If you work in HR, or if you’re a manager who reviews job applications, then you know that the recruitment process can be a long and arduous one. From the initial advertising of a vacancy to the point a new hire actually onboards and starts working for your business can take many weeks, if not months.
One area of the recruitment process that can be complicated is receiving and checking a candidate’s qualifications. Did they get degrees or did they get vocational training in digital marketing? Are their paper certificates easily verifiable? A possible solution to that complication is digital credentialing. What is digital credentialing and how can it make life easier for candidates and recruiters alike?
What is digital credentialing?
Do you have a drawer (or box) full of the various certificates you accumulated over the years? Now imagine that your wide range of paperwork could fit on a USB. Digital credentials are records of all the learning and other accomplishments you have achieved. They can easily be stored on your computer (though a backup to the cloud is advisable) and shared when needed.
Digital credentialing is based on open standards so that recruiters can verify them easily and see that they are valid and belong to you. This means that candidates can send them with their initial application, they can be verified, and then if the candidate is suitable, you can move to the next stage of the recruitment process.
Why use digital credentialing?
If the process isn’t broken, why fix it? Well, it may not be broken but it can be time-consuming and can add weeks to the overall recruitment process. It can also take a lot of time to verify those credentials and the process is open to fraudulent documents. Still, some may be resistant to change so what benefits do digital credentials bring with them??
- Portable. Because they are digital, you no longer have to have multiple pieces of paper. They can be easily stored on your computer (and in the cloud). You can send them when you apply for a job (or when asked for them) or you can take them to any interview on a USB or in a digital wallet on your smartphone.
- Verifiable. There are various trusted digital credentialing platforms such as Accredible. This means that any credentials can be easily and quickly checked with a simple click of your mouse. It removes the need for third-party verification and dramatically reduces the likelihood of fraud or forgery.
- Secure. Because digital credentialing comes from trusted platforms, it means the credentials are resistant to any tampering. If someone does try to alter their records, it is easily identified when recruiters look to verify those credentials.
What types of digital credentialing currently exist?
- Degrees. If you achieved a degree from college or other educational institutions, then this might be one of your most important credentials as it shows both the level of education you attained and the discipline and work you put into getting it.
- Vocational training. Some people say you truly start learning after school or university. Vocational training, and any accompanying certification, can show you have learned and understood something work-related. For example, with your previous employer, you may have learned how to use tools to collaborate with remote teams or other workers.
- Professional membership. Depending on the job role, prospective employers often look for membership of professional associations such as The American Accounting Association. Membership can demonstrate that you have been recognized by your peers as a professional in that field.
- Academic credits. In some cases, you may have undertaken learning as part of your career development. You may not have reached a degree or certificate level yet, but you will have amassed some academic credits. This can demonstrate to potential employers that you are working towards the qualification.
- Organizational awards. You may not think that the ‘Employee of the Month’ award you received last year is important, but it is. Any sort of recognition for achievement in the workplace can be valuable as it can demonstrate your commitment to your job.
What forms do digital credentials take?
Another common question is what form do these credentials take. Are they just digital versions of the original qualification or award, or do they take different forms? There are several digital credentials you may encounter that can really help with any recruitment automation process you want to implement.
1. Digital certificates
Many colleges and universities are now getting on the digital credentialing train. They can streamline administration, both for the college and for potential employers. These certificates are delivered via digital technology and the blockchain network and are virtually (pun intended) impossible to forge. This means that recruiters can be confident of their veracity when they receive them.
As digital certificate services use blockchain technology. It means they are secure and verifiable. The database that stores public certificates is decentralized and cannot be forged.
2. Digital badges
Learning is not confined to the traditional education system. Digital badges recognize educational achievement that came via online learning, community education resources, and even informal courses you may have encountered at an industry conference.
For example, you may have completed a course in AI marketing at your local community college and this could be shown with a digital badge. Many businesses need applicants who already have a set level of technical skills.
If you have a digital badge, it should show the following information:
- The name of the organization or entity that issued the badge.
- The recipient’s name.
- When it was issued.
- Criteria and background to the award.
- Evidence of the learning that was undertaken.
If you send a resume to an HR team that contains a digital badge, they can simply use the attached QR code or access the relevant URL to almost instantly verify the identity of the person and that the qualification is genuine. In many cases, a digital badge will signify the completion of a module (or similar) rather than a full course. You will see digital badges awarded for:
- Completion of a project.
- Attainment of a particular level in a skill such as HTML/CSS coding.
- Participation in an event such as a seminar on the efficient use of a small business virtual phone system.
- MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) certification.
3. Micro-credentials
If you are proactive when it comes to career development, then you’ll know that you can often undertake short courses (or modules) over the life of your career. Micro-credentials are proof that you have achieved a certain level of learning outcomes for those short courses. It should be noted that achievement can also be demonstrated by digital badges.
You will find that training providers or institutions will use micro-credentials to recognize that you have reached competency in a block or module that is part of a course or part of a webinar series. These micro-credentials allow you to link different skills and training across your career and demonstrate that you are active in pursuing career progression.
The efficiency of digital credentialing
No matter how streamlined your recruitment process is, the reliance on paper records can cause logjams. Waiting for verification of submitted records and ensuring that the records match the person presenting them, can lead to delays in finding the right person for the job.
