For some time, technology has been changing the world of work, the way in which we go about our day-to-day jobs and the way in which companies are hiring staff.
Recruiting is one of the toughest issues faced by businesses today. Finding the right employees for your organisation is critical for business success, but it can be challenging and hiring the wrong person can be expensive.
To help tackle this, companies need better data and intelligence at the screening stage, which will allow them to source the right people and which will focus on the right screening indicators. Studies have shown that humans are notoriously bad at selecting the right applicants for a role and that algorithms can outperform human experts in the recruiting process.
How does AI assist in the recruitment process?
• Many recruiters believe that AI will make recruitment more efficient. Manually reading through hundreds for CVs takes time, but using AI helps reduce the time taken by analysing CVs more quickly.
• AI can also analyse people's online behaviour and the data held on them online. The technology can help predict what roles people might be interested in and the likelihood of them accepting a position.
• In addition, AI can analyse information about current employees to search for applicants with similar skills.
• The recruitment process can be lengthy and frustrating for candidates and AI helps shorten the process of reviewing CVS and arranging interviews, which makes candidates happier.
• AI tools such as 'Chatbots', are increasingly being used in the early stages of the recruitment process to collect information simultaneously from multiple candidates. Chatbots can:
collect candidates' contact information and request CVs
ask about candidates' experience, knowledge and skills
rank candidates on specific metrics such as qualifications
answer specific FAQs regarding the application process or the job
improve the experience of both candidates and recruiters by contacting them and scheduling interviews almost simultaneously.
• With an emphasis on diverse, inclusive, and unbiased recruitment, using technology at the recruitment-screening phase can also assist recruiters to sift through applications to find the best matches for their roles; free of human prejudices and natural human bias.
Why AI should not replace human recruiters entirely
Although AI and technology may assist recruiters at the screening stage, ultimately the interpersonal qualities of a potential candidate cannot be judged by technology alone. This is particularly important in our industry, whether you are working with products or in sales and marketing, where communication with clients and colleagues is paramount.
Determining whether an applicant has the right qualities to be in a specific management role and deciding if a new employee will be the right fit to lead a team, and will fit into the existing team culture for example, is unlikely to be decided using an automated selection process.
AI can take over jobs, thereby reducing costly salaries, but it can be expensive to implement, as highly paid, skilled specialists are required to maintain the technology and train employees in its use. Therefore, this could offset the savings made on salaries.
AI recruitment solutions
There are many organisations offering AI solutions to recruiters including IBM Watson Talent Framework; XOR, which is a SaaS platform that will help you to streamline your recruitment processes; ARYA; and X0PA Ai, which is an intelligent SAAS hiring platform for corporate and enterprise level organisations.
To conclude then, technology (AI and automation) can support the efficiencies of the recruitment-screening process, but it is not able to decide autonomously who a company should hire for a particular role. It cannot replace the people part of our business that comes naturally from face-to-face human interaction and connection.
For more information on how AI is changing the face of recruitment, please contact Neal Allen on 01727 800040 or via email on neal@