Digital Transformation – 7 actions you can take right now 

A guest post by Jobtrain

The term digital transformation can sometimes feel like a vague ambition rather than a practical reality. For HR and recruitment teams already juggling rising vacancy levels, tight budgets and a competitive jobs market, it may sound like a long-term goal for another day.

But here’s the truth: transformation doesn’t have to mean disruption – and it certainly doesn’t mean waiting. 

Across organisations of all shapes and sizes, recruitment teams are already seeing the real benefits of taking manageable, purposeful steps towards smarter, more digital ways of working. The key is not to wait for perfect conditions – but to start with what you can change now. 

Here are some practical actions you can take today to set your organisation on the path to meaningful, people-first digital transformation. 

1. Map your current process and identify the pain points 

Before you invest in any new technology or change how your team works, it’s essential to understand your current setup. Map out your recruitment process step by step – from vacancy creation and approval, to shortlisting, interviews, offers and onboarding. 

Where are the delays happening? Which steps still rely on spreadsheets, emails or printed documents? Are you duplicating effort or chasing approvals manually? These sticking points are opportunities for digital improvement. 

This kind of mapping doesn’t need to be complex. It can be done in an afternoon with your team around the table. What matters is being honest about what’s working and what’s not. 

2. Focus on candidate experience 

Digital transformation starts with people, and that includes your candidates. A streamlined, mobile-friendly and transparent recruitment journey is now the baseline expectation – not a nice extra. 

Ask yourself: how easy is it for someone to apply for a job at your organisation? Can they do it from their phone? Are they kept informed at each stage of the process? Do they know when they’ve been shortlisted or rejected? 

Improving candidate experience doesn’t always require a full system overhaul. Sometimes it’s as simple as tightening up communication, reducing the number of form fields in your application process, or improving the design of your careers site. These small changes can have a big impact on your reputation – and your ability to attract the right people. 

Jobtrain has a candidate experience checklist and an ultimate guide to candidate experience that could help! 

3. Streamline admin with the right tools 

Recruitment teams are often pulled away from high-value work because of time-consuming admin. Chasing approvals, manually updating spreadsheets, or building reports can eat up hours every week. 

That’s where the right technology can make a difference. The Jobtrain applicant tracking system, for example, automates many of these tasks – allowing you to post jobs to multiple channels at once, automate communication with candidates, and generate real-time reports with a few clicks. The result is more time to spend on engaging with people, not processes. 

One of Jobtrain’s clients, NHS Property Services, saw a complete shift in efficiency after implementing our ATS. Prior to going digital, their processes were heavily manual and disjointed. After adopting our solution, they reduced time-to-hire to an average of just 31 days – with better data, better control and less time wasted on paperwork. 

4. Equip hiring managers to take ownership 

Hiring managers are a vital part of any recruitment process – but often, they’re not given the tools or support they need to contribute effectively. 

A key step in digital transformation is enabling hiring managers to own their part of the journey. That might mean training them on your ATS, giving them access to dashboards or simplifying shortlisting tools so they can easily review and score candidates. 

By empowering hiring managers to move faster and make better decisions, you avoid delays and create a stronger partnership between recruitment and the wider organisation. 

5. Use data to drive improvement 

Good recruitment decisions need good information. One of the biggest advantages of digital transformation is the ability to access real-time, accurate data – not just for reporting, but for continuous improvement. 

Track metrics like time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, source of hire and candidate drop-off rates. Use this data to spot trends and improve your campaigns, processes and candidate engagement. 

Data also supports more strategic conversations. Whether you’re making a case for additional resources, improving diversity or demonstrating value to leadership, data gives your recruitment team credibility and insight. 

6. Align with wider digital goals 

The UK government has made clear that digital transformation is a national priority. Through initiatives like the Transforming for a Digital Future roadmap and the creation of a new expert panel to guide digital strategy, the public sector is being encouraged to modernise, innovate and embrace digital ways of working. 

This presents a real opportunity for HR and recruitment teams to align their own transformation efforts with this wider agenda. Not only does it help build momentum internally, but it also positions recruitment as a strategic driver of public sector excellence – not just a back-office function. 

7. Start small, but start now 

Perhaps the most important takeaway is this: you don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Digital transformation is a journey, not a single project. But progress comes from action. 

Start with the areas that cause you the most friction. Fix the candidate experience. Improve visibility with reporting. Automate a few key admin tasks. Every step makes a difference – and helps you build the case for deeper change. 

Digital transformation isn’t about chasing the latest tech trend – it’s about building better recruitment experiences, more resilient teams and more efficient services. And for that, the time to act is now. 

Whether you’re in the NHS, local government or the wider public or private sector, the steps you take today – however small – can help shape a smarter, faster and more people-centred recruitment future. 

And if you’re looking for a hand to guide you – talk to Jobtrain!