and satisfy the increased demands of employers.

Unfortunately, many SMEs are failing in hiring the right talent. Reading through thousands of CVs in the hiring period is pretty tedious, resulting in the need for recruitment technology and AI solutions for businesses across all sectors.

To solve this challenge, BrighterMonday utilizes an AI technology solution which automates the selection process by giving employers prominence and visibility in order to attract the most qualified candidates.

The platform then automatically sieves through the applicants to provide recruiters with the top ten candidates within seven working days.

Such advances make the recruitment process less tedious and marry technology and HR expertise to get businesses the right fit. — The writer is the HR Manager, BrighterMonday — [email protected]