For many companies, recruiting is a vital step in the innovation cycle that helps drive them forward. Recruitment brings on new voices and perspectives that can help companies adapt and innovate with the times.

So why does recruitment itself struggle to shake its old-fashioned image? Many applicants used to consumer-grade, user-friendly technology are unpleasantly surprised by the confusing job boards and inconvenient applicant tracking systems (ATS) they encounter during the job hunt.

To recruiters’ credit, the recruitment industry is slowly but surely changing for the better. Technological advancement is driving many of these changes while evolving work patterns have shaped others. Here are a few of the trends currently changing recruitment:

Social Media

Social media is already a big part of the job hunt for most recruiters and job seekers, and it’s only going to get bigger. 94% of recruiters use their social media networks to find candidates and post jobs. 70% of employers screen candidates’ social media profiles and many job searchers have found positions by demonstrating their skills on social media–mainly photographers, writers, and designers.

“Candidate as Consumer”

For employers, social media isn’t just about finding and screening candidates; it’s also about developing an employer “brand,” that helps companies market themselves to potential candidates. 69% of active candidates are more likely to apply to a position with a company that actively manages its brand. Companies and recruiters are increasingly interested in making the hiring process human, and user-friendly for applicants, whether that means changing their technological interfaces or building more communication into the hiring process. The candidate-as-consumer evolution stems both from the global talent shortage, which makes candidates more comfortable rejecting employers who rub them the wrong way, and growing awareness that candidates are also consumers who know and communicate with other consumers.

Artificial Intelligence

One of artificial intelligence’s most potent capabilities is its ability to see patterns and connections where humans can’t. That’s why a growing number of job search platforms–including Google–are integrating AI capabilities. Google Jobs’ AI and machine learning programs will help match candidates to the jobs best suited to them, relying on data points such as resume keywords. Indeed executive Raj Mukherjee recently predicted that one day candidates would be able to press a button and receive a job offer the same day, as an AI program analyzes their candidate profile and sifts through job positions to find a perfect match.

Blockchain

There’s lots of hype around blockchain–but for many industries, including recruiting, that hype might be justified. Blockchain job platforms have the potential to upend the “dumb data” clogging up job boards and clunky ATS programs. One company, BHIRED , is launching a blockchain platform where candidates can create digital profiles stored immutably on a blockchain. Unlike one-dimensional–and often bias-enabling–resumes, these blockchain profiles will capture multi-dimensional elements of candidates’ skill sets, such as personality traits and much-desired “soft skills.” BHIRED’s vision is a blockchain platform where high-quality, verifiable data helps form better direct matches between employers and candidates.

More Freelancing and Job-Hopping

Job-hopping, once taboo, is now becoming more standard in the workforce, particularly among younger workers. Many workers now embrace the freelancing lifestyle, eschewing complete employment with one company altogether. One recent study estimated that over half of the U.S. workforce will freelance by 2027. For recruiters, this shift will likely require getting adept at searching for freelance partners in addition to full-time employees. An increase in job-switching frequency means that recruiting needs to become faster and more efficient to avoid draining company resources.

Mobile-Friendly Hiring

In most occupations, mobile searches account for the majority of job searches; this shouldn’t be a surprise: there are officially more mobile devices in the world than people. Considering that smartphone users pay their bills, communicate with friends and family, and carry out other daily tasks on their phones, it’s no surprise they’d be using their devices to look for jobs too. For employers, that means it’s essential to provide a mobile-friendly job search and application experience. Recruiting expert, Michael Marlatt has pointed out that making your hiring process more mobile-friendly can increase the diversity of your talent pool: people of color and women tend to rely more heavily on their phones for job searches and applications.

Recruiting will continue to evolve as technology and society changes. Staying aware of trends and improvements is essential to keep ensuring the best candidates find their best job matches.