Big Data. It’s not necessarily a new idea. The information has been there for a long time. But finding ways to tap into it and make it useful has been a bit elusive. Marketing and sales were some of the first areas to jump into the Big Data ring. But if your company’s recruitment strategy doesn’t include analyzing and making Big Data work for you, then you’re missing out.

RELATED:Why Big Data is a Recruiter’s New Best Friend

Businesses swim in Big Data every day. But according to data analytics company, SAS Institute, it’s not being used to its fullest potential. “Big data can be analyzed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic business moves,” they explain, and better business decisions lead to better recruitment results.

Big Data is the Present and the Future of Recruiting

It’s a whole new world out there, but how you navigate it will determine whether you’re successful. “Big Data is the future of job recruiting,” says Wired magazine, but compiling data is only the tip of the iceberg. “You need the right tools to analyze it, and the right people who can provide meaningful insight.”

It’s a time-saving tool and one that gets better results when used properly. That’s how real-time matching works. But instead of needing a team of analysts, RealMatch makes it all automatic. When you post a new job ad, we get it to job seekers who fit what you need on all levels. This can happen at job boards, social media, and any other site where the people you’re looking for spend time.

Using data from potential candidates and analyzing it automatically saves you time and money. You’ll get fewer poor matches because your ads won’t be sent to every person looking for a job. Think of it as a real-time screening tool based on real information about prospective candidates.

What Big Data Can Tell You

Data is created at every turn, and actions often speak louder than words. You can learn things about potential candidates through Big Data that you might never get from a survey or even an interview. Recruiting.com says some of the information that can be analyzed includes:

• • How candidates found you

• • The path candidates took to get there

• • Which jobs candidates are looking for

But there’s a lot more available, such as:

• • Specific skill sets

• • Company culture clues

• • Whether passive candidates are open to a new job

• • How candidates prefer to look for work (mobile is important)

FutureStep says “Big Data opens all kinds of doors,” and that taking advantage of it can transform recruitment from “reactive to proactive.” It also saves you a lot of time.

The short of it is that when used the right way, Big Data gets better results for you with less effort. There’s no real need to hire a team of analysts when RealMatch does all of the analytics for you and routes your job ads in the right direction automatically.

All of the information is there just waiting for you. And your competition is probably on board with it already, or they’re at least thinking about it. When better hiring decisions take less time and effort, Big Data looks like a recruiting a win for everyone.