It used to be that the job candidates who cleaned up well on paper were the first to be called for the big interview. But these days, a whole slew of advanced digital recruitment tools are changing how recruiters seek candidates—find candidates—and even keep them in the company talent pipeline, regardless of hiring status. In fact, I have some frightening news for you: if you’re not one of nearly 40 percent of HR teams already using artificial intelligence (AI) for recruitment, you’re likely hiring less-than-stellar candidates. That’s because today’s technologies have the power to find the most talented hire, no matter where they live—whether they were looking for a job with your company or not. Oh, and it can do those things automatically.

Sound too good to be true? Keep reading.

Top Digital Recruitment Tools

The great thing about digital transformation is that it benefits both consumers and businesses. Thus, when it comes to recruitment, it stands to help both your company and the job candidates by making the hiring process smoother, simpler, and more personalized. The following are just a few examples.

Get to Know the Best Candidates More Personally

Have you ever had a job opening, and it seemed like no one who applied had bothered to look at the job posting? It’s annoying—and often, a waste of time for both parties. Using AI, recruiters can prevent this in a number of ways. First, they can use algorithms to automatically sort and find the most promising candidates. Then, because they’ve saved time in the search, they can take time to truly get to know a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, and where they might make a good fit in the company. Armed with that information, they can properly provide the hiring department with the background and information they need to form relevant interview questions and do further research or legwork. The experience is far more personalized for the candidate—and far more useful for the hiring team.

Eliminate Bias—and Target Your Search

Because they’re powered by algorithms, digital recruitment tools like AI search bots aren’t incumbered by the same biases humans have when it comes to the recruiting process. (At least, not as many.) Ideas like, “Most engineers live in this city …” or “Most teachers use this site to search job openings …” can actually get in the way of hiring the best candidate. Indeed, you don’t just want to go where the most candidates go—you want to go where the best candidates go. Today’s analytics tools allow you to show job posts to individuals based on their own Web search history, for instance, or the types of things they browse online. Talk about targeted promotion! No amount of job fairs could help you reach as many qualified candidates.

Remove Geographical Barriers

I remember the days when hiring someone from “out of state” was a really big deal—one reserved largely for upper level executive positions. But today’s digital recruitment tools don’t know the meaning of the phrase “too far way.” Using specified parameters, you can find the most qualified candidate anywhere in the world. And once you do, you can use video chat to interview them and virtual reality (VR) to help them tour your office to give them a feel of the space and company culture. Digital recruitment tools literally break down geographical barriers, ensuring you get the best client—before your competition—every time.

Meet Prospects Where They Are

Just like brand plays a huge role in the consumer marketplace, today’s savvy job prospects are looking for companies to know them—woo them—understand them. And digital recruitment tools help them do that by creating personalized ads and communications on their terms—on mobile, online, where they search, shop, or socialize. Indeed, recruitment today is just like marketing, and personalization will be valued by prospective candidates in just the same way.

Are there down sides to using digital recruitment tools to select your top candidates? Of course—there are always trade-offs in digital transformation. Some candidates, for instance, may feel it’s unfair to reduce them to an algorithm. They may feel machines will overlook the things on their resumes that make them special—things only a human could catch. Is there validity in those concerns? Yes. But from a business standpoint, there’s no disputing that digital recruitment tools help companies process new hires faster and more effectively than they ever have before.