The Latest from the Talent Tech Industry
May 10-16, 2021: Totaljobs acquires US conversational AI technology Mya to improve the match between job seekers and openings; Move over DaVinci – AI-powered robot paints self-portraits, providing a “creepy” look into how machines see themselves; Candidate.ly launches to deliver candidate data more efficiently to staffing customers; Mysolution acquires OnRecruit to expand its talent platform for the staffing industry; Docufree releases new connectors for applicant tracking systems, enabling new hire data to be easily transferred into an employer’s HRIS; PandoLogic acquires conversational AI technology Wad & Wendy to “define a quality applicant without the inherent bias that results from human intervention.;” plus TA Tech NewZ Makers: @MikeMarschke, @JackRussell, @AlexanderStrahl
Totaljobs acquire US conversational AI technology MYA
Totaljobs, the UK’s largest hiring platform, will soon offer users job searches based on conversational artificial intelligence as early as 2021. As a key part of StepStone Group, one of the world’s leading online job marketplaces, Totaljobs will take the next big step in transforming how people seek new roles and careers. Totaljobs and StepStone have acquired the San Francisco-based, multiple award-winning conversational AI technology Mya. With the help of Mya’s conversational AI, Totaljobs will fundamentally change the way it engages with job seekers, nurturing those relationships, and matching them to the right job opportunities. On top of just searching for jobs, Totaljobs will interact with its users conversationally through new channels to discover more about precise job seeker preferences, skills, and interests to increase the overall number and quality of matching job applications.
Human-like robot creates creepy self-portraits
The world's first robotic self-portraits, painted by an android called Ai-Da, have been unveiled at a new art exhibit in London, despite the "artist" not having a "self" to portray. The surprisingly accurate images question the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in human society and challenge the idea that art is exclusively a human trait, according to her creators. Ai-Da is a life-size android artist powered by AI — computer algorithms that mimic the intelligence of humans — that can paint, sculpt, gesture, blink and talk. Ai-Da is designed to look and act like a human woman with a female voice. Her head and torso look like a mannequin's and she wears a variety of different dresses and wigs, although a pair of exposed mechanical arms do give her away as robotic. A team of programmers, roboticists, art experts and psychologists from the University of Oxford and the University of Leeds in England spent two years, from 2017 to 2019, developing the android, according to The Guardian. She is named after Ada Lovelace, the pioneering English mathematician who is considered one of the first computer programmers.
Candidate.ly launches to serve the staffing industry
Candidate.ly announces its launch to provide staffing firms with “a more efficient and delightful” way to deliver candidates to customers. According to its site, it offers “Consistent and clean candidate presentation designed to help your clients make faster decisions” and can “Give your clients an easy way to give you feedback on candidates and cut response times in half. Companies can create their own profile, add their logo, adjust color codes and host the solution on their own URL. Investors include Y Combinator, Speedinvest, and BeeNext.
Original Source: Company website
Mysolution moves upward in the staffing and recruitment market with the acquisition of OnRecruit
Mysolution welcomes the OnRecruit team and takes an important step in its ambition to deliver a one-stop solution for the staffing industry, the Total Talent Management platform. Mysolution, combined with the OnRecruit solutions, takes up the challenge of converting data from various applications into useful insights. This brings staffing and recruitment teams steadily closer to their dream to work data-driven. Jaap Postma, CEO at Mysolution, sees additional added value in the marketing partnerships, technology and knowledge that OnRecruit offers: ‘Many of our customers are currently investing in recruitment marketing technology. Our vision is to optimise returns for our customers with a better use of all available data. The insights that OnRecruit can offer our customers in combination with OnRecruit's partnerships with, for example, Autopilot, Indeed and Talent.com, will simply help our customers to get more sales from both advertising and their existing database.’ René Bolier, first employee of OnRecruit 10 years ago, now CEO, will join the Mysolution management team in the role of CCO Recruitment Solutions, helping to further roll out the combined proposition of Mysolution and OnRecruit nationally and internationally.
Original Source: Company website
Docufree Releases New Series of Applicant Tracking System Connectors
Docufree, a business process services provider of large-volume document scanning, cloud-based document management and intelligent process automation, announced key enhancements to its Document Cloud Platform, including a new series of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) connectors. These connectors automatically sync new hire records stored in ATS systems with other HR applications. “Applicant Tracking Systems have modernized and accelerated the hiring process, but the employee experience doesn’t stop after recruitment,” said David Winkler, executive vice president and chief product officer at Docufree. “It is critical that new hire records in an ATS transfer to the right people and applications for seamless employee onboarding, provisioning, and compliant records management.” Docufree’s ATS connectors automatically integrate new hire information received in an Applicant Tracking System with other HR applications in real time, breaking down data silos, improving service delivery, and helping HR teams leverage the maximum value out of other technology investments.
PandoLogic Inc. Acquires Conversational AI Recruiting Provider Wade & Wendy
PandoLogic, the world's leading provider of programmatic recruitment advertising, announced its acquisition of conversational AI recruiting provider Wade & Wendy. The action positions PandoLogic as the only programmatic advertising provider that can define a quality applicant without the inherent bias that results from human intervention. The acquisition will accelerate the adoption of programmatic job advertising as a best practice by combining PandoLogic's world-class performance with Wade & Wendy's AI power for candidate engagement and qualification to ensure delivery of the highest possible volume of only the most qualified applicants. PandoLogic President and CEO Terry Baker said, "This acquisition reinforces our position as the most technologically advanced provider of AI-enabled recruitment automation software. We're delighted to welcome the Wade & Wendy team to PandoLogic and look forward to our great work together."
TA Tech NewZ Makers
Mike Marschke was promoted to Sr. Program Manager – Talent Acquisition at Amazon Web Services.
Jack Russell was promoted to Account Manager – Team Lead at Appcast.
Alexander Strahl has been named a senior client partner and co-leader of Korn Ferry’s EMEA global technology practice. He is based in the firm’s Brussels office.