With digital records, the verification process can be a matter of minutes rather than days or weeks.
An organization may always pursue a policy of sourcing diverse talent but, depending on the role being applied for, that may mean hundreds of applications. Let’s say that a vacancy attracted 140 applications and that 50% of those applications didn’t make it past the first stage. That’s 70 remaining candidates whose qualifications and other awards need to be diligently checked.
Because digital credentials are stored on centralized and secure databases, what might have been days of work can be reduced to hours. By recognizing and using digital credentials, you are streamlining the recruitment process. You can also look at integrating digital credentials and other employee information with various platforms and tools.
Email automation can further enhance this process by automatically sending updates and requests for additional information to candidates, ensuring timely communication and reducing manual follow-ups.
As well as the recruitment process, this means that other employee-related tasks such as compensation management, payroll, and career development can all be automated. In turn, this reduces the workload on the relevant teams and allows them to focus on other tasks and it also lessens the likelihood of human error through inaccurate data entry.
Utilizing modern digital tools such as social media post generators can further streamline the promotion and advertisement of job openings, reaching a wide audience efficiently.
Similarly, AI chatbots can be integrated into the recruitment process to automate initial screening conversations, thus speeding up the time it takes to shortlist qualified candidates.
Alongside these tools, an automated text message system can be employed to provide timely updates and reminders to candidates, ensuring they are engaged and informed throughout the recruitment process.
If you have an automated - or partly automated - recruitment process, the digital credentials can be verified and assessed automatically. This can mean that the time is vastly reduced and your teams can focus on the interview process instead.
Following the automated verification of digital credentials, a confirmation email can be automatically sent to candidates to acknowledge the receipt and verification of their credentials, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the process.
The length of the recruitment process can vary greatly according to the job role. For example, a job in finance can take 62.9 days on average from start to finish while a job in human resources can take 50 days. While other factors can cause a long process, checking and verifying paper credentials is a major factor.
While you want candidates to move through your hiring funnel as quickly as possible, you also want to be sure that the candidates are suitably qualified before moving them to the interview stage. Using digital credentialing ensures that the process is speeded up while also ensuring that all submitted credentials are genuine.
Digital credentials = data-driven decisions
Using data to make informed decisions is an integral part of any business. It lets you make decisions in the marketing field, what new technology to use, and even what products may sell well next year. The use of digital credentialing in the HR field adds a new level of data-driven decision-making to how your business works.
HR is not just about the hiring process; it’s also about talent management, professional development, and identifying internal candidates for career progression or management. Integrating the use of digital credentials into your HR processes lets you make decisions that are based on data and evidence rather than a ‘gut feeling’. The benefits of this include:
1. Higher accuracy levels
With digital credentialing and other data, you can more easily identify existing patterns and predict future needs within the workplace. This means you can focus on areas that need improving or learning that is needed by your workforce. For example, you plan on adopting new technology in the next year. Analysis of the relevant data - and digital credentials - can help you identify which employees are best suited for initial training on that technology.
2. Removes bias
Decisions that are data-driven and based on factors such as digital credentials mean that any decisions made will be unbiased and objective. Decision-making should be based on evidence rather than on personal preferences, and analytics can be a major contributing factor to achieving that.
3. Career development and performance management
Looking at the relevant metrics and other data can give you insights into your workforce. It can help you identify staff with particular learning needs but also those who are high achievers and may be suitable for supervisory or management positions. Any digital credentials can help an HR team map development and plan future development paths.
4. Workforce planning
Who knows what the future will bring? Well, no one can with 100% accuracy but predictive analytics can make fairly accurate forecasts. Will extra staff be needed next year? If so, what level of experience and qualifications will they need? Your talent management system may contain previous candidates who were unsuccessful on that occasion but who you earmarked as a possible recruit in the future.
5. Employee retention and risk mitigation
With the average staff turnover rate in the US at almost 50%, it’s no surprise that many businesses emphasize staff retention. Given the cost of the recruitment process, it’s far cheaper to keep an employee than to find a new one. This can be especially true when it comes to your best and most experienced talent.
Using the data you have access to, you can identify if any areas are causing staff dissatisfaction. While you may think of it being mainly focussed on staff benefits and working conditions, the ability to progress in their career and to learn new things is also a factor. Digital credentialing ensures that employees have an easily accessible and verifiable record of their achievements.
The takeaway
Digital credentialing is an effective way of streamlining the recruitment process providing people with easily verifiable credentials. As part of the digital transformation, it can greatly reduce the chances of a candidate submitting fraudulent qualifications or records of learning. It can also reduce the time taken for the process from the initial application to the job offer and onboarding.
The other benefit of digital credentialing is an environmental one. With physical credentials, candidates have to print off paper copies of every qualification or award they have received. Moving to a digital format eliminates the use of traditional paper credentials and makes a small but significant contribution to the overall use of paper in society.
Did you know: 96% of individuals who received digital credentials consider them to be valuable for their careers, and 78% believe they increase their chances of getting a job offer. Get more insights and examples of the impact of digital credentials in our 2024 State of Digital Credentialing report, available online now.
Want to try digital credentials for your company? Sign-up today for a trial account or book a platform demo to learn more about how Accredible can guide you to credentialing success.
