As we transition into a wholly tech-driven workplace, how might standard HR processes, such as recruitment, or performance management, be turned on their head? A recent recruitment trend from the tech world may offer answers.

In a global – and increasingly competitive – job market, tech-savvy companies employ automated software to read and respond to resumes, and tracking software to read and analyse resumes. An estimated 90 per cent of large companies are now using automated software to read and respond to resumes.

So why should job applicants be expected to continue the laborious and inefficient process of manually uploading resumes, signing up to various job sites and editing their application to suit specific job applications?

Soon they may not have to: resume robots are gearing up to re-set the playing field.

I, resume robot

This software can run a trawling algorithm that sources and compiles relevant job ads, uses a template to compile a cover letter, and uses keywords from the advertisement and job description to tailor a resume for the position.

It also has the capacity to send an automated email applying for the job on your behalf to the relevant human resources manager. It makes sure to get their name right too. Essentially, the bot can automate the entire job application process, from start to finish.

Ironically, such programs may even be more adept at conveying a personal touch than a human applicant. As resume reading software become more prevalent, a bot’s ability to automatically include those keywords in an application can make candidates appear more suitable for a role than if the resume was written by a real person .

Though most automated job application bots have been created by independent hobbyists – and are yet to see significant consumer uptake – tests have found the bots to outperform human applicants.

One programmer found that his bot had an increased response rate of 11 per cent compared with manual applications, out of a test of 538 jobs. Another had a 50 per cent response rate for 50 jobs.

Giving job applicants the upper hand by using resume bots also reduces the chance of human error.

But who reads CVs these days anyway?

Though automation offers a temptingly streamlined process for job seekers and recruiters alike, both of the programmers who developed job application robots have warned that online applications are “inherently rigged”, even when technology driven efficiency improves the odds a resume will rise to the top of the pile.

With the rise of networking (as well as nepotism and cronyism), companies are increasingly ignoring external applicants altogether. New research shows that referrals account for between 30 and 50 per cent of hires in the US. It found that while referrals only made up about 6 per cent of total applications, they resulted in more than a quarter of hires. And a referral who got an interview had a 40 per cent better chance of getting hired than other candidates.

Discover how IA will change the future of work, at the HR Tech Conference (21 August), part of the AHRI National Convention and Exhibition in Sydney (21−23 August). Registration closes 11 August.