It’s no secret that AI is well and truly on the rise. What’s more, there is no doubt that at some point, you may have asked yourself: ‘could my job be replaced by a robot?’.
For recruiters, some argue that this could be the case.
Recent research into the work of HR and recruiters found that 70% of HR managers believe that recruitment processes need to be more data-driven. Technological advances in the industry mean that the obvious solution to this problem would be to simply increase use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the recruitment sector. But of course, many will argue that this can put jobs at risk when in fact we should embrace this change, because it will make way for new roles within the sector.
At AdView, we’re expecting AI to transform the industry in three ways:
1. AI can be used to discreetly spot and follow job hunters’ trends and patterns
AI’s role doesn’t just begin at the initial candidate screening stage, it comes in one step before that. Through the use of algorithms and analysing data, AI is able to pick up on active job seekers’ behaviour. If someone is spending a significant amount of time searching for ‘marketing jobs’ on a job board site, AI software will learn this behaviour and target the user with similar and relevant marketing jobs. AI technology also has the ability to reach and target those who may not even be actively searching for a new job; the software can go as far as analysing data from social media to know when someone might be leaving their current job or looking to change career.
Staying on top of trends and patterns is a timely process for recruiters and AI significantly can reduce this manual investment. Recruiters are able to follow up with candidates through phone calls and emails, but this can often get tiresome. Recruiters aren’t able to keep track of candidates’ behaviour patterns as discreetly as AI can (apart from stalking LinkedIn and Twitter profiles); they have to keep in contact directly, but is this appreciated by candidates?
2. AI will be able to reach a wider pool of talented and suitable potential candidates
AI has the ability to dive deeper into the candidate search than a human can manually. You can tell a lot about a person’s attitudes, interests and beliefs according to their social media, and AI technology has the power to analyse a variety of words in a candidate’s social media posts, making it an effective way of narrowing down the talent pool in the early stages of recruitment. The candidate screen time can be done more time efficiently by AI than by humans, meaning recruiters’ time could be spent on more worthwhile and valuable tasks.
The use of AI in the candidate search process also reduces the chances of unconscious bias on the recruiters behalf. Instead, AI will allow recruiters to focus on the potential applicant’s skill set which means the most talented individuals are able to shine through.
It could be argued that AI means it's the end of the line when it comes to recruiters jobs because it will help enhance processes and allow for more efficient candidate searches, where talented individuals can shine. But, there will always be the need for manual screening when it comes down to selecting the right candidates for the role because of the innate human ability to judge character and personality.
3. AI will improve job candidates experiences
The job search and application can be painfully long for job candidates. This is often the case for those applying to businesses or through recruitment agencies with a slow and inefficient process.
Whilst it is important for companies to feel like they are hiring the right person for a job role, it’s equally as important for the candidate to feel impressed by the business. If it takes two weeks to find out they’ve got through the initial screening process, another two weeks to schedule an interview and a further three weeks to find out whether they’ve got the job or not, they aren’t going to be impressed - especially if they haven’t got the job. In fact, in that time they may have either talked themselves out of wanting the job, but AI can reduce processing time and ensure the candidate experience is positive so they don't become disengaged.
In a recent survey by Software Advice, 41% of jobs seekers said that their candidate experience has been significantly worsened by being unable to contact a recruiter. Chatbot software, such as Mya, allows applications to be reviewed for the mandatory criteria within in a matter of minutes, then the bot can immediately let the candidate know whether they are on to the next stage of the recruitment process. Considering how many CVs and applications recruiters receive, it is virtually impossible for them to give feedback to a candidate in this short amount of time. This technology means that neither recruiter or candidate will be spending a considerable amount of time waiting to be contacted.
We’ve already seen Google introduce Cloud Jobs API, which aims to improve the recruitment process by matching “job seeker preferences with relevant job listings based on sophisticated classifications and relational models.” And, we’re expecting to see more companies follow suit.
So, will recruiters be completely replaced by AI?
With the level of depth and efficiency AI is able to contribute to the recruitment industry, it’s likely that recruiters will find themselves relying on AI more and more, and eventually it could lead to jobs being replaced. Some may argue that the role of a human and their ability to experience emotion and assess character is vital to the recruitment process so this, in particular, will never be fully replaced by AI. Even if the technology does take over the low-level admin aspects of a recruiter’s role, this shouldn’t be seen as a negative impact of AI.
For more information on the impacts of AI in the recruitment industry, visit: https://adview.online
