I had an interesting and unexpected conversation today with someone about human resources and the hiring process. It is one of the striking aspect of our times that even with the explosion of technology that by and large employment (outside of the computer fields) is a relatively traditional field of human activity. On the one hand, this is somewhat surprising, in that our expansion of capabilities has had so little change on the behavior of others. On the other hand, though, it makes perfect sense for a variety of reasons. It is worthwhile to discuss those reasons, and what can (or perhaps should) be done about it.

It is easy to understand why technology has had to little effect on hiring procedures. For one, most of the people making hiring decisions are not familiar with or eager to adopt technologies that change the way they think and behave. There is a bit of a generation gap between baby boomers making hiring decisions and the Gen Xers and Millennials seeking work in terms of the attitude toward technology and its applicability on the job. Even those HR personnel that are using the internet to find more qualified candidates for job openings think mainly in terms of books of names and websites that keep fairly traditional information like Linked In, and these sites seem to be used mostly by younger professionals, or those older professionals who have stayed young and open in their mindset.

The other main reason that hiring seems so traditional is that technology has not overcome the biggest barriers to inertia, and that is the lack of trust. So far the proliferation of technology, as well as information about people, has not led to a growing amount of trust for others. Quite the contrary. Job applicants, instead of being able to leverage their ordinary lives for jobs and promotions, have to worry about their blogging (which in some nations may even threaten their freedom and survival) as well as worry about the economic consequences of drinking and clubbing, all activities that many young people engage in rather openly. The activities that do increase trust–like networking–are fairly “old-fashioned.” Not that this makes them less desirable, it is just that these activities have been less changed by technology than may be expected given the proliferation of technology in our lives.

So, how do we use technology to improve trust rather than to sabotage it? What would be most helpful, it would appear, is a way to make job applicants appear more human their cover letters and resumes. Whether that meant some kind of video conversations or some other means of showing people as people rather than as text and numbers is a decision that HR professionals have to decide. I would be curious to see what ideas other people have on how technology can be used to bridge the gap between HR personnel and hiring managers overwhelmed by e-mail and faxed copies of resumes and the lack of a human touch in hiring. Your stories are appreciated. Perhaps I will add my own.