With Artificial Intelligence (AI) influencing many industries in today's world, Elk has taken a look at how this technology is changing the face of recruitment.
Let’s start with the basics, the CV/Resume. It is at times a painstaking task for recruiters to read through reams of text and try to differentiate the skills and experiences of a variety of candidates to identify the best fit for a role. AI-powered tools can quickly scan multiple CV’s and easily match the most suitable candidates to the job requirements. This greatly reduces the time spent on initial screenings.
AI algorithms can also accurately match candidate profiles from various sources such as LinkedIn with an employer’s job descriptions. This aids recruiters by helping them to identify potential candidates who are a good fit for a role but may not have applied directly for it.
Initial queries from candidates can also be performed by AI powered Chatbots. Questions about job openings, company policies and application status can be provided in a timely manner, and assist in pre-screening candidates based on their responses.
That most important part of the recruitment process, candidate interviews, is also being changed by AI. Initial interviews can be conducted through video interview forums or chat-based interfaces. These systems are capable of analysing facial expressions, tone of voice, and choice of words to help assess the suitability of candidates. Furthermore, AI can analyse historical data from previous hiring processes to predict potential candidate success and tenure within the firm. This helps to assist consultants and managers in making more informed hiring decisions.
AI tools can help to make hiring fairer by reducing unconscious bias during the recruitment process. This is achieved by focusing solely on the skills and qualifications of the candidates rather than demographic factors such as race, gender or social status. This could be a game changer for companies and enable them to hire well-qualified candidates that would previously have been eliminated due to recruiter bias.
When new hires start with a company, AI-powered systems may assist in onboarding them. They can provide personalised training materials based on the requirements of the role and the skill gaps identified during the recruitment process.
Overall, AI is proving to be a means of streamlining the recruiting process, making it more efficient, objective, and data driven. This should lead to improving the quality of hires and reducing both time-to-hire and cost for organisations. No doubt there may initially be resistance from traditional recruiters and managers to these tech changes. However, if the benefits are found to outweigh the teething problems, it seems likely that many companies and agencies will adopt AI into their recruitment process sooner rather than later.